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SAVING SILVERMAN

US, 2001, 97 minutes, Colour.
Steve Zahn, Jack Black, Jason Biggs, Amanda Peet, Amanda Detmer, R. Lee Ermey, Neil Diamond.
Directed by Dennis Dugan.

Saving Silverman was also called Evil Woman, transferring the focus of attention onto Judith rather than onto Darren Silverman.

This is a fairly silly comedy, but often amusingly so. The preposterous presupposition is that school friends now having grown up (and with an obsession about Neil Diamond and even having a restraining order from going near him) are concerned when one of the three falls under the spell of an uptight psychologist played by Amanda Peet. She controls him, excludes them, they determine to use any means to stop the marriage and finally abduct her. The friends are played by Steve Zahn and Jack Black, both relying on their comic personas – although this is early Jack Black and he was emerging with his trademark anarchic humour. Steve Zahn has the ability to be both manic and charming. Silverman is played by Jason Biggs who had made a big impact in the American Pie films. He is good at light comedy (although he was serious in such films as Guy X and Eight Below). (Five years later he was to have a similar kind of role in Wedding Daze, being infatuated and obsessed, mourning a dead fiancée.) Amanda Peet was also emerging as a star at this time. R. Lee Ermey, the foul-mouthed sergeant of Full Metal Jacket, plays a manic coach.

The film focuses on Neil Diamond, his music, his concerts – and Neil Diamond appears as himself, coming to the rescue of everyone at the end.

Comedian Dennis Dugan, who directed a number of similar films, directed this one.

1.Entertaining? Silly? Comic?

2.The credibility – and incredibility of the plot? The three friends, growing up together, the Neil Diamond obsession, their failure as a group? Darren and his infatuation with Judith? The reaction of his friends? The devices they got up to to rescue Darren? The abduction? The enlisting of the help of the coach? Sandy Perkus and her becoming a nun, her becoming involved in the rescue? Neil Diamond and his concert? The happy ending?

3.The presence of Neil Diamond, his status, concerts, songs? His comic role? His performing songs? The finale with the whole cast performing on stage with him?

4.The boys when they were young, the voice-over describing them, J.D. and his awkwardness, Wayne and his gaucheness, Darren and his hopes? As adults?

5.The portrayal of Wayne, Steve Zahn’s comic style? Verbal, slapstick? The contrast with Jack Black, manic? Their reaction to Judith? Their working together to make things awkward for Judith, at parties, in the restaurants, attacks on her? The final abduction, looking after her? J.D. and his being very slow, revealing things? The mask, her doing a psychology session on him, discovering he was gay? Wayne, resistance, his becoming infatuated with Judith? Her background story, his being strong? Her finishing up with him?

6.Darren, his being completely subservient to Judith, her making him do things, his willingness? Their outings, his performance? His upset when she was abducted, going into mourning?

7.Sandy Perkus, the friend from school, her reappearance, her going to be a nun, the farcical presentation of life in the convent, the training, the exercise and push-ups, the preparation for vows, the ceremony, the questions, her being rescued? The reaction of the nuns? Her going to have a meal with Darren, trying to console him? The happy ending and going off with him?

8.The coach, at school, tough, throwing the javelin, killing the other coach, his time in jail, their going to visit him? His urging them to kill Judith? His escaping, coming to the house, the crass jokes? The fight with Judith and her defeating him? The joke about his being gay?

9.Neil Diamond, his involvement, the restraining order? The irony of the final rescue, colliding with him? His helping? The songs?

10.Judith, her back-story, the death of her fiancé, her control? The initial meeting with Darren at the restaurant, her using him to rescue her from advances? The infatuation? Her personality, her control, her reaction to the abduction? Her liking strong men? The attraction to Wayne?

11.The farce and slapstick of the rescue, the pursuit, the wedding, Darren standing Judith up? Her reaction, Wayne’s arrival? The three marriages – and the happy ending?

12.The popularity of this kind of exaggerated American farce?