Worth Winning (1989)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Will Mackenzie

Writers (WGA):

Dan Lewandowski (novel)
Josann McGibbon (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

27 October 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

An engaging comedy about a bachelor and three near Mrs.

Plot:

Taylor is a man who has no problems with women. So confident is he that he accepts a challenge from...

Plot Keywords:

Volvo | Dominatrix | Bet | Reference To Casanova | Engagement

Cast

Mark Harmon	...	Taylor Worth
Madeleine Stowe	...	Veronica Briskow
Lesley Ann Warren	...	Eleanor Larimore
Maria Holvoe	...	Erin Cooper
Mark Blum	...	Ned Broudy
Andrea Martin	...	Clair Broudy
Tony Longo	...	Tarry Childs, Eagle Linebacker
Alan Blumenfeld	...	Howard Larimore
Devin Ratray	...	Howard Larimore Jr.
David Brenner	...	Celebrity Auctioner
Jon Korkes	...	Sam
Brad Hall	...	Eric
Shannon Lawrence	...	Chloe Broudy
Todd Cameron Brown	...	Owen Broudy
Russ Bolinger	...	Gus

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

A&M Films

Goofs:

Continuity: When Taylor gets Erin's acceptance of his proposal on tape, he also records a message for Ned. During later playbacks of that tape, new dialogue has been added. Specifically, he originally said that he is "one-third of the way to teaching you a lesson", but later playback has added, "and winning our bet."

Quotes:

Taylor Worth: I'm a perfectionist.

Movie Connections:

References Stars and Stripes Forever (1952)

Lacks the Harmon Charm & Humor

Worth Winning is one of those cliches about a group of guy friends making bets about women, with the one guy engaged in the bet falling in love with the women of his game. In Worth Winning, hot shot playboy weatherman Taylor Worth's (Mark Harmon) buddies bet that he can't get three women to marry him within a given number of weeks. This seems easy for a guy like Taylor because of his playboy nature, but the guys picks the three women, and he seems to be irked by some quality in each of them: Veronica Briskow (Madeleine Stowe), Eleanor Larimore (Lesley Ann Warren), Erin Cooper (Maria Holvoe). One is a traditional, but rather bubbly blonde. One is a bored nympho housewife. And one is a pretentious artsy fartsy type who actually turns out to be one of the better of the characters--personality wise--as she seems to be the most 'real' of the three, and the most needed to break Taylor's overestimation of his power over women. It proves no easy task, particularly the finale when he learns that he starts to fall in love with one and soon, must reveal his bet.

The movie isn't really that funny. The idea may seem quite comical, but there seems to be too much of Mark Harmon as an overconfident ass and not enough as Mark Harmon, the witty charmer. And for something with Mark Harmon in the leading role, it makes it a little less enjoyable. That, and the fact that this story is far too redundant, and possibly, only outrageous comedy could compensate where the novelty has worn out.