Posted: 01/28/2000

Down to You

(2000)

by Wayne Case

A cliché states that “No one sets out to make a bad movie.” This could be an exception.

FAIR WARNING
Current practice is for film distributors to screen upcoming movies for critics in advance, so that the reviews will break on the same day that the film hits theatres. When a distributor decides NOT to allow advance screenings, it usually means that bad reviews are expected. The hope is that negative early reviews won’t be able to hurt first weekend business. Good call this time since Down To You is a real stinker.
A cliche’ states that “No one sets out to make a bad movie.” This could be an exception. Kris Isacson is accused of both writing and directing. Born in 1972, this young man is a former assistant to the Brothers Weinstein, who head Miramax Films. (Miramax produced and distributors this film.)

I hesitate to be this negative & nasty, since I suspect that considerable money, time, and effort was spent, yet I really hate this film. Don’t blame the two stars, Freddie Prinze, Jr. (She’s All That, The House Of Yes) and Julia Stiles (10 Things I Hate About You). Fortunately, both actors have several films awaiting release later in 2000. I am a big fan of both She’s All That (starring Mr. Prinze) and of 10 Things I Hate About You (starring Ms. Stiles) both 1999 releases. While Down To You is clearly targeted at teen-aged females (and I am neither), both She’s All That & 10 Things had a similar demographic clearly in mind. I also enjoyed the 1999 film, Simply Irresistible, which covered similar material (young romance, food preparation, and family interactions). That time, the mix worked; this time it curdled.

The rest of the cast could be described as “having a bad day”.

I thought Selma Blair was wonderful in Cruel Intentions. She is as bad in this as she was good in that! Shawn Hatosy was excellent in Anywhere But Here; here he seems inept, generic, & silly. The scene where he has his nipple pierced must be seen to be believed! Henry Winkler is a caricature, and I could hardly recognize Lucie Arnaz in her two brief scenes.

Curiously, the film contains very little exposed skin. I’d be curious to know how/why the decision was made for Mr. Prinze to keep his t-shirt on while sleeping with Ms. Stiles. Maybe the set was cold…

Placing the main credits at the end of a film, rather than at the beginning without good reason as is done here, is pretentious and annoying. This film also shows every sign of heavy post production cutting and pasting; a procedure that is not uncommon when the Brothers Weinstein have the power to do so. It didn’t work.

My final major gripe against this film concerns the blatant use of tobacco products throughout. To my knowledge, no mainstream heroine since Julia Roberts in My Best Friend’s Wedding has smoked on camera. At least Ms. Roberts’ character had the scripted excuse of “nerves.” Maybe Harvey Weinstein gets free cigarettes for product placement considerations in his films. (He recently had legal problems for smoking in a airplane washroom during his flight to London.) Not only does Ms. Stiles smoke on camera, she is joined by much of the cast excluding Mr. Prinze.

Clearly, I was not entertained.

Wayne Case works in the film industry in Hollywood, and still can’t help himself—he loves the movies!

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