People may have little in common while sharing what matters the most. That is what happens to the protagonists of Outrageous Fortune, 1987 comedy directed by Arthur Hiller. Lauren Ames (played by Shelley Long) is a woman from well-off family who has spent a lot of time and her parents’ money in futile attempts to become stage actress. Sandy Brozinsky (played by Bette Midler) is loud, street smart and unrefined woman from Brooklyn who tries her hand at acting. Both women enroll in an acting class by highly respected drama teacher Stanislav Korzenowski (played by Robert Prosky) and there they can’t stand each other. Their dislike would be even greater if they knew that they both had passionate romantic relationship with charming Michael Santers (played by Peter Coyote). They find out only after Santers dies in an apparent bombing, but during their scuffle in the morgue they discover that Santers isn’t dead and that he might have faked his death. They both decide to find him in order to confront him about his dishonesty. The trail leads to remote town in New Mexico, but while travel there, they are pursued by CIA and KGB.
The film is based on the debut script by Leslie Dixon, writer who enthusiastically described it as “first female ‘buddy’ comedy”. An interesting concept, that pairs two very different women in order to pursue common cause, works best in the first part, during which those characters are introduced. A lot of credit for that should be given for two talented comediennes who inject a lot of their screen personas in the their roles. Shelley Long, best known for role of Diane Chambers in immensely popular sitcom Cheers, plays charming, but often pompous character whose education and intellectual ambition, just like in that show, ultimately do little to help her in real life. Bette Midler, on the other hand, is a force of nature, a character from blue collar background whose lack of sophistication and manners is compensated with aggressive attitude. Midler plays that character very well, and her performance, especially in physically more demanding scenes, is even more commendable in light that she was pregnant at the time.
While the main characters and actresses who play them are film’s main strength, the weakness is lame pseudo-Hitchcockian plot that takes place in second part of the film. There are lot of implausibilities in the film and generally light-hearted tone of the film is compromised with graphic violence. Characters of spies and even character of Santers look underwritten. Same goes for Korzenowski, who was based on famous drama teacher Konstantin Stanislavski. Like in many weak comedies, lack of humour is compensated with action, and director Arthur Hiller, best known for dramas, doesn’t look like the best choice for film of this nature. Film is ultimately saved by legendary comedian George Carlin in very funny and effective role of Frank Madras, 1960s counterculture relic who lives with Native Americans and who provides aid to protagonists in their hour of need. Because of him this film becomes entertaining enough to be enjoyed even by those viewers who aren’t fans of Long, Midler or feel nostalgia towards 1980s.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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