FUNNY FARM
US, 1988, 101 minutes, Colour.
Chevy Chase, Madelyn Smith.
Directed by George Roy Hill.
Funny Farm (with its title overtones of mental institution) is really a story about the escape from the city to the farm. It is an old story, from The Egg and I to The Grass Is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank.
This is a pleasant version, amusing - although it probably needs more of the Ma and Pa Kettle touch. Chevy Chase is a sportswriter who wants to write a novel. Madelyn Smith is his wife who eventually writes children's stories. They have all kinds of comic adventures settling into the country and into the country community. There is a spoof of the mercenary attitudes of the people in the country town. Direction is by George Roy Hill, a veteran of serious films (Hawaii, The Little Drummer Girl, Slaughterhouse Five) to comedies (Butch Cassidy and Sting).
1.Amusing piece of Americana? The hassles of the city? The escape to the country?
2.New York settings, the Connecticut countryside, the town, the atmosphere of the country? The jaunty musical score?
3.The character of Andrew, the sportswriter, his buddies, the meeting, going to the country, his presumptions, trying to write, failing? The ups and downs of country life? His getting paranoid? Elizabeth and her trying to settle, ups and downs, the children's story, the clash with Andrew?
4.The people of the town, laconic attitudes, scepticism, postman, the lady in the antique store? The mischievous boys changing signs?
5.The question of writing, writer's block, manuscripts, success, the literary agent coming - and the disaster of his visit?
6.A succession of incidents with their amusing touches: Andrew's speech before he left, driving to the house, the photos, the removers and their getting lost, the signs being cut down, the empty house, sleeping on the floor, the mailman and his throwing the mail with a shout, the door with the two halves and the accidents, the phone problems and the shrewdness of the ladies on the exchange, digging up the corpse in the garden, the bill for the funeral, writer's block, fishing and the eel? Going to the baseball, Elizabeth going to antiques and buying the squirrel? Fishing on the lake and the disaster with knocking all the men into the water? The dog, the ducks, running away? Writing? The anniversary and the presence of the dog? The record of eating the sheep balls? Elizabeth reading Andy's novel and crying? The flashbacks? The burning of the book? The crash and the injury? Her story accepted, the contract? Andy dressing up Rambo style and rolling the rock, and the help of the agent? The publishers ringing about the book and Elizabeth's success? The fight, the walkout, the lawyers for divorce? The acorn capital of the world? Andrew's speech, the idea of the people dressing up Norman Rockwell style, the promise of money? Bud and Betsy looking over the house, the people, the deer, the postman with the cape? The festival, Santa Claus, `Tis the season to be merry'? Andy and Elizabeth, the reconciliation, deciding not to sell the house? People's reaction? Their finally settling down, the novel, the sports writing?
7.Piece of Americana, the dream of the country compared with the city? The wry comments on American people?
