With his hunched back to the camera, Allan Katz certainly does resemble Anne Ramsey from the hit Billy Crystal/Danny de Vito comedy on most of the movie posters and video covers, but other posters reveal the real deal, a modern version of the Victor Hugo hero living in the bell tower at UCLA in complete seclusion, caught and put on trial for his own good. He is befriended by sweet Melora Hardin whom he saves during a campus rally and her boyfriend Corey Parker. Of course Katz (who can barely speak) ends up with a crush on her, gets therapy and all of a sudden gets lots of attention which parallels the classic novel, but in modern terms.
Like Steve Martin doing a modern Cyrano in "Roxanne", this takes a classic and gives it a unique perspective, with Katz going for laughs at first grunting and basically repeating what others are saying, but the script goes out of its way to give his character lots of heart and purpose. Cindy Williams, Tom Skerritt and Jessica Harper are replacements for the Notre Dame authority figures, with a lighter viewpoint than the villainous clergy of the original. It's a noble attempt to sensitize modern viewers to the physically abhorrent image of what's considered ugly or monstrous by society and works for the most part, but ultimately is rather forced and unbelievable.
Like Steve Martin doing a modern Cyrano in "Roxanne", this takes a classic and gives it a unique perspective, with Katz going for laughs at first grunting and basically repeating what others are saying, but the script goes out of its way to give his character lots of heart and purpose. Cindy Williams, Tom Skerritt and Jessica Harper are replacements for the Notre Dame authority figures, with a lighter viewpoint than the villainous clergy of the original. It's a noble attempt to sensitize modern viewers to the physically abhorrent image of what's considered ugly or monstrous by society and works for the most part, but ultimately is rather forced and unbelievable.