When former musician William (Willie K), now working at a struggling employment agency, sees carefree Merton (Eric Gilliom) wipeout on his bicycle, he reluctantly helps him out, giving him a ride to a bike shop for repairs. After Merton makes his way to William’s office, looking more for a place to pee than a job (even though it’s going to cost him to get his bike fixed, and the repair job doesn’t accept fruit as currency), William’s boss puts a challenge to William: find a job for the hopeless Merton, and William will get the raise he’s been asking for. Hilarity ensues as Merton proves to be an even bigger challenge than anyone remotely imagined.
Hailed as “Hawaii’s First Major Motion Picture Comedy,” Brian Kohne’s Get A Job succeeds in bringing the funny, which, you know, is actually really important for a comedy to do. For me, while technical criticisms can often exist for comedies, if they make you laugh consistently, they’re doing their job. Everything else is a bonus.
In this case, the comedy is sufficiently daffy. Merton is so nonsensical and imbecilic, you’re surprised he can even function (arguably, he barely does). It’s cartoonish and over-the-top, but instead of careening into obnoxious territory, it stays funny and charming. Sometimes it elicits a grin or a small chuckle, other times it’s downright hilarious. The goat wrestling sequence, for example, is so entertaining the filmmakers, knowing what they had, showed it again during the end credits.
And of course the William character has his comedy moments too, though he’s more of the emotional connection for the film. While predominantly a straight foil to Merton’s insanity, William still has to contend with his disillusionment with his current job, and a long-term girlfriend (Carolyn Omine) pushing him to get married, albeit in an extremely convoluted way. His character is the one that is there to grow over the course of the tale, but it never gets melodramatic.
Overall, Get A Job is just a fun time. An entertaining, goofy romp set against the backdrop of Hawaii’s beauty, with a few surprising cameos for those paying attention (is that Mick Fleetwood? IT IS!), the film makes you laugh and stays a pleasant experience throughout. Now I need to go wrestle a goat…
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