Saving Silverman (2001)

A pair of buddies conspire to save their best friend from marrying the wrong woman.

Director:

Dennis Dugan

Writers:

Hank Nelken, Greg DePaul

Stars:

Jason Biggs, Steve Zahn, Jack Black

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Zahn	...	Wayne
Jack Black	...	J.D.
Jason Biggs	...	Darren
Amanda Peet	...	Judith
Amanda Detmer	...	Sandy
R. Lee Ermey	...	Coach
Neil Diamond	...	Himself
Kyle Gass	...	Bar Dude
Norman Armour	...	Minister
Colin Foo	...	Old Man
Christopher Logan	...	Vageet (as Chris Logan)
Esme Lambert	...	Raccoon Woman
Max Fomitchev	...	Mime
Tony Parsons	...	Newscaster
Brett Armstrong	...	Brett

Storyline

Two dim-witted former high school buddys and Neil Diamond fanactics, Wayne and J.D., plot to keep their friend Darren from marrying the wrong woman, a domineering and spiteful psychologist named Judith by kidnapping her and trying to set Darren up with his old high school girlfriend Sandy who plans to become a nun.

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Plot Keywords:

friend | fiance fiancee relationship | domineering woman | kidnapping | female nudity | 

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Taglines:

2 Best Friends + 1 Girlfriend = WAR

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language, and thematic material

Details

Country:

USA Australia

Language:

English Thai

Release Date:

9 February 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Evil Woman

Filming Locations:

Vancouver College, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$22,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,411,852, 11 February 2001, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$19,351,569, 25 March 2001

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation,Village Roadshow Pictures,NPV Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 93 min (special edition) 96 min (R-rated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jason Biggs and Amanda Detmer also starred in Boys and Girls (2000)

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Goofs

When Coach jumps out of the moving truck and is rolling in traffic, the dolly he is laying on can be seen.

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Quotes

[approaching America Avenue]
Neil Diamond: Hey, we're coming to America.

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Crazy Credits

At the end there is a concert with Neil Diamond and all the actors and the end titles.

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Alternate Versions

In the theatrical version, during the kickboxing flashback, Judith's old boyfriend is killed by a pretty normal-looking kick to the head. In the R-rated version, there is a longer close-up scene of his neck being snapped clean around from the kick, so his dying from the attack makes considerably more sense.

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Connections

Referenced in Bad Movie Beatdown: Strange Wilderness (2013)

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Soundtracks

I Like To Move It
Written by Mark Quashie and Erick Morillo
Performed by Reel 2 Real featuring Stuntman The Mad (as The Mad Stunt Man)
Courtesy of Strictly Rhythm Records LLC

User Reviews

If You're Feeling Down and Depressed, try a Dose of "Saving Silverman".

"Saving Silverman" is about as far away from, say, "Citizen Kane" for film greatness as any film could. But it's not a clunker either. For what it is, it's a very enjoyable, occasionally hilarious movie pretty much guaranteed to give anyone a good time.

Movie history (especially in the 1930s) is littered with small comedy films that were never meant to be critical, award winning films but made for audiences that wanted to laugh like "We're Not Dressing" and any number of WC Fields' films (Fields' "Million Dollar Legs" seems very similar in tone to "Saving Silverman"). Unpretentious, funny and entertaining films and "Saving Silverman" falls squarely into that category. It's dopey but harmless and frequently charming. All of the actors are in-synch and none of them hold back especially Amanda Peet as the woman from hell. She's beautiful and you can completely understand why Darren would fall for her the way he does. Peet's willingness to give it her all (especially at the end) is key to the movie working as well as it does. Any vanity on her part would've sunk the already flimsy premise but she goes into it wholeheartedly. Peet's not given enough credit here.

Yes, Black and Zahn are great. That pretty much goes without saying. Biggs is well cast but he's essentially playing a male victim. The role is largely just his puzzled reactions. Last but not least is Amanda Detmer as Sandy in a role straight out of 1930s comedy: the good, down to earth girl who ever so slightly off her rocker (but in a good appealing way). R. Lee Ermey rounds out the cast in a silly but memorable role. Who would've thunk that the uber-intimidating drill sergeant from "Full Metal Jacket" would turn out to be one of the most reliable character actors around?

"Saving Silverman" is a simple, funny little film. Not great but it was not made to be.