OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE
US, 1987, 95 minutes, Colour.
Bette Midler, Shelley Long, Peter Coyote, George Carlin.
Directed by Arthur Hiller.
Outrageous Fortune and its slings and arrows is a quotation from Shakespeare's Hamlet. Shelley Long is an actress, well-educated, who aspires to play Hamlet -and finally does so. Bette Midler is a more crass style would-be actress - who ultimately plays Ophelia. In the meantime, they are used at drama school as agents for carrying information for the K.G.B. Peter Coyote is the spy. Robert Prosky is the K.G.B. drama teacher.
In between time, there is a chase across the United States as the two women pursue Coyote - full of incidental humour, both in terms of character, situations. The film was directed by Arthur Hiller, director of a wide variety of films from The Americanisation of Emily in the '60s, to See No Evil, hear No Evil in the late '80s. The film was a star vehicle for the two women: Shelley Long having made impact in television's Cheers; Bette Midler having had a string of success comedies during the mid-'80s with Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People, Big Business.
1. Enjoyable comedy? The qualities of the two actresses, their working together?
2. New York locations, New Mexico? Stunts and special effects? Musical score?
3. The title, Hamlet, training, performance? Heroism in between?
4. The situation: the two women, drama school, clash of personalities, their relationships with Michael? His death? The discovery that he was not dead? Their pursuit of him, shared adventures, becoming friends?
5. Bette Midler as Sandy: appearance, accent, her walk and other comic aspects of her presence? Her dialogue? At the school, the relationship with Michael, the clash with Lauren? Identifying the body, their reactions, the disbelief of the police? Their being chased by the C.I.A? The taxi, pretending to be police and getting the money, the mix-ups at the airport, the performance, in New Mexico, finding Michael, his turning against them, the dangers, with Frank and his help, the bordello and their impersonation? Out in the desert, the confrontation?
6. Lauren and the contrast with Sandy? Education, snobbery, elitism? Her relationship with Michael? Disdain of Sandy? Her performance - in approaching the taxi driver, the contrast with Sandy's approach? Pretending to be a policewoman and her accent? Her performance at the airport? At the bordello? Her ballet leap across the canyon? Her performance as Hamlet?
7. Michael, his relationship with the two women, playing them against each other, using them as couriers? His death? Discovery, pursuit, his turning against them and belittling them? The chase, the bordello, in the desert, his taking Lauren, his pursuit, his fall? Stereotyped villain?
8. Frank, the desert, changing clothes, guiding them, his oddball remarks? In the performance at the end?
9. Stan, his training, Lauren's performance of a death and his comment - and her tricking him later? His being tied up with the C.I.A., coming over, his demands?
10. The C.I.A., their pursuit, the girls frightened of them, finding they were the good guys, tying them up with the K.G.B?
11. Humorous dialogue, humorous situations and impersonations? Popular comedy?
