Saturday, 18 September 2021 18:49
Buying the Cow
BUYING THE COW
US, 2001, 90 minutes, Colour.
Jerry O’ Connell, Ryan Reynolds, Ron Livingston.
Directed by Walt Becker.
Buying the Cow had very little release. Its stars became more prominent from television and film after this. Jerry O’ Connell had been a child star since Stand By Me but made an impact on television. Ryan Reynolds was to become a prominent comic star and then a more serious actor in the ensuing years. The film was directed by Walt Becker who achieved some fame with the road comedy, Old Dogs, with John Travolta.
The film is a sex comedy, American style. However, it is a touch more explicit than might be expected, some crass statements, exhibitionist behaviour by Ryan Reynolds, tackling a theme of homophobia while exhibiting some aspects of homophobia itself. Needless to say, ultimately, the central characters come to their senses and have to grow up. While there are some women who also exhibit the same immaturity, it is the women who emerge as much more responsible in this film than the men.
1.The title, the initial discussion about cows, milk? The analogy? The humour – with the touch of the crass?
2.Los Angeles and New York? The twentysomethings’ world? Work, homes, clubs? The milieu in which they lived and worked?
3.Issues of responsibility and maturity? The immature men? Their memories of being school friends, their college days, their behaviour? The issues of sexuality and relationships?
4.The focus on the men? The serious man in New York, his relationship with Julia, planning to get married, work? A better perspective than the other men? David as the focus, his searching for relationships, the flashbacks to his memory of meeting the girl of his dreams at the airport? The parody of these sequences later? His relationship with Sarah, awkward, putting his foot in it, her going to New York, the phone calls, his concern? His friendship with Michael? Michael and his wayward behaviour? Jonesy? Going to clubs, the computer dating, the various women, his turning up at the bar, denying the women, Nicole arriving and exposing him, their attack on him? Seeing the girl of his dreams and not knowing who she was? The break-up with Sarah, his wanting to go to New York, to see Julia? Meeting her with her fiancé, the discussions, her story of the airport, her loathing of the stranger, her younger sister being mischievous, writing in her name? David and his humiliation? The break-up with Sarah, going to wedding? Meeting Katie – his chasing the car, falling, the crash? The girl of his dreams? Michael, first seeing him in his apartment, exhibitionist? His manner with women? With his friends? Crass talking? His going with the girl, the phone call to David, discovering the gay man, his being trapped in the bathroom, swinging from the sheets? The little boy, his father thinking that Michael was a pervert, chasing him? His looking at the gay video? His going to the gay bar, inviting his friends, the comic aspects of homophobia? His declaration at the wedding? The women and their talking sensibly to him, telling him to grow up? Jonesy, friend, along with the rest of the group?
5.The women and their way of dealing with the men? Sarah, the relationship, her career, going to New York, her skill at her work, the designs, the boss? David’s calls? Going out to dinner? The return to Los Angeles to sort herself out, David and his going to New York? Her going back to her work, the boss? Julia, nice, engaged to her fiancé, the discussions with David, telling him the story? The wedding? Her urging Katie to meet David? Katie, the girl of David’s dreams, the finale? Nicole, her knowing the truth about David, discussions, exposing him in the bar?
6.The relationship issues, love and commitment issues? The comic touches, the serious undertones – how well did the film combine them?