The Man
Studio: New Line Cinema
Rated: PG-13
Website: www.themanmovie.com/
Release Date: 2005-09-09
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Eugene Levy, Anthony Mackie, Luke Goss, Miguel Ferrer
Director: Les Mayfield
Screenwriter: Jim Piddock, Margaret Oberman, Steve Carpenter
WorkNameSort: Man, The
It’s a closely guarded secret, but big-time filmmaking is all about reusing existing resources. Think of all the valuable rehearsal time you could save, for example, by casting Samuel L. Jackson as a tougher-than-leather federal agent and Eugene Levy as the nebbishy dental-supplies salesman who stumbles into his custody. Those guys can play roles like that in their sleep, right? Now and here comes the important part you just have to remember to give either of them something remotely funny to do or say. Clarifying note: Uncontrollable flatulence ceased to count as “funny” more than a decade ago.
This article appears in Sep 14-20, 2005.