Free Enterprise (1998)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Robert Meyer Burnett

Writers:

Mark A. Altman (writer) &
Robert Meyer Burnett (writer)

Release Date:

4 June 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

The Shat hits the fan

Plot:

Young filmmakers (Rafer Weigel, Eric McCormack) trying to hawk a movie titled "Bradykillers" about a serial killer who goes after victims Marcia...

Plot Keywords:

Satire | X Men | Answering Machine | Ménage À Trois | Actor Playing Himself

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Eric McCormack	...	Mark
Carl Bressler	...	Mort Berg
Ethan Glazer	...	Young Mark
Phyllis Franklin	...	Ticket Taker
Brandon Kleyla	...	Young Kevin
Thomas Hobson	...	Richard
Marilyn Kentz	...	Gail - Mark's Mom
Spencer Klein	...	Young Robert
Mickey Cassidy	...	Bully
Rafer Weigel	...	Robert
Jennifer Sommerfield	...	Tricia
Tricia Cruz	...	Mexican Waitress (as Latricia Cruz)
Annika Brindley	...	Astrid
William Shatner	...	Bill
Michael Altman	...	Eden Waiter

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and language.

Runtime:

113 min | 121 min (extended version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Germany:6 | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Mindfire Entertainment

Trivia:

William Shatner wears the bomber jacket and flight cap he wore as the U.S. Air Force colonel from _"Twelve O'Clock High" (1964)_ after overhearing Mark and Robert's discussion about him.

Goofs:

Plot holes: The movie takes place in 1998 just before Mark's 30th birthday party, putting his birthday in 1968. However, in the flashback scene of Mark trying to get into Star Trek: The Motion Picture Mark says his age is 12 when asked by the women in the ticket stand, despite the fact that Star Trek: The Motion Picture was released in 1979 and the movie itself says 19 years earlier. This would make Mark already 30 by the time the film is taking place in 1998.

Quotes:

Mark: You're losing it. A year ago you'd already be re-enacting the kitchen scene from "9 1/2 Weeks". 'Course, my own sex life's more like 8 1/2 Weeks - Fellini meets Psycho. Scary.

Movie Connections:

References Freaks (1932)

Soundtrack:

Metaphysical

Clever, Funny and a Little Too Close to Home....

I had a different idea of what this movie was about when I chose to watch this. I thought it would parody "Star Trek", sci-fi, and William Shatner. While it covered a vast amount of science fiction trivia, I think this is the kind of movie anybody could enjoy.

In watching this, I can see my friends and I being like this as we hit our 30+ marks in a few years, and hey, it looks like the best is yet to come. It goes to show that "fan boys" have real life problems and responsibilities just the same as anyone else. Of course, there are a few more, er, "dedicated" to the cause than others....

William Shatner was a lot of fun in this movie, and he deserves to get credit for this film. He lives up to all of the "Shatner stereotypes" in being larger than life, but he also lets go and enjoys the ride. I cheered Shatner just for being Shatner, and his "Julius Caesar" rap is as funny as can be without breaking the tone of the film and entering the "camp" zone.

This is a movie that is more fun for those who get the majority of the film references, but it doesn't require it.

I'd like to see what else these guys will put out. For a first film, it's excellent.