In a Presidential election year such as this one, one would expect that Hollywood would release to the masses a serious political film or two dealing with candidates, elections and the political process in general. One might count Fahrenheit 9/11 as being such a film but it's more of a skewering of George Dubya than a commentary on the political process in general. What we did get is this Big Gulp comedy dealing with a president and a political campaign. Why Big Gulp? Because you have to take a big huge swallow before watching a film such as Welcome To Mooseport, just to buy into the premise. If you do somehow manage to swallow hard and dive in head first, than there is a chance you might find a few moments of enjoyment. Then again, there's just about an equally a good chance you won't relish any of it.
Here's the premise that you have to buy into: President Monroe Cole (Gene Hackman) has just finished his 2nd term as the most popular president to ever be in office. (1st swallow) Cole retained that popularity despite the fact that he was divorced by his wife Charlotte (Christine Baranski) while in office. (2nd swallow) Because the former First Lady obtained their main home in the divorce settlement, the President is left to retire in their other estate which is situated in the town of Mooseport, Maine. (3rd swallow) Because the former mayor of Mooseport has recently passed onto a better life and probably a better film, the town leaders ask Cole to run for Mayor of Mooseport. (4th swallow) After figuring out that by being Mayor, he will somehow keep his home out of the hands of his greedy ex-wife, Cole agrees to run supposedly as an unopposed candidate (5th swallow) As it turns out, Cole is not running unopposed because local resident and all around good guy Handy Harrison (Ray Romano) has put his name on the ballot. Cole decides to pay a visit to Handy to talk him into resigning from the race, which Cole agrees to do out of respect for the President and because he feels he wouldn't stand a chance running against him. Unfortunately, right after Handy has agreed to step away, Cole puts the make on Handy's steady girlfriend Sally Mannis (Maura Tierney) and asks her out on a date. (6th swallow) Since Handy seems to be unable to make a commitment towards her, Sally agrees to go out with the former President. Out of anger and jealousy, Handy changes his mind and decides to stay in the race and run against Cole after all. (7th and final swallow).
When it comes to accepting far fetched wacko movie ideas, I can accept just about anything if the film is entertaining on some level. The problem with Mooseport is that it's just not as much fun as it could have been or should have been. I didn't have much of a problem accepting the underhandedness and dubious scruples of Cole as that was to be expected. Handy however is a different sort of guy. He's your all around good guy who wouldn't think of doing anything dishonest even it would enable him to win an election against a former president who is trying to steal his gal. He should be a sympathetic kind of guy but he is not. Handy is quite a dumb cluck. His ignorance regarding Sally and her desire for him to commit to a relationship just makes him a bore. His lame idiotic attempts to get her back just make Handy look as stupid as if he were one of the original Three Stooges. The guy simply hasn't a clue. At one point, afraid that Cole might do the naked tango with Sally, Cole gives her a pair of panties with a no access sign on the front. He sees it as a joke, we see it as just more ignorance on his part. I've seen Romano in Everybody Loves Raymond several times, though I don't make it a high priority to watch the show. Here he brings the same shtick to the big screen and doing it for almost two hours just doesn't work. He's seldom funny, and never sympathetic no matter what Cole does to him.
Hackman as Monroe Cole is somewhat better. We don't like him either but we're not supposed to. However, as he goes from one extreme to another in order to insure victory, it ends up becoming more of a lesson in monotony than anything remotely funny. Being mean, pompous and arrogant can be funny for a short while, but the longer it goes on and the more extreme it becomes the situation begins to lose any humor that might have been there earlier.
If you're looking for any silver linings in this dark cloud I can give you three of them. Maura Tierney is sweet, intelligent and lovable as Sally, which does make you wonder why she was ever with Handy the Shmuck in the first place. Rip Torn is on hand as Cole's campaign manager, and Torn is fun to watch no matter what character he plays or where he plays it. He has some of the funnier lines in the film. Last and certainly not lease is Marcia Gay Harden as Presidential assistant Grace Sutherland who worships Cole, sees his faults but loves him anyway. Harden and Tierney have the best scene in the film as they get together for a drunken game of miniature golf. It's one of the few moments in the film which is truly worth watching so cherish it.
