Before we get too far, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the film’s dynamite theme song, “Hit the Road” by The Banzai 3. Not since the musical stylings of one Mr. Lindsey Buckingham has there been a more fun road trip song to sing along with. “Hit the road and drive! (Hit the road and drive!)” Complete with wailing guitars and sweet backup vocals, it was a great way to open the film.
As for the narrative, Dave (Bryan Ferriter) is stuck in a rut. He works in a cubicle, surrounded by insufferable nerds, and can’t seem to make life work for him despite the fact that he looks like a Disney prince. It’s difficult to accept that ridiculously attractive people don’t get everything they want but if that’s center to the film’s premise, you just have to accept it.
His friends aren’t much better than his coworkers but at least they mean well. First, there’s Jerry (Martin Rogers, who also wrote and directed the film), the eccentric fast food enthusiast whose long locks would make Heather Locklear jealous. Then, there’s The Steve (Shadrach Defranco). That’s not a typo. His name is “The Steve.” He works at a gas station, dates brash women who could easily pummel him, and is named “The Steve.” It’s up to these two characters to get Dave back to the normal life-loving friend they used to know. Unfortunately, happiness lies in the heart of a beautiful employee of McDuck’s, a restaurant that his friends won’t let him patronize.
My Favorite Movie has a lot of heart but it unfortunately suffers from an abundance of corniness. The comedic tone of the film misses the mark as numerous actors insist on delivering over-the-top performances despite the dialogue not calling for it. On the other hand, there are numerous characters that were written extremely over-the-top (see: hunchback Psychlo who giggles while he urinates). They don’t fit in with the film’s typical romcom plot and come off as being bizarre just to be bizarre. A nice coffee date is sandwiched between a Mustachioed Monopoly party and a cat murder.
The film never really finds its footing and can’t decide what type of film it wants to be. But it’s got a lot of heart and was an enjoyable film overall. And on top of that, the production value is high. Technically, the film succeeds, but in the end, there are too many problems to recommend it.
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