Dummy (2002)

An ex-office worker becomes a ventriloquist, leading to a date with his unemployment counselor; but his quirky family and a gauche female friend may thwart his new career and love life.

Director:

Greg Pritikin

Writer:

Greg Pritikin

Stars:

Adrien Brody, Milla Jovovich, Illeana Douglas

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adrien Brody	...	Steven
Milla Jovovich	...	Fangora
Illeana Douglas	...	Heidi
Vera Farmiga	...	Lorena
Jessica Walter	...	Fern
Ron Leibman	...	Lou
Jared Harris	...	Michael
Mirabella Pisani	...	Bonnie
Helen Hanft	...	Mrs. Gurkel
Richmond Hoxie	...	Sorensen
Adam LeFevre	...	Theater Director
Joanne Bayes	...	Actress
Lou Martini Jr.	...	Unemployed Italian (as Lou Marini Jr.)
Gabor Morea	...	Unemployed Frottager (as Gabor Mobea)
Edward Hibbert	...	Unemployed Actor

Storyline

Steven, nearly 30 and living with his parents, sees an old Edgar Bergen movie on TV and decides to fulfill his longtime dream of becoming a ventriloquist. His beautiful unemployment counselor Lorena finds him work, but puts out a restraining order on him when he paints a thank-you note on her door. Later, this young mother agrees to date him anyway, but finds his bickering family, and his inexperience with women, daunting to a relationship. Steven's sister Heidi is a wedding planner with a drunken ex-fiancé who keeps showing up at the door. His friend Fangora is a pseudo-punk rocker whose sex does not prevent her from giving him terrible advice about women. The wedding of a Jewish girl, who wants Klezmer music and gets something unexpected, will become a turning point in everyone's lives.

---

Plot Keywords:

wedding | friend | unemployment | wedding planner | restraining order | 

---

Taglines:

A comedy about finding your voice before you lose your mind.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Lionsgate Entertainment

Country:

USA

Language:

English Yiddish

Release Date:

21 February 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brzuchomówca

Filming Locations:

Commack, Long Island, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$30,120 (USA) (12 September 2003)

Gross:

$71,305 (USA) (3 October 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dummy Productions LLC, Quadrant Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The store that Steven buys his dummy at is called "Halloween Adventure". It is located in New York City.

---

Goofs

When Stephen brings home the dummy for the first time, he only opens the latch on the left side of the suitcase first. In the next shot, he opens both of the latches, even though the left would have already been unlatched.

---

Quotes

Fannie: You can fuck me if I'm wrong!
Steven: No, That's okay.

---

Crazy Credits

Assistant technical advisor ... Jerry Mahoney (who is Paul Winchell's dummy)

---

Connections

References Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)

---

Soundtracks

"My Own Morning"
(1967)
Music by Jule Styne
Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Arranged by Paul Wallfisch
Performed by Illeana Douglas

User Reviews

excellent, excellent funny film

I really loved this film. I kept walking past it at the video store and finally decided we HAD to watch a movie about pursuing a dream of being a ventriloquist.

That being said, it is definitely one of my favorites of the past few years, and definitely my favorite comedy. If you're considering renting it, and you like Wes Anderson, I think this is a film you would enjoy.

The cast is spot-on and Adrien Brody as Steven is fall out of your seat AMAZING. (It doesn't hurt that he's got excellent material to work with.) His tone is so understated, so perfectly introverted as Steven, and so wry and cutting as the dummy...you truly feel that you are watching two actors playing two characters. It makes the moments the dummy is unanimated quite wild and almost eerie.

To boot, this movie is actually quite a good romantic comedy, which in my humble opinion is usually an oxymoron. Steven's pathological shyness and abuse at the hands of his own dummy really made my heart ache, even as my sides were splitting from laughter.

Its hard to believe its the director's first film. Again, all the actors (particularly Brody and Douglas, and Jovovich certainly holds her own as well) go a long way in making it work. It is disappointing to see the lack of attention this movie has gotten. I hope it becomes a video sleeper. It is definitely worth renting...more than once!