I suppose one could almost view the film as a satirical look at the presidency and politics, but to do that one would have to think that this film is smart, intelligent and funny. Though there are a few minor chuckles here and there, there is nothing remotely intelligent about anything that happens in Welcome to Mooseport. It's mostly just dumb. And if that's all it is I have no choice but to give it my grade of a C-. Now go watch Fahrenheit 9/11 or Primary Colors.
Here's the premise that you have to buy into: President Monroe Cole (Gene Hackman) has just finished his 2nd term as the most popular president to ever be in office. (1st swallow) Cole retained that popularity despite the fact that he was divorced by his wife Charlotte (Christine Baranski) while in office. (2nd swallow) Because the former First Lady obtained their main home in the divorce settlement, the President is left to retire in their other estate which is situated in the town of Mooseport, Maine. (3rd swallow) Because the former mayor of Mooseport has recently passed onto a better life and probably a better film, the town leaders ask Cole to run for Mayor of Mooseport. (4th swallow) After figuring out that by being Mayor, he will somehow keep his home out of the hands of his greedy ex-wife, Cole agrees to run supposedly as an unopposed candidate (5th swallow) As it turns out, Cole is not running unopposed because local resident and all around good guy Handy Harrison (Ray Romano) has put his name on the ballot. Cole decides to pay a visit to Handy to talk him into resigning from the race, which Cole agrees to do out of respect for the President and because he feels he wouldn't stand a chance running against him. Unfortunately, right after Handy has agreed to step away, Cole puts the make on Handy's steady girlfriend Sally Mannis (Maura Tierney) and asks her out on a date. (6th swallow) Since Handy seems to be unable to make a commitment towards her, Sally agrees to go out with the former President. Out of anger and jealousy, Handy changes his mind and decides to stay in the race and run against Cole after all. (7th and final swallow).
When it comes to accepting far fetched wacko movie ideas, I can accept just about anything if the film is entertaining on some level. The problem with Mooseport is that it's just not as much fun as it could have been or should have been. I didn't have much of a problem accepting the underhandedness and dubious scruples of Cole as that was to be expected. Handy however is a different sort of guy. He's your all around good guy who wouldn't think of doing anything dishonest even it would enable him to win an election against a former president who is trying to steal his gal. He should be a sympathetic kind of guy but he is not. Handy is quite a dumb cluck. His ignorance regarding Sally and her desire for him to commit to a relationship just makes him a bore. His lame idiotic attempts to get her back just make Handy look as stupid as if he were one of the original Three Stooges. The guy simply hasn't a clue. At one point, afraid that Cole might do the naked tango with Sally, Cole gives her a pair of panties with a no access sign on the front. He sees it as a joke, we see it as just more ignorance on his part. I've seen Romano in Everybody Loves Raymond several times, though I don't make it a high priority to watch the show. Here he brings the same shtick to the big screen and doing it for almost two hours just doesn't work. He's seldom funny, and never sympathetic no matter what Cole does to him.
Hackman as Monroe Cole is somewhat better. We don't like him either but we're not supposed to. However, as he goes from one extreme to another in order to insure victory, it ends up becoming more of a lesson in monotony than anything remotely funny. Being mean, pompous and arrogant can be funny for a short while, but the longer it goes on and the more extreme it becomes the situation begins to lose any humor that might have been there earlier.
If you're looking for any silver linings in this dark cloud I can give you three of them. Maura Tierney is sweet, intelligent and lovable as Sally, which does make you wonder why she was ever with Handy the Shmuck in the first place. Rip Torn is on hand as Cole's campaign manager, and Torn is fun to watch no matter what character he plays or where he plays it. He has some of the funnier lines in the film. Last and certainly not lease is Marcia Gay Harden as Presidential assistant Grace Sutherland who worships Cole, sees his faults but loves him anyway. Harden and Tierney have the best scene in the film as they get together for a drunken game of miniature golf. It's one of the few moments in the film which is truly worth watching so cherish it.
I suppose one could almost view the film as a satirical look at the presidency and politics, but to do that one would have to think that this film is smart, intelligent and funny. Though there are a few minor chuckles here and there, there is nothing remotely intelligent about anything that happens in Welcome to Mooseport. It's mostly just dumb. And if that's all it is I have no choice but to give it my grade of a C-. Now go watch Fahrenheit 9/11 or Primary Colors.