Made in 2004 with a few U.S. film festival screenings and a DVD release in 2006, Crazy Like a Fox enjoys a limited theatrical release in theaters beginning Friday, June 11, 2010.
Serious Subject in Crazy Like a Fox
This playful comedy about a serious subject – historical preservation and personal integrity – takes full advantage of the beautiful Virginia countryside. Yet the film squanders the talents of Royal Shakespeare veteran and Emmy nominee Roger Rees and two-time Academy Award nominee Mary McDonnell with a predictable script and one-dimensional characters.
When Nat Banks (Rees) finds himself strapped for cash because of a farm accident involving some wayward horses, he begrudgingly sells his family estate to a greedy Los Angeles couple. The Sherman family that buys the property reneges on their spoken promises and plans to develop the property, thereby destroying its heritage. Although Nat’s wife, Amy (McDonnell), takes their two children to live in a rented place in town, crazy Nat takes up residence in a creekside cave on the property that he just sold (and from which he was summarily evicted).
Roger Rees Play a Southern Gentleman Farmer
Through the heat and cold, Nat camps out in the cave, sweating and shivering in one of his ancestor’s old Confederate uniforms (and swinging a rusty sword upon occasion). The townsfolk support his squatter’s rights and plan various stunts to antagonize the Shermans and drive them away. Cinematographer Gary Grieg captures the beauty of the land and the uniqueness of the house, making it clear that the estate is indeed worth the fight.
This well-intentioned film explores environmental themes, the importance of historical preservation, and one man’s fight to never give up on his beliefs. These good intentions become a little muddled in the mix though, as stereotypical heroes, villains (Paul Fitzgerald and Christina Rouner), and fiercely loyal friends and employees battle it out in this mostly humorless comedy.
Although writer-director Richard Squires sets up the Shermans as obvious bad guys, the situation actually falls more into the gray area between right and wrong. Rees and McDonnell give it their best shot, but like the rest of the cast come across more like broad characters in a stage play than flesh-and-blood people.
Crazy Like a Fox
- A Southern farmer gets tricked into selling the farm that has been in his family for generations.
- Starring Roger Rees, Mary McDonnell, Paul Fitzgerald, Christina Rouner, Robert Wisdom, Mark Joy, Michael Goodwin, Tom Bloom
- Director: Richard Squires
- Writer: Richard Squires
- Run Time: 99 minutes
- Rating: PG-13 (for brief strong language)
- 2/5
- For more information about Crazy Like a Fox, visit the official website.
Related Article About Environmentally Themed Movie:
Plagues & Pleasures DVD Review – Narrated by John Waters, the documentary Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea explores the Southern California wasteland that was once a glamorous resort for celebrities.
Leslie C. Halpern - Leslie C. Halpern, Romantic Films/Comedies Topic Editor, authored Passionate About Their Work, Reel Romance, & Dreams on Film.
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