Mark David’s feature film, Mr. Wonderful, marks the final film of prolific actor Michael Madsen. He takes center stage as the middle member of a three-generation family of men trying to break down the emotional walls that separate them. Madsen plays Brian, a burned-out college professor hanging onto his position at a small, financially struggling university. Years of disillusionment have drained his enthusiasm for teaching, and he now faces a shrinking budget, apathetic students, and administrators eager to trim the waste. His lectures feel more like obligations, and all of his students hate being in his class. His long-suffering wife, Corinne (Kate Hodge), is a lawyer who loves and protects Brian.
Brian’s son Danny (Bobby Laenen), meanwhile, battles another kind of struggle. Having fallen in with the wrong crowd back home, now he must escape local thugs who are out for blood. As danger draws near, Danny moves from place to place, staying just ahead of certain disaster. Also on his tail is the fiery Dawn (Brittany Underwood), whom Brian left after she had an affair…not so long after Brian’s affair. His last refuge is staying with Brian, to Corinne’s disappointment.
Lastly, there is Robert (Robert Miano), who sits at the head of this household, an elderly patriarch whose grasp on ‘clarity’ fades in and out. His condition throws everyone else off balance, particularly since there is a collision of crises involving both Brian and Danny. When Robert’s wife and Brian’s mother, Claire (Priscilla Barnes), calls to tell him that his father is getting worse, Brian takes this opportunity to escape the stress and return to his childhood home. Unfortunately, Robert’s condition has progressed so badly that Michael can find no solace.
“…a three-generation family of men trying to break down the emotional walls that separate them.”
I’ll be honest, when I think back on Michael Madsen’s career, I remember only a guy who has nailed down the role of the heavy or the enforcer. In Mr. Wonderful, Madsen plays a down-to-earth, normal guy like you and me. It’s a fantastic role, as Madsen is instantly relatable from the get-go as a man who has been coasting in life, keeping his nose clean while avoiding the two men in his life who needed him the most: his father and son. It’s not that he’s a bad person, but conflict avoidance seems to be his motis apparandi.
I also want to point out Kate Hodge’s great performance as Brian’s wife, Camille. She nails it as Brian’s moral center, keeping him always in balance. But for Danny, he sees her as a hard-a*s, while respected at the same time, as she sees right through his B.S.
As Mr. Wonderful heads into wild directions, it ends with a sweet, thoughtful reflection on family and our legacy. Daniel Blake Smith’s script is oddly unconventional and heartwarming. I like stories that don’t go down the cookie-cutter path, but get to the final destination in ways you can’t imagine. A fitting final tribute to the great Michael Madsen.
For more information, visit the Mr. Wonderful official Facebook page.
"…fitting final tribute to the great Michael Madsen."
