Let's Hear it for the Rabbits
Added 9/2/2006
New York Post readers, this film is looking at you. You who engage in outright intolerance, but dress it up like harmless gang mentality. You who are simultaneously repulsed by and obsessed with sex. In this film you play the villains. Sure, you support all the things that The Man supports: war, abstinence, hard work, God. You support those things oblivious to the fact that they are there only to keep you out of The Man's hair; fed, entertained and stupid from cradle to grave. And our hero in this film, Sonny (Patrick Dempsey) makes a realization I made a long time ago, that if being grown up means acting like you then he'll pass.
Unfortunately, while the film has its heart in the right place, it's still not that good. There seems to be no urgency in the storytelling or the directing. It is also one of those beasts that are far too prevalent in Hollywood: the comedy without any comedy. The dialogue is cutesy but never sharp. The jokes consist of clean sexual innuendo and slapstick. At one point during Sonny's trial the judge orders that his manhood be measured, you know, for the sake of the trial. This is their idea of comic gold, but for me it doesn't even qualify as rust. In fact, I had a really tough time trying to figure out who the intended audience of this film was. Nowadays studios make comedies only for frat boys and children, but neither of those groups would enjoy this. My best guess is pre-teen girls who could swoon over a young Dr. McDreamy doing his best Sean Penn impersonation, all the while feeling a little naughty about watching a film that revolves around sex.
It is also worth pointing out that this is based on a true story that took place during World War II. The media finds out about Sonny fraternizing with older women and start a witch hunt (because sex is bad). He tries to avoid them; they try to throw him in jail. That is the premise of this film. Of course to hear it from us we were the liberators during that war, fighting for freedom. This film shows what a preposterous idea that is. How can a country be liberated if it throws people in jail for having sex? For meeting their bodies second strongest drive? It is surely no coincidence that rabbits, with their notorious sex drives, play a role. Sonny refuses to take a job that would require him to kill rabbits (representing America's desire to kill sex), and instead sets them all free. My sentiments exactly. The film's only reason for existence today is Dempsey's newly refound fame, and that director Phil Alden Robinson also made "Field of Dreams." "In the Mood" is a drag to watch, and you'll soon understand why it is not yet out on DVD. Still, it wasn't time wasted, as it very bluntly made the point that while we humans view ourselves as oh so sophisticated, we have nothing on those rabbits who don't judge each other for enjoying God's gifts. **3/4
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Patick Dempsey's Big Fan :P
Added 4/13/2006
I own IN THE MOOD on LASER DISC,,'tis a Rare and Hard to Find,I'm waitin' 'til It Comes Out on dvd,Very great Romantic Movie,You won't regret addin' it to your Collection ;)
2 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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