WIRED
US, 1989, 108 minutes, Colour.
Michael Chiklis, Ray Sharkey, J.T.Walsh, Patti D'Arbanville.
Directed by Larry Peerce.
Wired is a controversial film about comedian John Belushi and his death by drug overdose. The film is based on the inquiry book by Bob Woodward (of All the President's Men fame). While names of Belushi's friends are given in the book, they are absent from the film, except for his devoted friend, Dan Aykroyd. The film is told from the point of view of Woodward's investigation on behalf of Judy Belushi, the comedian's wife.
The film also works at two other levels: Ray Sharkey appears (as with All That Jazz) as an angel driving a taxi, trying to get Belushi to review his life and then take him to heaven... It also works as exemplifying the comic routines for which Belushi was famous. Many of these are reproduced from his TV success in Saturday Night Live, especially the Blues Brothers with Aykroyd.
Michael Chiklis impersonates Belushi quite well. J.T. Walsh is a sombre Woodward. Patti D'Arbanville portrays Kathy Smith, the dealer who supplied the heroin for Belushi's overdose. Lucinda Jenney is his wife and Gary Groomes does an impersonation of Dan Aykroyd.
The film was not received well in Hollywood. Difficulties were made for its distribution and screening. However, it is an interesting piece of film-making, rather a jigsaw puzzle working on various levels. The film is directed by Larry Peerce, director of many telemovies and films like Goodbye Columbus and The Sporting Club, The Other Side of the Mountain.
1.The impact of the film? John Belushi as a celebrity, his death? A film about drugs? A film about American life?
2.The structure and levels of the film: Belushi's death and the inquiry, his life and memories, the angel and the review of his life, his work as an entertainer? Pieces of a jigsaw for the audience to put together?
3.Audience knowledge of Belushi, presuppositions about his work as a comedian, about drugs and his death? About Hollywood lifestyle?
4.Drugs, the question of who was to blame for Belushi's death, himself, people who helped him? Kathy Smith?
5.American settings: New York, the world of television, Los Angeles and the movies, the mansions? Motels? The world of drugs? The background of Illinois and New England? The musical score?
6.The songs, especially Belushi's songs and routines, `The Killer Bee', `You Are Beautiful'? The Blues Brothers routines?
7.The perspective of the film: in favour of Belushi, the point of view of Woodward and Judy Belushi, the point of view of the movie industry, the drug dealers and the police? The critique and the frequent comments about his wasted life?
8.The portrait and the jigsaw: his early growing up in Illinois, the band and his friends, Judy? The comic training him asking him to let the demons out to make comedy savage? His contract and his tantrum? Saturday Night Live and his impersonations of Marlon Brando, Bob Woodward, Nixon? The songs and their black touch - `The Killer Bee' opening, the malformed person singing `Beautiful' at the end? The Blues Brothers, the movies? Going to California, missing Las Vegas, performance, trying to write a screenplay?
9.The question of addiction: the drugs, the interview with the doctor about his health (and the later parody of it with Aykroyd as Groucho Marx)? The excuse for the artist having to be hyped up? Cocaine and Judy sharing it, going off? The effect, his taking the drugs, the parties, the men's room sequence with the drugs everywhere? His hallucinations about the drugs? To keep going? His abhorrence of needles and his finally taking heroin? The attitude of people towards the drugs: Judy, Dan Aykroyd and his warning him off drugs, the producer?
10.Bob Woodward and his getting the information about the death, the observation about coming from the same town (and Billy Graham)? His job of investigation, the producer suggesting a book? Judy and her openness, wanting the inquiry? The coroner's report? Interviewing Dan Aykroyd and his theory about smoking and respiratory collapse? The producer and the comments on Hollywood? Kathy Smith and the police interview, his interview with her? The reconstruction of the final night? His actually being there at the time of Belushi's death, watching Kathy Smith and what she had done, the clash with Belushi in his dying, Belushi's mocking of Woodward and exploiting him? The finale with Woodward looking at the dead man?
11.The death, the pathos, alone, people finding him and taking him to the morgue, the offhanded morgue attendant, the autopsy, his rising, running bare with the sheet, wearing the sheet, hailing the taxi, his reaction to Angel's information, argument with him? His trip through his life, seeing his life, reacting? Watching the autopsy and the comments about his health, his heart? Angel's reaction to him? The assessment of his life?
12.Judy and her support, the lyrical sequences with him buried at the beach, the marriage, her care, the arguments, watching over him, the phone calls?
13.Kathy Smith, the police interrogation and their scepticism, the interview with Bob Woodward, her explanations of herself, truth and lies, dealing drugs, her own arms and the injections? Knowing Belushi, going with him to the motel, supplying the needle, leaving him alive? Her responsibility?
14.Dan Aykroyd and his friendship, saying he would do anything for his friend, the trip to California, the comedy routines: the Blues Brothers, Groucho Marx, Nixon, the movies?
15.The producer, the contract, his advice and friendship, Belushi as degraded and stinking, the question about the script?
16.Angel, his rhetoric and style, his own overdosing, his purpose throughout the film and comment upon Belushi's life and death?
17.The picture of the fans, the drug suppliers, the drug society?
18.The title, his death wish? The impact of the film about a celebrity, about drugs?
