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 | unemployment | friend | ventriloquist | wedding planner | 

---

Taglines:

The story of a dummy and his man.

---

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 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

Steven's jacket and shirt change when he enters the magic store at the beginning of the movie, then change back after he exits.

---

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.

---

Crazy Credits

Special thanks to the Fagan Family, the Cross Family, the forbidden family of Charlotte and Kendo, the Akel Family, the Sullivan Family, the Jachera Family, Howard Johnson and Tony, Amir, Rich and George, the Kingston Family, the Taylor Family, the Ziff Family, the MacCarthy Family and to all the residents and our friends in Wayne.

---

Connections

References Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985)

---

Soundtracks

"Orson's Theme"
(1973) (uncredited)
Written and Performed by Michel Legrand

User Reviews

I'd say this is an entertaining comedy with heart.

I had a premonition I was about to see a comedy with a lot of heart even before the main titles played out at a screening of "Dummy" at the American Film Market 2000 recently.

In the opening scene, Steven, who lives with his eccentric parents and sister, sits enthralled watching the flickering tv image of ventriloquist Edgar Bergan and his dummy, Charlie McCarthy. As the camera moves in on the young man, we see in his eyes the depth of his dreams and aspirations to at last make something of his humdrum life. The next day, he gives up his 9-to-5 job and announces to his dysfunctional family that he wants to be a ventriloquist. His ever-busy mother(Jessica Walter), making yet another tuna sandwich, remarks that his career choice is" nice but not very realistic" while his sister observes that with the dummy on his lap, Steven looks like a child molester.

Casting is right on the mark. Adrien Brody brings a sympathetic and likable quality to the role of Steven as he manipulates his dummy to express his own private fears and feelings to the people around him. Vera Farmiga, the love interest, is extremely engaging as his employment counselor and Illeana Douglas, the very unmarried sister, is constantly funny. Outstanding too is Milla Javovich as Steven's best friend, a punk rocker with layers of attitude. Writer and director Greg Pritikin skillfully holds down the pathos and gives his film just the right touch of humor. An entertaining movie that is worth a look.