CERTAIN GUYS
D: Stephen James; with Diedrich Bader, Melora Hardin, Traci Lords. (35mm, 70 min.)
Certain guys are inherently ordinary, and so, alas, is Certain Guys. Writer/director Stephen James’ feature debut is a by-the-numbers ensemble drama that, despite its affable cast, only occasionally rises above its tired premise. Set against the cultural inertia of Dallas, Certain Guys transposes the traditional coming-of-age tale onto a group of WASPy buddies who reunite to toast another’s impending prenuptials. Over the course of a week, each reveals a personal crisis (one is gay, another unemployed, etc.) that tests the limits of their friendship. James’ script is rife with witty, sometimes touching dialogue that is far superior to the film’s mundane narrative developments, most of which serve only to hasten various character arcs (these men will learn something before the film is over!). The cast, however, is uniformly fine, from Bader’s (The Drew Carey Show) spirited comedic performance as the first of the bunch to be sent into marital exile to former porn queen Traci Lords (gracefully credible) as a single unwed mother. The result is a consistently entertaining film that lacks the freshness and bite required to achieve drama of Big Chill proportions. Certain Guys does, however, further confirm Dallas’ eerie resemblance to the suburban dystopia of The Truman Show. (Thu, Oct 12, 7:15pm, Arbor; Mon, Oct 16, 9:15pm, Arbor)
This article appears in October 13 • 2000.