Speechless (1994)

Picture James Carville and Mary Matalin dropped into a screwball comedy. Michael Keaton and Geena Davis are political speechwriters with bad cases of insomnia who meet cute, fall in love, and then discover that they are working for opposing candidates. The subsequent short-lived war of dirty tricks and one-upmanship is one of those contrivances that is soon (and thankfully) discarded in light of their instant rapport and mutual respect. In a world where candidates are for sale and campaigns are fought like poker games, these idealists are made for each other--they just don't know it yet. Director Ron Underwood (City Slickers) has a light touch with comedy and a nice feel for romantic fun, but it's the charm of Keaton and Davis that puts the bounce in an otherwise limp political satire. --Sean Axmaker Amazon.com

Shall we speak the unspoken language of love? You mean the kind only dogs can hear? Yes, the very same

Speechless is a romantic comedy that pairs Michael Keaton and Geena Davis as speechwriters for opposing campaigns. No doubt it was at least partially based on or inspired by Mary Matalin and James Carville. One difference though--in Speechless she's the Democrat and he's the Republican. Though the politics are only a pretext for a little rom com thrust and parry, one couldn't ask for better sparring partners than Geena and Keaton.

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stage direction: [While riding in back of pickup truck to get gasoline]
Julia: Is that cologne?
Kevin: Black Flag. You know, it's manly, and as you can see, not a roach in sight...
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In this version of reality both parties are corrupt (wait a minute--are you sure it's fiction?). The wedge issue of immigration is one difference though, with the Democrat opposing the construction of a ditch between the US and Mexico, while the Republican spins it by dubbing it "The Friendship Ditch." Score one for Keaton. The only one who really believes in the speeches is Geena Davis' character. She is doing it because she wants to make the world a better place. Keaton is a former sit com writer and he is in it strictly for the money--and the laughs.

Christopher Reeve played Keaton's rival, a Network Television News Journalist who was Geena's former boyfriend, and now her fiancé. This movie was just a year before Reeve would have his tragic riding accident that would leave him paralyzed. There is one strange bit that became a running gag about her former boyfriend having a tattoo on his lip. If we ever find out what the tatto says, then I must have blinked. Though the gag doesn't really go anywhere, they have some fun running with it:

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[They are talking on the phone]
Julia: My old boyfriend had a tattoo, on the inside of his lip. Wanna guess what it said?
Kevin: Uh, "How am I driving? Call 1-800" and then a number? Did he have a really big lip? Was it Mick Jagger?
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A little later there is an amusing scene as Keaton wonders if Reeve is the tattooed boyfriend and tries to get him to show it. Anyway, Reeve would have to be Superman to keep Davis and Keaton apart. From the moment they meet in the hotel pharmacy and try to con each other out of the last box of No-Doz, you know that they have a lot more in common than just insomnia.

Though the politics are a little dated, in some ways it is prescient. But the main reason to watch this is the witty dialogue, clever script and acting, and of course the strange alchemy between Geena Davis and Michael Keaton.

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Julia: Shall we speak the unspoken language of love?
Kevin: You mean the kind only dogs can hear?
Julia: Yes, the very same.
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Roles of Michael Keaton:

Multiplicity (1996) .... Doug Kinney is a contractor who feels like there aren't enough hours in the day. His solution--cloning. Imagine a whole gang of Michael Keatons. Scary, isn't it? Funny, too, I'll bet.
Batman (1989) .... Tim Burton, a man with vision, couldn't picture anyone else donning the cape and cowl. Keaton was the original film version of Batman / Bruce Wayne.
Clean and Sober (1988) .... Keaton was probably serious as Daryl Poynter, and no doubt he used his personal experience to some extent. Just a guess.
Beetlejuice (1988) .... Beetle Juice is a great vehicle for the over-the-top Keaton. Geena Davis and Winona Ryder are in it too!!!
Night Shift (1982) .... Bill Blazejowski was an idea man--memo to self--his idea was to start a brothel with Shelley Long (Diane Chambers from Cheers) as a hooker and Henry Winkler (The Fonz from Happy Days) as his business partner.

Roles of Geena Davis:

A League of Their Own (1992) .... Davis was ball player Dottie Hinson, along with Rosie O'Donnell, Madonna, and Tom Hanks: "There is no crying in baseball!"
Thelma & Louise (1991) .... Geena was Thelma and Susan Sarandon was Louise in this classic fable of female empowerment.
The Accidental Tourist (1988) .... Geena plays Muriel Pritchett who 'falls' for the accidental tourist and gets 'hurt'--William Hurt.
Earth Girls Are Easy (1988) .... Valerie is a valley girl, and three aliens lose control of their UFO and land in her swimming pool. Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey, and Damon Wayons are the aliens in question.
Beetle Juice (1988) .... Geena Davis is Barbara, see link above for Michael Keaton as Beetle Juice.
The Fly (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) (1986) .... Geena is Veronica Quaife, love interest of mad scientist/fly Jeff Goldblum in this remake of a sci fi classic that is also a classic in its own right.
August 21, 2008

politically light

This movie is not heavy on political humor, but it is a fun one to watch. I have watched this comedy many times for its light-hearted banter between a man and a woman. April 28, 2008

...love at first soundbite...

if you are looking for a great romantic pairing, you can't get much better than michael keaton and geena davis in this wonderful film about the love of politics and the politics of love...as two campaign writers, keaton and davis display a chemistry that is truly sweet amd truly believable...this film, along with 'return to me', both display what's missing in most romantic films, shot in 'the age of color'... (classic black and white films, however, featuring the likes of tracy and hepburn, bogart and bacall, etc...that's a whole 'nother story...)...but for the technicolor age, you can't do better than this...so please, do yourself a favor...put down your 'pretty woman', wake up your 'sleepless in seattle', forget about 'when harry met sally', and find out what a good romantic film is supposed to look like... September 2, 2006

speechless

thoroughly enjoyed this movie when i saw it on tv recently that's why i bought it
regards, Bernie W N March 24, 2006

High Order Debacle

SPEECHLESS is a cinematic debacle of the highest order. It is truly a shame when an ensemble of talent cannot bring the final artistic product to fruition. I do not blame Keaton or Davis. Director Don Underwood did the best with what he had to work with. The fly in the ointment here is writer Robert King. His basic plot and premise are fine but his script lacks the most rudimentary elements of providing good coherent and captivating dialogue. His script is blatantly bland and becomes annoying as the film progresses. Christopher Reeve, who should have been a strong peripheral yet pivotal character, looks extremely awkward delivering his lines. Bonnie Bedelia, a fine actress, also comes out less then her potential. This film is a real lost opportunity.


October 16, 2005

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