Dummy (2002)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Greg Pritikin

Writer:

Greg Pritikin (written by)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

The story of a dummy and his man.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Wedding | Ventriloquist | Restraining Order | Unemployment Office | Accountant

Cast

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

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

USA:91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Yiddish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | UK:15 | Australia:M | Italy:T | Singapore:PG | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Commack, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Dummy Productions LLC

Trivia:

The ventriloquist teacher in the classroom scene (Alan Semok) designed and built the film's title character and also played teacher in real life as Adrien Brody's personal trainer, teaching Brody ventriloquism and puppet manipulation in a three week crash course during preproduction.

Goofs:

Continuity: "Paris Film Production" is credited for grip/electric twice.

Quotes:

Fannie: I bought a gift for you.
Steven: Oh, no.
Fannie: Actually, I lifted it from Borders. But it's perfect for your date. It's classical music.
Steven: Oh, thanks!
Fannie: Yeah, when you get Lorena alone, put this on. Classical music makes women horny. Just trust me on this one.
Steven: Thanks. "Best of John Philip Sousa".
Fannie: Yeah. Chicks dig it.

Movie Connections:

References Pinocchio (1940)

Soundtrack:

Lonely Boy

Veeeeeery funny!

Adrien Brody , Milla Jovovich, and Illeana Douglas are all hilarious in this great little comedy... Beautiful Milla shows her unique talent for being simultaneously really sexy and really funny, as she did 5 yrs earlier, in "The Fifth Element"... What I like most is that the humour is mainly subtle. The funniest bits are more understated than they are in the bigger-budget comedies with the in-your-face – appeal to the broadest possible audience stuff... "Dummy" is a fine example of not compromising, in order to harvest the biggest-possible box-office receipts. I give this side-splitting indie 8 big-ones and whole-heartedly recommend it.