The Dude Abides
Bridges will always be known as The Dude from The Big Lebowski, regardless of what other roles he plays. Cast as the President of the United States, he was heard to remark, "so, The Dude gets to be President." Now that he has won the best actor Oscar for his portrayal of Country Singer Bad Blake in Crazy Heart, The Dude has finally received some recognition. In The Amateurs, made just before his Oscar win, he has created another great character--he may be an unemployed incompetent, but he has a big heart.
Jeff Bridges was finally persuaded to do this project because of the writing. Michael Traeger wrote the script and directed. He was a first time director, but Bridges has had good luck with first time writer/directors because they have usually spent a lot of time thinking about the movie while writing the script, and by the time they get to direct, they have a very good idea of what they're looking for.
There is a character in The Amateurs who also wants to be a Writer/Director. He is called Some Idiot. "Some" for short. The film within a film was written and directed by "Some Idiot" and his directing chair is inscribed "Some Idiot." Some Idiot is played by veteran character actor Joe Pantoliano. You might have noticed him in Daredevil, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, The Matrix, Bound, Midnight Run, The Goonies, or Risky Business. He suffers from depression and has written a book and has a web site devoted to helping others with similar issues.
Ted Danson plays Moose, who pretends to be a mucho macho he man but is gay. He doesn't really fool anyone. Ted Danson will always be known as Sam Malone, the former ballplayer and current womanizer/bar owner from "Cheers." Or "Becker," or the guy on "Ink," or most likely, the guy who was dating Whoopie Goldberg and thought it would be funny to show up with her at a Roast in Blackface and make watermelon jokes. One of his fondest ambitions was to do the same sort of over the top characterization of a gay character. In the context of The Amateurs this is very sweet, because his friends still accept him; in fact they have known all along.
Patrick Fugit is best known for playing the young Rolling Stone writer in Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous. In Amateurs he plays a film buff that works in a video store and is hired to run the camera. He is also shooting video footage. It is a quiet, nuanced performance. He blends in with his surroundings, and you don't even notice that he's filming everything.
Timothy Blake Nelson plays Barney Macklehatton, and in the context of The Amateurs, it is one of the more normal roles. He is the romantic lead who might even get the girl. He usually is cast as a freakish misfit of some kind, such as his role in O, Brother, Where Art Thou? It was a rare opportunity for him, and he relished the chance. Plus, he got to work with Jeff Bridges who is after all, The Dude.
William Fichtner is another veteran character actor who was in numerous films that are well known to the film going public: The Dark Knight, The Chumscrubber, Crash, Black Hawk Down, Pearl Harbor, The Perfect Storm, Armageddon, Albino Alligator, Strange Days, Quiz Show, and Malcolm X. Otis, the character he plays, is very enthusiastic about the project but everyone is being asked to put up ,000 and his assets lack the necessary liquidity:
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Otis: I'm in. Except for no money, it's a no-brainer for me. First off, making a stag film *has* to be a good time. Number two, my hat's off to you. Good job. We can do this. Wha-what are we talking about here? Making a dirty movie - film, whatever, whatever. What does that require? Pointing a camera at a he and a she... he'in and a-she'in.
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He just wants to stand around and watch everything. Is there a job like that? Turns out there is, and he is made an executive producer.
Now, they just need talent and some of the actors and actresses in the film within a film are Isaiah Washington who was not the bartender on "The Love Boat" but was Dr. Preston Burke on "Grey's Anatomy," the guy who was forced to publicly apologize for insensitive remarks and then fired; Judy Greer, who played Judith's snarky but sexy sister Myra on "Two and a Half Men;" Valerie Perrine, from Can't Stop the Music with The Village People; and Glenne Headly, who played Tess Trueheart in Dick Tracy.
Other cast members of note are Jeanne Tripplehorn, who played Jackie O. on Grey Gardens, as well as being in *Waterworld* and *Basic Instinct*; Lauren Graham, Lorelai Gilmore of "The Gilmore Girls" and currently Sarah Braverman on "Parenthood;" Steven Weber, who was Brian Michael Hackett on "Wings;" and Brad Garrett who was Robert Barone on "Everybody Loves Raymond." Though the rest of the cast of The Amateurs were less well known, and in fact may have actually been amateurs, they also provided strong contributions to the success of the project.
The Bottom Line is The Amateurs is a very likeable indie film about making a film. For a film about making a dirty movie it is surprisingly sweet. Along with the amateurs, there is some very big talent, like Oscar winning actor Jeff Bridges -- The Dude. He pulls the whole thing together.
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Otis: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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The Big Lebowski (1998) Jeff Bridges was Jeffrey Lebowski - The Dude
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) Tim Blake Nelson was Delmar
Daredevil (Director's Cut) (2003) Joe Pantoliano was Ben Urich
The Chumscrubber (2005) William Fichtner was Mr. Bill Stiffle
Getting Even With Dad (1994) Ted Danson was Raymond 'Ray' Gleason; and Glenne Headly was Detective Theresa Walsh
Wristcutters - A Love Story (2006) John Hawkes was Yan; and Patrick Fugit was Zia
Breakfast of Champions (1999) Dawn Didawick was Lottie; and Glenne Headly was Francine Pefko
Time Code (2000) Jeanne Tripplehorn was Lauren Hathaway; Glenne Headly was the Therapist; and Steven Weber was Darren Fetzer
Village People - Can't Stop the Music (1980) Valerie Perrine was Samantha Simpson
Elizabethtown DVD (2005) Judy Greer was Heather Baylor
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Andy Sargentee: I don't do, Ok, I try. And I'm trying to make a por no because it's something I might be able to do. Because it's killing me I haven't done anything. You know, people who do, they have extra time, not us trying people, we're busy trying all the time. Nothing takes up more time than trying.
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COULDN'T WATCH THE WHOLE THING - AWLFUL - Joseph A. Kengor - Youngstown, OH USA
A word to the wise - avoid all films from First Look Entertainment. Cheaply filmed,
terribly written. With a cast like this it should've been a brilliant comedy. It is not. What we get is good actors sleep-walking through the script. Just awlful.
Visually, it looks like they use videotape, you know, where you get 4 blank tapes for the price of 3.
As far as the story goes, they keep talking about "the town" getting involved with making the movie. All you see are the same 6 morons. It's hard to enjoy a movie when you don't feel empathy for any of the actors. Bridges deserved all the bad stuff that happened to him.
very interesting - very rare -
lots of good actors in this and a great story. just stick with it. I would like to live there and be with them.
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