Winner of the audience-selected Best of the Fest Award at the 13th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival (where it received its world premiere), "With Friends Like These ..". is a bona fide crowd-tickler.
An entertaining portrait of a quartet of acting buddies whose long friendship is put to the test when each is up for the same role in a Martin Scorsese picture, the comedy occasionally treads on sitcom terrain, but a terrific ensemble and some surprise cameos significantly boost the material.
As yet undistributed, the modestly budgeted "With Friends" should have little problem rectifying that situation based on the initial response.
Representing their profession's working class, Johnny (Robert Costanzo), Steve (Adam Arkin), Dorian (Jon Tenney) and Armand (David Strathairn) manage to make a living out of bit parts with the support of their wives and girlfriends (Amy Madigan, Laura San Giacomo, Elle Macpherson and Lauren Tom, respectively), but none has gotten his proverbial big break.
It potentially arrives when Johnny gets a call from a bulimic casting agent (Beverly D'Angelo) who informs him that Scorsese is going to be doing the definitive version of "Capone" and Johnny fits the character description. Promising to keep the audition hush-hush but unable to contain his excitement over the prospects of finally saying goodbye to playing "goombah hit men," Johnny inevitably reveals the news to each of his fellow thespians, who secretly line up their own auditions.
While the rest of the proceedings follow a fairly predictable course, writer-director Phil Messina keeps the characterizations rich and amusing, and his cast maintains a winning camaraderie.
In an example of life imitating art, character actor Costanzo (a former regular on "NYPD Blue") is given his Big Shot to shine here (it doesn't hurt that the part was written for him), and he takes full advantage of the opportunity. Likewise, "Chicago Hope"'s Arkin and specifically "Brooklyn South"'s Tenney each get a rare chance to show off their comedy chops and likewise seize the moment successfully.
While he's certainly a fine, versatile actor, Strathairn, meanwhile, doesn't quite cut it as the suspiciously low-key Armand, whose family might actually be members of the Family, as in Mafiosi. The requisite ethnic physicality just isn't there, and it comes down to a casting miscue.
Other roles fit like a glove, with San Giacomo standing out on the distaff side as Arkin's long-suffering wife and the always effective D'Angelo shining as the high-strung casting agent. Popping up here and there are Bill Murray as an obnoxious, food-hording TV producer, Garry Marshall as Strathairn's car-dealing dad, Michael McKean as a proctologist to the stars and, of course, Scorsese as Scorsese. The latter does a particularly convincing job.
WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE ...
E.K. Gaylord II Prods., Winner Communications, Foundry Film Partners
A Robert Greenhut/Parkway/Quadrant production
A Philip F. Messina film
Credits: Director-screenwriter: Philip F. Messina; Producers: Robert Greenhut, Amy Lemisch; Executive producers: E.K. Gaylord II, John Ein, Marty Feinberg; Director of photography: Brian J. Reynolds; Production designer: Beth DeSort; Editor: Claudia Finkle; Costume designers: Mary Kay Stolz, Joanna Dendel; Music: John Powell, Hans Zimmer. Cast: Steve: Adam Arkin; Armand: David Strathairn; Dorian: Jon Tenney; Johnny: Robert Costanzo; Hannah: Amy Madigan; Samantha: Elle Macpherson; Steve's Wife: Laura San Giacomo; Armand's Girlfriend: Lauren Tom; Theresa: Beverly D'Angelo; Armand's Father: Garry Marshall. No MPAA rating. Running time -- 105 minutes. Color/stereo.
An entertaining portrait of a quartet of acting buddies whose long friendship is put to the test when each is up for the same role in a Martin Scorsese picture, the comedy occasionally treads on sitcom terrain, but a terrific ensemble and some surprise cameos significantly boost the material.
As yet undistributed, the modestly budgeted "With Friends" should have little problem rectifying that situation based on the initial response.
Representing their profession's working class, Johnny (Robert Costanzo), Steve (Adam Arkin), Dorian (Jon Tenney) and Armand (David Strathairn) manage to make a living out of bit parts with the support of their wives and girlfriends (Amy Madigan, Laura San Giacomo, Elle Macpherson and Lauren Tom, respectively), but none has gotten his proverbial big break.
It potentially arrives when Johnny gets a call from a bulimic casting agent (Beverly D'Angelo) who informs him that Scorsese is going to be doing the definitive version of "Capone" and Johnny fits the character description. Promising to keep the audition hush-hush but unable to contain his excitement over the prospects of finally saying goodbye to playing "goombah hit men," Johnny inevitably reveals the news to each of his fellow thespians, who secretly line up their own auditions.
While the rest of the proceedings follow a fairly predictable course, writer-director Phil Messina keeps the characterizations rich and amusing, and his cast maintains a winning camaraderie.
In an example of life imitating art, character actor Costanzo (a former regular on "NYPD Blue") is given his Big Shot to shine here (it doesn't hurt that the part was written for him), and he takes full advantage of the opportunity. Likewise, "Chicago Hope"'s Arkin and specifically "Brooklyn South"'s Tenney each get a rare chance to show off their comedy chops and likewise seize the moment successfully.
While he's certainly a fine, versatile actor, Strathairn, meanwhile, doesn't quite cut it as the suspiciously low-key Armand, whose family might actually be members of the Family, as in Mafiosi. The requisite ethnic physicality just isn't there, and it comes down to a casting miscue.
Other roles fit like a glove, with San Giacomo standing out on the distaff side as Arkin's long-suffering wife and the always effective D'Angelo shining as the high-strung casting agent. Popping up here and there are Bill Murray as an obnoxious, food-hording TV producer, Garry Marshall as Strathairn's car-dealing dad, Michael McKean as a proctologist to the stars and, of course, Scorsese as Scorsese. The latter does a particularly convincing job.
WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE ...
E.K. Gaylord II Prods., Winner Communications, Foundry Film Partners
A Robert Greenhut/Parkway/Quadrant production
A Philip F. Messina film
Credits: Director-screenwriter: Philip F. Messina; Producers: Robert Greenhut, Amy Lemisch; Executive producers: E.K. Gaylord II, John Ein, Marty Feinberg; Director of photography: Brian J. Reynolds; Production designer: Beth DeSort; Editor: Claudia Finkle; Costume designers: Mary Kay Stolz, Joanna Dendel; Music: John Powell, Hans Zimmer. Cast: Steve: Adam Arkin; Armand: David Strathairn; Dorian: Jon Tenney; Johnny: Robert Costanzo; Hannah: Amy Madigan; Samantha: Elle Macpherson; Steve's Wife: Laura San Giacomo; Armand's Girlfriend: Lauren Tom; Theresa: Beverly D'Angelo; Armand's Father: Garry Marshall. No MPAA rating. Running time -- 105 minutes. Color/stereo.
- 3/17/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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