Blog # 46 Late for Dinner Movie Review

Directed by W. D. Richter

Written by Mark Andrue

Produced by Gary Daigler, Dan Lupovitz, W. D. Richter

Starring

Brian Wimmer played Willie Husband.

Peter Berg played Frank Lovegren. Mr. Berg also directed and plaled JPJ 2^nd Gunner Battleship 2012, directed and played doctor who helps Mary in Hancock 2008

Marcia Gay Harden played Joy Husband. Ms. Harden also played Mrs.Carmody

in The Mist 2007

Peter Gallagher played Bob Freeman. Mr. Gallagher also played Peter Marx in Brave New World 1998.

Cinematography Peter Sova

Illustration 2 The boys arrive at Dr. Chilbain’s

Edited by Richard Chew, Robert Leighton

Music by David Mansfield

Production companies Castle Rock Entertainment, New Line Cinema

Distributed by Columbia Pictures

Release date September 20, 1991

Running time 99 minutes

Country United States

Illustration 3 Willie tries to talk to Joy

Language English

Budget $14 million

Box office $8,906, 823

Synopsis A man, Willie, and his wife, Joy, live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with their young daughter and Joy’s brother, Frank. Frank is mentally impaired and Willie’s best friend. Willie and Frank get caught up in an evil businessman’s scheme. Frank, seeing how the child is treated by the arrogant, neglectful dad, kidnaps the businessman’s son. Trying to negotiate this situation, Willie brings the boy back and gets shot. Willie and Frank take off to Los Angeles, meet a crazy scientist, and unwittingly get frozen and put into cryogenic storage. Twenty-nine years later, they wake due to a highway crash that landed in the storage area where the two men were housed and abandoned. The two have one goal in mind now, get home. They return, and Willie must convince his wife, Joy, to take him back.

Illustration 4 Willie gets shot delivering the boy

Positives I like this movie. It is very romantic and bittersweet. So much has changed for the men; they want to return to their lives. Joy and the daughter don’t know what to make of the situation and struggle, thinking it’s too late to return to the old life. But we (the audience) know they all belong together. Yep, hopelessly romantic!! I enjoyed the cryogenic addition to this movie. It is like Door Into Summer, one of my best sci-fi books, but only in that novel does the hero want to escape his life. Except for his cat, of course. The whole premise of this movie is charming- return to those that they love.

Illustration 5 Director Peter Berg on Battleship set

Negatives The reviews are as you would expect. It didn’t make a profit; in fact, it lost money. The highest rating was from the United States at 6.8, so be warned, it is not a masterpiece. Even though many of the reviewers enjoyed it like I did, the criticism and overall assessment is that it is poorly executed. Roger Ebert felt it was ridiculous until the duo started the journey back. Mr. Ebert said that the movie’s first hour could have been a pre-title sequence. He also felt the cryogenic plot device “rests uneasily in the midst of more plausible material”⁵ and labeled the doctor/mad scientist the villain. I thought the evil business man was and the scientist and overzealous researcher.

Illustration 6 Marcia Gay Harden in The Mist

Conclusion If you like romantic stories, you will enjoy this one. It’s sometimes silly and sometimes very serious. It shows some of the benefits of jumping into the future along with the disadvantages, which makes it more realistic and fun for me. I understand the criticisms, but I like the overall story and the way it was presented. I heartily recommend it.