THE FLINTSTONES
US, 1994, 91 minutes,. Colour.
John Goodman, Elizabeth Perkins, Rick Moranis, Rosie O' Donnell, Kyle Mac Lachlan, Halle Berry, Elizabeth Taylor, Jonathan Winters, Harvey Korman.
Directed by Brian Levant.
Whether it was a good idea or not to make a live action version of the very popular television cartoon series, The Flintstones, is a debatable point. But, the producers have made it and there it is for enjoyment.
Much of the enjoyment comes from the performances of the central cast, the similarities in look, clothes, manner, way of speaking to the cartoon characters. John Goodman fits the bill as Fred Flintstone and his Yabba Yabba Doo. Rick Moranis is a quiet foil for Fred. Elizabeth Perkins is Wilma and, surprisingly, Rosie O’ Donnell is Betty.
It is very entertaining to see all the parallels between contemporary living and that of the Stone Age, everything up to date with Stone Age vehicles, Stone Age cinema, shops… There are visual jokes and verbal jokes to keep the audience alert and entertained.
There is a family story, especially that of Barney and Betty and their adoption of a little boy, a tough character called Bam-Bam?. The poignant touch is that Fred has supplied the money for the process.
And there are the villains, Kyle Mac Lachlan and a glamorous Halle Berryiley plotting to get profit from the workers and getting a stooge to take the fall – Fred, of course,
There was a sequel in 2000, The Flintstones, Viva Las Vegas, this time with Mark Addy as Fred and Stephen Baldwin as Barney. Both films were directed by Brian Levant.
1. The popularity of the cartoon, watching it on television? Comparisons with the Live Action version?
2. Audience response to the Stone Age? The conventions of the cavemen, families, lifestyle, dominance of the men…? Cave illustrations?
3. Bedrock, the names associated with the stones and rocks, the companies? The equivalent of 20th-century living, the cinema, cooking, the taxis and people using their feet…? The humour in the comparisons? The prehistoric animals?
4. Fred and Barney, the friendship, the families, working together, the wives, the children, the adoption, going to the agency, Bam-Bam? and his being accepted into the family, with the Flintstone’s daughter, playing together? The process of adoption, Fred giving the money? Fear of Wilma? Her praising him for his kindness?
5. The details of the work, with the stones, the bird and time to finish work…?
6. Cliff Vandercave, Miss Stone, the plotting, the plan, his deviousness, her glamour? Looking for a stooge, choosing Fred? Cliff and his speech to the workers, the promises? The exam, Fred doing badly, Barney’s answering the questions in gratitude? Fred being framed, people turning against him, his not realising the situation, his reaction to Barney and Barney’s reaction?
7. The background of ordinary things, sequences, children, pets, meals, play?
8. The revelation of the truth, Fred and the exam, his job, feeling bad? Barney and the reconciliation?
9. The confrontation, Cliff, Miss Stone and her confessing? The collapse of the stone, covering Cliff, his becoming a statue, the manager and his wanting to keep the statue, restore the work, Fred and Barney and things back to normal?
10. The entertainment value and cartoon characters and situations coming alive?
