Finding His Niece And Losing Himself
By Omar P.L. Moore/June 27, 2008
Brittany Snow as Amanda and Matthew Broderick as Taylor in Peter Tolan's comedy "Finding Amanda", which opened today in the U.S. in select cities. (Photo: Magnolia Pictures)
"Finding Amanda", a comedy which opened in select U.S. cities today, is funny but only because of Steve Coogan, who has a small role here. While the film's lead player Matthew Broderick gets off to a flying start, the film itself never takes the star's lead. Mr. Broderick is Taylor Mendon, a smug, self-centered Hollywood television writer whose floundering TV show is the unwelcome punch line of his life. He is always reminded, whether politely, unwillingly or wantonly, that his show never cuts the mustard. Fueled by failure and inadequacy, Taylor indulges his gambling addiction in some very amusing moments early on, while lying like a rug to Lorraine, his wife (Maura Tierney). Meanwhile, Taylor's niece Amanda (Brittany Snow) has a compulsion and waywardness of her own, and guess where she is? In Las Vegas, doing what she can to make money -- an easy guess as to what that is -- and she doesn't seem to be doing too badly for herself. Still, Lorraine is worried, and dispatches Taylor to Vegas to find and tend to Amanda, who has apparently run away from home, and bring her back to California.
For Amanda whatever distractions and pursuits of money in the world's oldest profession come her way, she takes them. Amanda seems far too smart to be doing what she does -- and that's no offense to the sex workers of the world -- they have to do what they can when other jobs and options don't avail themselves, but Amanda could easily be a bartender or a very persuasive sales person. After all, she possesses the gift of gab, is charming, attractive and has a warm heart. She is also physically appealing, which doesn't necessarily have everything to do with being a great salesperson -- but is something to be noted nonetheless. Ms. Tierney, a good actress who deserves a bigger stage on the silver screen than she often gets, plays an even-keeled Lorraine, the concerned wife who has had just about enough of Taylor's dishonesty. They have been married long enough, and she puts up with more than she should. Lorraine doesn't deserve Taylor's equivocations but she soldiers on like the "good wife" is wont to do.
In a refreshing way, "Finding Amanda" never attempts to resolve the travails of its male protagonist or the subject of its title, and doesn't try to be forced. Peter Tolan, who wrote and directed the film however, doesn't keep "Finding Amanda" engaging enough for us to care too much whether or not Amanda is found and returned to Southern California, or whether Taylor gets his own life back in gear. There are times where it appears that the film is just going through the motions -- much like Taylor, who drifts aimlessly it seems, from one predicament to another. In a somewhat bizarre episode he gets dealt a hand of cards that he would never play at any moment at a poker table midway through the film. (As an aside, Taylor is likely to agree with Charlene Tilton when she once sang that she'd been to paradise but had "never been to me".)
As for additional actors in "Amanda", the film's show-stealer is Mr. Coogan as a Vegas casino floor manager and good friend of Taylor's and he makes an impression. Mr. Coogan, who will appear in the laugh-fest "Hamlet 2" in August in the U.S. and Canada, is a British comic actor who has made his mark for a number of years now. In films like "24 Hour Party People" he amused to great extent and though he supplies much of the fun here, one would wish to see his character in a spin-off film chronicling his adventures as a casino floor manager. Granted, Mr. Broderick has his moments of levity but Mr. Coogan makes his character funny and sustainable, even for the brief period he is onscreen. Ms. Snow provides Amanda a confidence, brashness and independence that a "working girl" would presumably possess, giving her character a heart of gold. She does what she can, but ultimately the film doesn't do quite enough to help its own cause.
"Finding Amanda" is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for strong sexual content including graphic dialogue, pervasive language, drug content and brief nudity. The film's duration is one hour and 40 minutes.
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