DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE (*½)
It looks like John Travolta is in trouble again. He's best known for his slick teenage-idol singing Danny Zuko in GREASE, and his disco-dancing underdog Tony Manero in SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. His career went into a nosedive for the next few years (many consider Perfect probably the worst movie ever made) and was miraculously resurrected with his funny gritty performance in PULP FICTION. He was Hollywood's comeback kid, and for a while, he could do no wrong (great choices in doing GET SHORTY, PHENOMENON, MICHAEL, FACE/OFF, PRIMARY COLORS, and A CIVIL ACTION). Now he seems to be spiraling again (remember THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER, LUCKY NUMBERS, and the horrid BATTLEFIELD EARTH?). He's still a Hollywood superstar no doubt. I liked his performance in Swordfish, but I hope he gets back on track, because he can add another film to his bad-movie list with his latest, DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE.
Remember the bad-guy vs. good guy movies? This is a bad-dad vs. good-dad flick (Gee, I wonder who'll win). In the movie, Frank Morrison (John Travolta) is the good-hearted boat-building father living in a good-ole small town. He raises his son Danny (Matthew O' Leary) who is a rebellious sort, ever since his father and mother Susan (Teri Polo of MEET THE PARENTS) divorced. As Susan gets remarried to her seemingly wealthy nice-guy new hubby Rick Barnes (Vince Vaughn of SWINGERS), a stranger drifts into town, who turns out to be Rick's seedy old partner Ray Coleman (Steve Buscemi of LIVING IN OBLIVION). Eventually, Danny witnesses Ray's murder at the hands of Rick and tries to convince his parents that Rick is guilty. But nobody in town believes him, except his dear-ole dad.
A few minutes into the film, you begin to notice what a loving and understanding person Frank Morrison is. He spends a lot of time with his son, he takes pride in his job, and he is so accommodating to a fault, that he agrees to take his son and his wife's new husband to go sailing (talk about male bonding). This leads me to the question, why would Susan ever leave him in the first place? I didn't like how Teri Polo's character was used. She emanates sensibility (see her performance in MEET THE PARENTS to see what I mean), yet the film takes her for granted. Consider Travolta's line, "He lies to his mom... but he doesn't lie to me." Susan doesn't seem heartless or stupid, but very much concerned. Sure the kid lies a lot, but accusing someone of murder cannot be easily ignored. How can she not ask where Rick went, or what he went out and did? More importantly, how can the police not be concerned enough?? They are, after all, the police!
The film's plot is slightly contrived and filled with several plot holes. Why Danny got in Rick's car to try and not get caught running away is senseless. Why Rick can seem to appear from one place to another without being seen or heard must mean he's a ninja. Why Rick wants to appear as a conspicuous millionaire when he's trying to escape the law baffles me. And how Frank is able to find the exact room where his family needs to be rescued must mean that he has ESP.
Believe it or not, these flaws are the least of film's shortcomings. The biggest one being the film's subject of domestic dispute turning fatal. Haven't we seen this story before? Turn on the TV and surf the cable stations, because there's got to be at least one channel showing a thriller involving family altercations turning into violence. Let's face it, despite the convincing portrayals of all this film's leads (especially Vince Vaughn who is nasty, and Steve Buscemi who seems devious). One has to wonder why did this substandard rehash get made? What insight does it give? What action does it deliver? The ending sequences may be filled with a little suspense, but the entire setup is completely predictable.
Do I have to mention that the ending will involve a fight between the two dads, family members hugging, a dead body, and an ambulance driving away? I don't think so.
I hope Hollywood ends its affair with films like these, because they've long lost their luster. DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE is unoriginal, underwhelming, and inconsequential. It's a TV movie made for the big screen.
Posted by FLIPCRITIC at January 31, 2002 12:00 AM