THE BACHELOR
US, 1999, 105 minutes, Colour.
Chris O' Donnell, Rene Zellwegger, Peter Ustinov, James Cromwell, Edward Asner, Hal Holbrook.
Directed by Gary Sinyor.
The Bachelor is a light comedy, a film about an eligible bachelor who needs to marry within 24 hours so that he will inherit over one hundred million dollars. The film is based on a movie by Buster Keaton - a dangerous enterprise as film buffs will compare the late 20th century version with the master of silent comedy. Reviews were critical, suggesting that this did not measure up to the original. The main sequence imitating the original and paying homage to it is when all the women as brides pursue the hero down the streets of San Francisco.
Chris O' Donnell, who served as one of the executive producers, is not the immediate suggestion for light comedy. However, he does his best, although somebody with the lighter touch would have been more credible. Rene Zelweiger (Jerry Maguire, One True Thing, Bridget Jones's Diary) tries to work off him - but not always with success. Veterans such as Ed Asner and Hal Holbrook provide good support and there is an eccentric cameo by Peter Ustinov as a Southern eccentric American millionaire who lectures his grandson and also speaks his will on video.
Directions is by Englishman Gary Sinyor, director of Leon the Pig Farmer as well as of the spoof of the upstairs, downstairs, Merchant Ivory Films' Stiff Upper Lips.
1.The opening credits, the wild, untamed mustangs? The mustang instinct - the references to Bachelorville, the credits and the horses, the girls? Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In" and its rhythms?
2.The film as a piece of Americana, light romantic comedy? The San Francisco settings? California? The musical score?
3.The portrayal of the men working at the factory, the background of the factory, billiards? Jimmy and his status? Friendship with Marco and the other men? The irony of the word "future"? The irony of the various friends marrying, the Starlight Room, the throwing of the bouquets? Marco and his friendship, discussions, his being captured? Jimmy being the only one left?
4.Anne and her being in the restaurant, Jimmy listening in to her conversation, repeating her words to break off with his girlfriend? The friendship, the relaxed atmosphere, Anne and her independence, the roller coaster, her use of the word "future"? The build-up to marriage? Jimmy and his wanting to be free?
5.Peter Ustinov as Jimmy's grandfather, the background of his accent, wealth, physical descriptions, megaphone, the neighbours? A Ustinov comic turn?
6.The build-up to the Starlight Room, the dancing, the singer and Jimmy asking her to go? The build-up to the proposal, his not wanting to get married, the "you win" (and his relying on his friend's advice as well as the older partner's? Anne and her not accepting him? Her going home, talking with Natalie, her anger, ignoring his calls? The irony of everybody knowing - the scene at the florist, everybody and their sources for the story? His becoming an instant urban legend?
7.The grandfather's death, Anne coming to the funeral to share with him, leaving the door ajar? The funeral? The will and the humour of the video presentation and the grandfather talking with the various members of the board? The zoom or not?
8.The urgency of Jimmy and his getting married, his birthday the next day, the conditions for the wedding? Getting the priest from the nursing home? Anne and her going to Athens, the farewell, going to the heliport? The proposal - and Jimmy still not being able to propose genuinely?
9.Anne and her scenes and the discussions about readiness for marriage, for commitment? The significance of the commitment theme? Her being ready to go to Athens, returning, discussions with Natalie, going to visit her parents?
10.The characters of the advisers, their pressure on Jimmy, the selling of the factory, sales? His feeling that he must marry to save the firm? The comic styles of Hal Holbrook and Ed Asner?
11.Anne at her parents', the exaggerated lovey-doveyness - "already missing you" - and her having to come back? Dancing, dreaming about Jimmy, ringing him, getting the answering machine?
12.Jimmy and his going to his box with his former dates - the collage of the proposals: going to the stock exchange and the girl being more interested in business, the shop window and her being clinging, setting the model on fire, the opera singer and her rejecting him, the perpetual student and her feminist symbolic attitudes and dismissal of him, the chef and her interest in food?
13.Buckley and her snobbery, aristocratic style, the joke about Brooke Shields performing the part (and the reference already to a school being one that Brooke Shields went to)? The wedding ceremony, her gradual revelation of the conditions, her taking time off, lighting the cigarette, finally unwilling to marry and driving off?
14.The priest, he and Jimmy going on the lake, discussions about marriage, his being a widower, his marriage, the priesthood? His good advice - enabling Jimmy to really see Anne, move from Bachelorville to the possibility of commitment? Their going to the church and waiting for the wedding?
15.The ad in the paper, Marco and his attempts, the collage of the various women dressing up as brides? Their converging on the church, their interrogating Jimmy as regards conditions, fat, blondes, language ...?
16.The contact with Anne, his running to the station after ordering the cake, his being pursued by the brides?
17.Anne and her seeing the paper, the train coming in early, his finding her, the true proposal and genuine commitment? Trying to get to the church, the women besieging the car? The priest with the microphone? Jimmy on the balcony? Anne telling them all to keep quiet because it's her day? The consent just in time?
18.The happy, romantic ending - and getting the money!
