Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (DVD)

.../>
TITLE: Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael

RATING: ***

CAST: Winona Ryder, Jeff Daniels, Laila Robins, Thomas Wilson Brown, Dinah Manoff, Sachi Parker, Stephen Tobolowsky, Micole Mercurio, John Short, Robin Thomas, Valerie Landsburg, Ron Perkins, Carla Gugino, Hank Underwood.

DIRECTOR: Jim Abrahams

SCREENWRITER: Karen Leigh Hopkins

STUDIO: Paramount Pictures

...I still vaguely remember when WELCOME HOME, ROXY CARMICHAEL came out and I was stunned at the cover, where she showed off a lot of skin wearing a pink dress that seemed like it was sagging. This film bombed at the box office, and many reviewers didn’t find anything special about the film, and thus shrugged it off as being a vehicle for Ryder with no substance or value. The film was directed by Jim Abrahams, which seemed like it was his attempt to ... more

******************************************************************

TITLE: Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael

RATING: ***

CAST: Winona Ryder, Jeff Daniels, Laila Robins, Thomas Wilson Brown, Dinah Manoff, Sachi Parker, Stephen Tobolowsky, Micole Mercurio, John Short, Robin Thomas, Valerie Landsburg, Ron Perkins, Carla Gugino, Hank Underwood.

DIRECTOR: Jim Abrahams

SCREENWRITER: Karen Leigh Hopkins

STUDIO: Paramount Pictures

RUNNING TIME: 96 min.

RATED: PG-13 (US) & 15 (UK); for language and suggested sex.

DVD AVAILABILITY: 8 GBP from Amazon; ASIN #B00005AY12

******************************************************************
INTRODUCTION: THE LOVELY MS. RYDER
******************************************************************

Ah, the lovely Winona Ryder! I was a huge fan of her and her movies while growing up (bear in mind this is before her shoplifting days), and my favorite is still her show-stopping turn as Veronica Sawyer in the cult classic HEATHERS. I have seen all her films and I still vaguely remember when WELCOME HOME, ROXY CARMICHAEL came out and I was stunned at the cover, where she showed off a lot of skin wearing a pink dress that seemed like it was sagging. This film bombed at the box office, and many reviewers didn’t find anything special about the film, and thus shrugged it off as being a vehicle for Ryder with no substance or value. The film was directed by Jim Abrahams, which seemed like it was his attempt to make a serious movie after co-directing such comedy hits as AIRPLANE!, RUTHLESS PEOPLE, and THE NAKED GUN! Ironically, the same year, his one-time partner David Zucker would make a serious film in 1990, too, and that was GHOST, which made bank and also several Oscar nods. Why did WELCOME HOME, ROXY CARMICHAEL fail? Were critics too harsh on it, which led to only a 4 million-dollar take at the box office? Is the film really that bad?

******************************************************************
A LEGEND IS COMING HOME
******************************************************************

The story starts 15 years ago in Clyde, Ohio where it shows a girl packing her bags shortly after giving birth to a daughter. The boyfriend is not too happy that she is leaving, though she feels it’s the right thing to do, since she cannot financially support her daughter. Before she leaves, all she says to him is “See you when I’m famous.”

We then move to the present day, where we meet Dinky Bossetti (Winona Ryder), at teenager with a goth-girl style appearance; she loves wearing all black clothes, and has hair that looks like it hasn’t been shampooed in a week. She is riding on her bicycle through Clyde, while everyone is preparing for the return of Roxy Carmichael, who left 15 years ago and became famous in Hollywood. The local church puts on their outdoor sign “Roxy---the prodigal daughter returns” and a local shop announces that the “Roxy Carmichael sale has started.” Dinky arrives at the local community center where a committee has been formed and announced “Roxy Carmichael week.”

Anyway, we soon learn that Dinky is a joke at the high school she attends, and she usually skips classes despite the fact she has had an A average since elementary school. She is an orphan who is constantly picked on, and she usually likes to stay away from her yuppie parents and be with her real family: a collection of animals she takes care of outside of town near a river. She likes a popular guy named Gerald (Thomas Wilson Brown) and he seems to like her too---aside from the fact he is trying to keep his “cool” status at the school. Roxy’s one time boyfriend Denton (Jeff Daniels, PLEASANTVILLE) is now married with several kids, and his wife feels uncomfortable about the fact that Roxy is returning and that Denton might go off with him. After several conversations with the inquisitive Dinky, she becomes obsessed with learning more about Roxy…and soon starts to believe she could actually be Roxy’s daughter who was born before she left.

******************************************************************
THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME? DUH!
******************************************************************

If you think this is a story that seems more suited to a TV movie-of-the-week, you are so right. There isn’t much to this simplistic comedy-drama, though I must saw viewing it as an adult that I viewed it in different light then I was a teenager who was once obsessed with Ryder. And thus this suggests a theory as to why this film failed with an audience: it tried to appeal to both a teenage and adult audience like SAY ANYTHING…, and it just didn’t work despite the talent involved. I related to what Dinky went through as a teenager because I was picked on for several years, yet I really didn’t care about the whole town anticipating the arrival of this woman who most of them haven’t even met. As an adult, I related more to the adults, though still felt a certain distance with their characters.

