MOVERS AND SHAKERS

US, 1985, 80 minutes, Colour.
Walter Matthau, Charles Grodin, Vincent Gardenia, Bill Macy, Tyne Daly, Gilda Radner, Steve Martin.
Directed by William Asher.

Movers and Shakers is a brief, mild comedy about Hollywood and movie making. It was written by Charles Grodin (who had also written 11 Harrowhouse). There is a long discussion of the difficulties in getting the film made by Grodin in his autobiography. However, the finished product does not seem to merit so much concern. The humour and satire is mild.

The film shows the running of a studio, the studio hacks from Chairman of the board to the yes men who follow the head of the studio. There are mad ideas - including a model dinosaur solemnly enthroned in the studio grounds. There is the buying for a million dollars of the title of a book, Love in Sex and it is the attempts to turn this into a family movie, a tribute to love, that the film concerns itself with. Walter Matthau is his usual self as the harassed head of studio. Grodin is his
laid back, nonchalant but comic self as the would-be writer. Bill Macy plays a frantic director. There is a strong supporting cast including Tyne Daley and Gilda Radner as the wives and an exotic cameo guest performance by Steve Martin as a self-conscious Italian star with Penny Marshall as his girlfriend. There are plenty of knocks at Hollywood - but they have been done before, and better.

1. Enjoyable comedy? Hollywood, movie making? Parody?

2. Hollywood locations, the studios, beach homes, the beach? Authentic? Musical score, songs?

3. The titles and the reference to Hollywood movie makers, creative people, hacks? And not getting things achieved?

4. Audience knowledge of Hollywood, film making? Appreciating the behind the scenes work? Saul and his eccentric ideas, his dying wishes, the dinosaur, the failure of that production, the buying of the title Love in Sex? The heritage for Joe as head of the studio, fulfilling his friend's wishes? The attitude of the chairman of the board, to the statue, to its removal, to Love in Sex, the press?

5. Joe Mulholland, head of the studio, a Walter Matthau character? The dinosaur and his speech at its setting up? His visits to Saul, Saul's bequest? His assistants and their following him, the meetings, yes men, eccentric ideas? The vague concepts? Hollywood's brightest minds! his wanting Herb to write the screenplay? Getting him to the meeting, the suggestions, Herb's hesitations? The fatuous remarks? The planning, the writing? The visit to the Italian star and his performance? The parties, the conferences? Getting nowhere? The possibility of an X rated film? The interviews and the publicity, Joe denying them? The removal of the dinosaur? Joe's collapse? Hospital? Discussions with Herb? The failure of the film? A well-meaninged man -but ineffectual?

6. Herb, his background, a Charles Grodin character? Slow writing, the visit to the studio, his hopes? The importance of the voice over and his perspective on things?

7. Herb and his relationship with his wife, her ignoring him? His attitude towards a tribute to romance? At the meetings, writers block, walking along the beach? The coldness of his wife? The episode with Syd and the writing, going along to all the cliches locations of the romantic story - from beach to rollercoaster? Syd and his relationship with his girlfriend, the marriage, their shooting each other on the honeymoon? The visit to the Italian star? The slow meetings, Dorothy at the meetings and her looking at him? The sexy suggestions? Going home, desperate, being swayed back and forth? Communication with his wife, the reconciliation? Joe's collapse visiting him in hospital, letting the project go?

8. Syd, his verve, suspicions of his girlfriend and following her, the lover? The violence? Trying to persuade Herb, taking him on a tour of Los Angeles, the locations for the Film? Proposal, the marriage, the honeymoon and the shooting? The girlfriend and her strong character, dominating him and telling him what to do?

9. The studio bosses, the old and their fatuous ideas? the young and their ambitions, sexy ideas and advertising? The humour of sizes of drinks at meetings etc?

10. Steve Martin as the eccentric Italian star, his manner, parody? His girlfriend?

11. The world of Hollywood, creativity or not? Business deals? Giving the people what they want? The executives out of touch? Sending up their closed world?