Saving Silverman [2001]

August 9, 2009

Delightfully silly and goodhearted, no matter what you may think about the plot, Saving Silverman is a solid mainstream comedy. What that means is that there will be no explicit scenes or jokes. Well, an occasional raunchy joke is a must, just to spice things a bit. Panned by critics, especially Ebert who called this movie “so bad in so many different ways that perhaps you should see it, as an example of the lowest slopes of the bell-shaped curve. “, it’s definitely a guilty pleasure. It features three motives: male friendship, bad relationships, and music. Just to be clear here, emotionally abusive relationships are bad. Any kind of abuse is bad.

And yes, I will come right out and say it, Saving Silverman is a comedy that caters to the male part of the audience. And there’s nothing wrong with that! There are plenty of other movies catering to the female part of the audience and that’s also fine. So, check your bias and your brain at the door and just let go. You won’t have to “get” some deep messages about love, friendship, and marriage but enjoy a relatively familiar plot. I mean, if you’re a guy you probably have a friend like Silverman, so the plot will seem a bit more familiar. And I’m not saying that our lovely females won’t enjoy the movie because I think everyone can enjoy it.

Darren, Wayne, and J.D. have been friends since childhood. Now all grown up, it’s time for them to think about marriage. Darren soon meets a beautiful but emotionally abusive girl who he decides is the one. However, his two buddies don’t think that’s true and are willing to do everything to stop the wedding.

Despite its vibrant atmosphere, there are a couple of jokes that just didn’t land along with some plot twists. However, that didn’t impact the overall quality of the movie much. Mostly because of its stellar cast. I mean we got a comedy starring Jack Black and motherfucking Steve Zahn, what more to want. When you add to that seductive, skilled, and very talented Amanda Peet you got yourself quite a potent mix. And just to be clear, I’m willing to do whatever Amanda Peet wants me to do. Ever since I saw her in The Whole Nine Yards, I was in love with her. She’s got that Pink Ranger power, tapping into my teenage years, or at least that’s what I figure. But enough about that, let’s talk about R. Lee Ermey as Coach with some pretty sound life advice about women. Or better not.

Saving Silverman is perfect for those nights when you’re craving some old-school humor. The storytelling is straightforward, the characters down-to-earth and there are plenty of great jokes. And the whole succubus thing is also hilarious as shit. You might remember a certain South Park episode featuring a pretty similar story. And finally, if you were dating during the first decade of this century, the nostalgia will hit you pretty hard. Complete with Crazy Towns Butterfly. Come, come, my lady, you’re my butterfly, sugar baby…