The film was written and executive produced by Karen Leigh Hopkins, who later wrote STEPMOM (with Julia Roberts) and the recent BECAUSE I SAID SO (with Diane Keaton). She has also appeared in small roles from time to time, such as CLOAK & DAGGER (one of my personal favorites from childhood) and JANE AUSTEN’S MAFIA (also directed by Abrahams). The screenplay seems to shift back and forth between Dinky and her interaction with various adults like Denton and Elizabeth Zaks (the new school counselor) as well as Clyde’s anticipation of the return of Roxy Carmichael, whose face is never seen. In fact, we know very little about Ms. Carmichael, aside from the fact that she is famous and sometimes takes a nude swim in her swimming pool.

The main problem with Hopkins’ script is that she doesn’t give any of the characters (aside from Dinky’s) any real layers or clever dialogue, and the story has too many needless supporting characters. For example, there is Evelyn (Dinah Manoff, GREASE) who just seems to be concerned about Roxy’s fashion styles; there is also Rochelle (Frances Fisher, HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG) who is determined to ship Dinky off somewhere because she thinks she is an embarrassment. Even Denton’s character is uninteresting, as we never really know his motives and feelings about Roxy returning, and his wife Barbara isn’t believable enough, instead opting to run away with the kids just because Roxy is returning. As for the budding romance between Gerald and Dinky, it is sweet but never really fully fleshed out.

The performances in the film range from effective to heavy-handed. Ryder is solid for the most part, and is really the primary reason to see the film, since she makes her character funny and appealing. While it’s certainly not up to her performances in LUCAS, HEATHERS and LITTLE WOMEN, she still comes off natural even with a seriously flawed script. Jeff Daniels is likeable as ever, though he isn’t particularly memorable because his character is so flat. As Elizabeth, Laila Robins (THE GOOD SHEPHERD) is pretty but seems so out of place as the counselor who attempts the bond with the troubled Dinky; the same goes for Frances Fisher (Clint Eastwood’s ex-wife) as Rochelle who comes off as pretty annoying. And while Thomas Wilson Brown (HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS) tries hard, he is utterly lifeless.

******************************************************************
SOME CHARM SHINES OUT
******************************************************************

By this point, you are probably thinking that I agreed with the critics and thought this film was flimsy and forgettable, however I must say that I noticed a strong theme which Hopkins may or may not have been going after when she wrote the script. Considering the recent events which involved Paris Hilton, there is an underlying current in WELCOME HOME, ROXY CARMICHAEL that cannot be ignored: the obsession that our society has with celebrities. Personally, I could give a damn less about most of the superstars and socialites which constantly appear on magazine covers because I’m concerned about my own life. Why people feel the need to pay attention to these people they have never met, wanting to know their fashion sense and who they are sleeping around with is beyond me. In this film, it shows not only the obsession but also the consequences of having this mindless curiosity which people love to revel in. Perhaps that is why Hopkins opted to not explain what Roxy did that made her so famous, because it doesn’t really matter; like Gerald says at one point, “Who the hell is Roxy Carmichael? Who the hell cares? She is not here, look around!”

With this in mind, it is almost as if Abrahams and Hopkins were trying to create a satire about celebrity attention, though it still comes off as uneven; the loopy humor works at times (like when Dinky shares an erotic poem with her English class) and at other times it doesn’t (like when a father tells his son to go home because his mom is making macaroni and cheese). We don’t really sympathize or feel for any of the characters, so the film’s dramatic elements don’t score either. What we are left with is a film that could have been better, but just doesn’t ring true, despite good actors and a strong theme. However, one other thing I liked about the film is Thomas Newman’s understated and beautiful score, as well as some of the songs on the soundtrack, which includes several by Melissa Etheridge, who just won an Oscar for “I Need to Wake Up” for AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH.

The film’s video and audio qualities are acceptable, with very little grain and specks, and colors and black levels appearing solid. However, I found the lack of special features on the disc very disappointing; I wouldn’t have minded hearing an audio commentary by Hopkins at the very least hearing what inspired her to write this film. In conclusion, WELCOME HOME, ROXY CARMICHAEL, despite its good intentions and occasional quirks, comes off as an uneven misfire. The best things about it are the themes and Winona Ryder. However, the film suffers from a general blandness outweighing the proceedings and none of the performances are particularly memorable. I would recommend a definite rental before purchasing the DVD, unless of course you are a Winona Ryder completist; the DVD is available from Amazon for 8 GBP and the ASIN is B00005AY12. Thanks for reading, and have a fine day! Chris :) 

...less