This is a heavily massaged story, obviously created with tons of "notes" from the top. I could just see the people involved with making this film laughing uncontrollably at things they thought were funny.
The problem is: the first thirds of this film has intermittent laughs as the story tries to find its way. An obnoxious rich couple in New York are taken advantage of by a colleague, accused of being tax evaders, steal a cab, run away, land in a pond and reemerge dressed as Amish and wander into an Amish village. They pathetically try to pass themselves off as Amish to the real Amish. All of this set-up was mostly dumb, awkward and somewhat offensive.
But... once it is clear that Tim Allen and Kirstie Alley, as estranged husband and wife, are going to be staying in the Amish town for a while, watching them trying to get with the program is really funny. Especially Kirstie Alley. Kirstie really knew how to deliver a punch line. There were many instances where I was howling in laughter. Even in the cut scenes that ran side by side with the credits, Kirstie knew how to get a laugh.
Yes, it was dumb. Yes, it has not aged well. Yes, the whole thing ripped off moments and musical themes from other stories. No, not everything worked. But when Kirstie does a "fashion show" to introduce "new fall colors" to convince the Elders that it would be all right to let their women folk wear "pastels" -- I'm sorry, it was laugh out loud funny.
If the idea of this kind of movie was to entertain, then, at least the last half of it did the job.
This is a movie of its era. It could never be done now. And Tim and Kirstie did their jobs well. There wasn't really a lot of spark between them, but they were two pros and brought their comic gifts to the table.
I don't know that I'd watch it again, because it isn't what one would call a "deep" movie, but I might watch the fashion show again, because it was truly a classic.
The problem is: the first thirds of this film has intermittent laughs as the story tries to find its way. An obnoxious rich couple in New York are taken advantage of by a colleague, accused of being tax evaders, steal a cab, run away, land in a pond and reemerge dressed as Amish and wander into an Amish village. They pathetically try to pass themselves off as Amish to the real Amish. All of this set-up was mostly dumb, awkward and somewhat offensive.
But... once it is clear that Tim Allen and Kirstie Alley, as estranged husband and wife, are going to be staying in the Amish town for a while, watching them trying to get with the program is really funny. Especially Kirstie Alley. Kirstie really knew how to deliver a punch line. There were many instances where I was howling in laughter. Even in the cut scenes that ran side by side with the credits, Kirstie knew how to get a laugh.
Yes, it was dumb. Yes, it has not aged well. Yes, the whole thing ripped off moments and musical themes from other stories. No, not everything worked. But when Kirstie does a "fashion show" to introduce "new fall colors" to convince the Elders that it would be all right to let their women folk wear "pastels" -- I'm sorry, it was laugh out loud funny.
If the idea of this kind of movie was to entertain, then, at least the last half of it did the job.
This is a movie of its era. It could never be done now. And Tim and Kirstie did their jobs well. There wasn't really a lot of spark between them, but they were two pros and brought their comic gifts to the table.
I don't know that I'd watch it again, because it isn't what one would call a "deep" movie, but I might watch the fashion show again, because it was truly a classic.