CLIFFORD

US, 1991/1994, 90 minutes, Colour.
Martin Short, Charles Grodin, Mary Steenburgen, Dabney Coleman, Richard Kind.
Directed by Paul Flaherty.

Clifford is an odd comedy, originally made in 1991 but held up for release by Orion’s financial problems. The director, Paul Flaherty, worked extensively with Martin Short on his television shows.

A major surprise is the opening of the film, set in 2050, with Martin Short as a priest supervising an orphanage and stopping a young boy from running away by telling him his story.

Martin Short, with special effects, appears as the diminutive Clifford, obsessed with dinosaurs and tormenting people with his toy dinosaur. He is absolutely wilful, no sensitivity towards anyone, wholly self-absorbed but able to put on a good show. When his uncle, Charles Grodin, agrees to take care of him, there is an initial warmth but then Clifford turns against him, especially when his uncle is pressured by business and cannot take him to Dinosaur World.

There are various pranks that he performs, especially at a social party, embarrassing the boss, Dabney Coleman, spiking a drink with Tabasco, substituting lipstick for lipgloss, making a fake tape about a bomb and getting his uncle arrested. He also tricks him in going to San Francisco while he has a party at home.While Clifford gets some comeuppance when his uncle takes him to Dinosaur World and puts him on the rollercoaster ride, speeding it up until the whole thing crashes.

Clifford thinks that he has been forgiven when he attends the marriage of his uncle and his girlfriend, Mary Steenburgen, but the look in Charles Grodin’s eye would seem to indicate that he doesn’t forgive him.

The advertising tagline is worth quoting: What's the difference between Clifford and a pit bull? One will tear your heart out, scare your friends and wreck your house. The other one is a dog.

1. A film about a monstrous child – how funny, how irritating?

2. The opening in 2050, Clifford as the priest, the orphanage, the boy running away, his tricks to keep him, the fake heart attack, his telling the boy the story, the effect on the boy? Clifford as a priest with his memories? The credibility of Clifford as a priest after such a background?

3. Back to the 1980s and 1990s, the familiar world of the audience, the city of Los Angeles, home, business offices, socials, Dinosaur World?

4. Clifford and his parents, Martin Short and the special effects for him to be a child? Precocious, his pet toy, the dinosaur, his delight in frightening people with it? His wanting to go to Dinosaur World, his parents going to Hawaii, the business conference, the reactions of his father and his irritation, his mother looking sad? Clifford’s going into the cockpit, the pilot, causing mischief, an emergency, landing in Los Angeles, his getting his way?

5. The father ringing his brother, the estrangement, his request, Martin agreeing, coming to the airport, the initial pleasure of meeting Clifford, taking him home, frightening Sarah in the show, his sweet talking to her? The beginning of the alienation from Martin, up watching television, all hours, the family ring and his wanting it, breakfast and Martin pushing his face in the cereal?

6. Martin at work, the boss with his eye on Sarah, taking her to San Francisco, Martin in the taxi, seeing them together in the restaurant, the boss and his advances, Sarah’s rejection? The issue of his wig, Clifford commenting on it, it coming off in the taxi? Martin and the preparation of the plan for the city, its exploding?

7. At the social, Clifford charming everyone, spiking Martin’s drink and getting him to make the toast, the lipstick instead of the lipgloss, everybody laughing? Martin holding Clifford to account, Clifford’s excuses, yet his laughing?

8. Martin’s arrest, the bomb threat, Clifford making the tape?

9. Clifford tricking Martin, getting him to go on the train, Clifford and his holding the party at home?

10. Martin’s final exasperation, taking Clifford to Dinosaur World, putting him on the rollercoaster, getting faster and faster, the collapse,
the mayhem, Martin rescuing him – but not forgiving him?

11. The letters of apology, his being invited to the wedding – and his saying that he had reformed, written all the letters of apology – and with the kiss from Sarah and Martin, changing his attitude? But his still having the toy dinosaur 50 years later?