I miss American comedies like these: sharp, well-written, clever, straightforward. It seems to me that recent mainstream comedies are cast with character impersonators rather than actors with good comedic timing. I suppose what I mean to say is that many current mainstream comedies are populated with comedians rather than actors. The writing certainly aims for a target audience much younger than me – but even so, why condescend? I was 15 when I saw Soapdish and I found it clever and funny. The writers did not have to write down to me.
The casting of this film is also exquisite: Kevin Kline, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy, Robert Downey Jr. and Carrie Fisher. Ah, nostalgia!
Soapdish, dir. Michael Hoffman, 97 min. 1991.
Leonine Films 