Beginner's Luck (1985) User Reviews

Worlds Apart From Animated Shorts.

[rsoonsa · 2/10 · 24 April 2004]

The husband/wife combination of Frank and Caroline Mouris, deservedly esteemed for its clever animated as well as non-animated shorts and Academy Award winner for an animated work, is represented here with the duo's sole full-length narrative feature, a weak effort that has deservedly remained essentially unknown. Having but a small source of funding through a grant, the two shot this piece, a tepid attempt at a sex-flavoured comedy, and after dilating it to 35MM, tried to arrange distribution, with scant critical and financial success, as a viewer will readily understand. "Hunter" is a law student whose libido is sublimated, due to concentration upon his studies, until he forms a friendship with neighbours "Aris" and "Tech", an unmarried couple, with an unplanned triangle of love being the result. Just as the trio begins its exploration of amorous potentialities, Hunter's somewhat dim fiancée "Bethany" comes to visit her future groom and he must hide his newfound relationship with Aris (male) and Tech (female). In addition to these proceedings, sub-plots involve Tech's mother "Babs" and her nuptial pursuit of her lover; and a randy co-worker of Aris, "Courtney", who avidly desires him. This all sounds provocative enough, as if the characters have voyaged upon a sea of lust, but the work is weakly scripted and quite devoid of sensuality, seemingly composed, as it were, from the licentious fantasies of five-year-old children. Filmed in a vivid wintry setting at Boothbay Harbor, Maine, the film's cast includes untested actors in the main and is clumsily constructed, although one must concede that continuity and production values suffer from a lack of resources.

80s attempt at Doris Day comedy with throuple

[Niv-1 · 7/10 · 10 September 2023]

When they mentioned her name the aims became pretty clear. Very inexpensive independent movie with largely unknown Cast. Just a real Sundance feel. Something that might have created a stir there. The main actors have some che and chemistry and it's pretty enjoyable. Today it would be a "throuple" comedy. A totally buttoned up college student with little experience in relationships meets a couple who moves in upstairs and hijinks ensue. Some side characters are a little underdeveloped and not all the attempts at humor work but overall it wasn't bad and I would recommend it for the main cast chemistry.