Checking Out (2005)

Director:

Jeff Hare

Writers (WGA):

Richard Marcus (screenplay)
Allen Swift (play)

Release Date:

19 December 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A famed stage actor reunites his family for a party, and plans to commit suicide after-wards, unless they are able to convince him not to. |

Plot Keywords:

Actor | Suicide | Suicide Thoughts | Jewish | Reference To Shakespeare

Awards:

5 wins

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Morris Applebaum
Laura San Giacomo	...	Flo Applebaum
David Paymer	...	Ted Applebaum
Judge Reinhold	...	Barry Apple - baum
Jeffrey D. Sams	...	Dr Sheldon Henning (as Jeffrey Sams)
Shera Danese	...	Rhonda Apple
Mary Elizabeth Winstead	...	Lisa Apple
Dan Byrd	...	Jason Apple
Tony Todd	...	Manuel
Alex Datcher	...	Raphaella
David Bowe	...	Allen
Bob Bancroft	...	Foyt
Luis Antonio Ramos	...	Luis
Galen Yuen	...	Foreman
Joey Gray	...	Dan

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, some sexual material and thematic elements.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Full Circle Studios

Quotes:

Morris Applebaum: You are normal, and you were born into a crazy family, and that makes you crazy.

A Hare-Raising Joy

This wonderfully witty comedy-drama wowed the crowd at the Philadelphia Film Festival, whipping them into wild applause at its conclusion. Buttressed by adept performances by a nuanced cast, sturdy execution by director Jeff Hare, a brisk pace, and one of Peter Falk's best performances in years, the film emerges as a loving homage to the highs and woes of family life.

Falk excels as Jewish ninetysomething Morris Applebaum, a wildly eccentric Shakespearean thespian who decides to end his life, but not before rounding up his three grown children and throwing a "big fat Jewish suicide party." The film brims with indelible delights. There's Morris's "tushy room"; Laura San Giacomo's passionate rendering of Morris's cynical daughter; rapid-fire comedic dialogue that recalls the work of Neil Simon and Woody Allen; the wry timing of David Paymer, who plays Morris's tightly wound psychotherapist son; and Morris's patented egg creams (but be careful, drinking them too fast will cause a nasty brain freeze). It's all enveloped in a feel-good, intimate atmosphere set in New York City.

Director Jeff Hare proves to be a master craftsman, drawing out memorable performances from his cast and lending the film a mirthful humanity. I was fortunate to see an earlier film by Hare: the dark and powerful "Perfect Little Man," starring Neal McDonough ("Minority Report") as a Los Angeles man spiraling into madness. The visceral grit of "Perfect" and the nostalgic breeze of "Checking Out" are a testament to Hare's eclecticism and wide-ranging talent. I'm looking forward to checking out his future work.

I heard "Checking Out" lacks a distributor at this point. Some wise company would do well to pick up this crowd-pleasing gem, for it's a potential box-office titan in the vein of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Most nobly, it would give people around the world a chance to experience the joys of this movie.