The Wool Cap (2004) (TV)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Steven Schachter

Writers (WGA):

Jackie Gleason (story)
William H. Macy (teleplay) ...

Release Date:

21 November 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The mute superintendent of a ramshackle apartment building, becomes the unwilling guardian of a little girl with an attitude.

Plot Keywords:

Mute | Hat | Telefilm

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 11 nominations

Cast

William H. Macy	...	Gigot
Ned Beatty	...	Gigot's Father
Keke Palmer	...	Lou
Don Rickles	...	Ira
Cherise Boothe	...	Arleen
Julito McCullum	...	Jamal
Catherine O'Hara	...	Gloria
Lucinda Davis	...	Jamal's Sister
Michelle Sweeney	...	Jamal's Grandmother
Alexandra Castillo	...	Falling Ceiling Woman (as Alex Castillo)
Kwasi Songui	...	Joe
Crystal	...	Gigot's Monkey
Anastasia Tsar	...	Coffee Shop Waitress
Cecile Cristobal	...	Coffee Shop Girl
Minor Mustain	...	Truck Driver

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for drug content and sensuality.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:PG-13 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

The wool cap leading man William H. Macy wears in this TV movie, was actually knitted by his wife Felicity Huffman.

Quotes:

Ira: Beaureaucrats. Whenever you get a chance, you've got to blow smoke up their ass. Greases the wheels down the line.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2005) (TV)

Eh.

So, over all I have to say that I liked this movie. It was a little schmaltzy, but good enough... Until I got to the last ten minutes, where the director essentially said "Uh-oh, I'm almost out of time, Ted Turner's going to kill me. I'd better wrap it up," before summoning the almighty Deus Ex Machina to finish it for him. My honest suggestion? Watch right up until you see a set of doors open, turn off the movie and write your own ending--it'll undoubtedly be less insulting to your intelligence.

As for the rest of the movie? Superb. No, I mean it, I scathe the ending, but I really loved the rest of it. Without the last ten minutes, go ahead and double the score I gave it above. William H. Macy does a brilliant job of conveying every emotion without saying a word. Don Rickles is, well... Don Rickles. Enough said. I bought this movie on the strength that it had both of them, and I was definitely not disappointed in the job they did. Keke Palmer will grow up to be a big name. I'm as certain of that as I am that the ending was the worst ending to a movie I've seen since Blood Work, but that's neither here nor there.