Saving Silverman
reviewed by Lynn Barker
A note from Director Dennis Dugan's diary: "I worked as an actor
today - my character got killed. The apparatus for the spear in
my chest was so tight, I think I cracked a rib when they tightened
it. It hurts a bit today. I am sticking to directing. At dailies,
Biggs, Zahn and Black looked so funny as high schoolers and Amanda
Detmer was born to be a cheerleader. Directing comedy is like
trying to fill the Grand Canyon with a spoon." But, he loves it!
It's years after high school and classic nerds DARREN SILVERMAN
(Jason Biggs), J.D. (Jack Black) and WAYNE (Steve Zahn) haven't
exactly set the world on fire. Darren works at an old folks' home,
J.D. can't keep his job at Subway and Wayne is a critter wrangler/pest
controller. On the side, they are "Diamonds in the Rough", a band
that plays nothing but 70's icon Neil Diamond hits.
Babe-less, the three buds live the perfect, wastrel bachelor
life until Darren falls for ball-buster psychologist JUDITH (Amanda
Peet). Knowing that this tough broad is all wrong for their friend,
J.D. and Wayne set out to break up the couple. Grossing her out
and pleading with her to drop Darren doesn't seem to work. She
even tells Darren he must give up his pals or "no more sex".
Determined to free their friend from a life as a totally "whipped"
husband, the duo decides to kidnap Judith. By some miracle, they
finally succeed and even fake her death but Darren keeps mourning.
The boys decide to fix their buddy up with his high school crush
SANDY (Amanda Detmer) but time is running out. She's about to
take her final vows as a nun! The guys get grieving Darren and
the cheerleader/nun together but, will it last?
After consulting their overly-macho high school football coach,
who is in prison for killing a referee (played by director Dennis
Dugan in the film), the guys try to get up the courage to kill
Judith but she psyches them out and escapes. Just as Darren and
Sandy are about to consummate their relationship, Judith appeals
to Darren's sense of honorÉ.he promised to marry her first, and
the ceremony is set. In a wild, last ditch effort that includes
kidnapping Neil Diamond, J.D. and Wayne manage to finally "save"
Silverman and find their own special "someones" in the process.
I didn't really love "Happy Gilmore" or "Big Daddy" so I didn't
hold out much hope for this one but "Saving Silverman" cracked
me up. The ensemble cast works really well together. Black and
Zahn are especially likeable as the well-meaning Bevis/Butthead/Dumb/Dumber
buddies who will do anything to save their friend from life under
Amanda Peet's thumb. Peet is really convincing as a control freak/man
hater and Jason Biggs is still workin' his sweet but clueless
loser act for all it's worth. The film's pace is snappy, most
of the jokes work and physical comedy is hilarious (especially
a wacky kidnap scene in which J.D. wears panty hose over his head
as a disguise (but they're fishnets! You can see every detail
of his face!). Neil Diamond is wonderful in a fun cameo at the
film's end that brings the whole story full circle. Save a Saturday
night for "Saving Silverman."
Rated: PG-13
Directed by: Dennis Dugan (Big Daddy, Happy Gilmore)
Starring: Jason Biggs as Darren Silverman
Jack Black as J.D.
Steve Zahn as Wayne
Amanda Peet as Judith
Amanda Detmer as Sandy Perkins
Neil Diamond as Himself
Official Website: www.savingsilverman.com
