To be honest I'm not entirely sure I know what to make of this film. I waited until a few weeks after I watched it to write this review. And despite letting it roll around in my head for a few weeks, and trying to really figure it out I'm still not entirely sure I understand the film in it's entirety.
It's a basic love story at it's core, but beyond that things fall apart. The star (Christina Ricci) is a fore member of a sorority that takes part in a program teaching handicapped individuals sports. Coaching and training them in preparation for their fictional version of the Special Olympics. Despite her disgust with this task at first she begins to care for her charge - Pumpkin - and over time even falls in love with him. This premise itself wasn't so far reaching, except that she was so wildly disgusted by him and the idea at first that the first time he says her name she actually screams.......horror movie screams. She's a member of a top ranking Sorority (even though not deemed number 1 by the school) and has a boyfriend who is a leader in athletics at the school, making him Captain Popular. Not that I'm questioning a girl in this life wanting another, and I believe one of the points of the movie was to highlight that just because life seems perfect doesn't mean it is.
The problem here wasn't with WHAT the movie presented for you to think about, but HOW it did this. It's supposed to be a black comedy, but in the end there was almost nothing comedic about it as it never once presented the material as actually being comical. No laughter from the cast, no musical interlude to indicate a lightness of emotion, not even a smile or wink from the person saying the thing, nothing, just empty silence leaving you questioning if this was an intended joke or one of the movies serious moments. Was that over-acting for comical effect, or is the actor just that bad at doing a scene like this? Too many questions, and while I don't hate movies that make you think, I believe there should be one pillar standing for analyzation. Perhaps other smaller columns can be surrounding this one pillar, but there should be a focus point for it all. This movie simply has no focus point.
This movie is too disjointed to be truly enjoyed, but I will say that your fascination with trying to understand it and make sense of everything will keep you watching til the very end, so perhaps that's more of a selling point then I want to give it credit for.
I will say that it is listed as a dark comedy, and I suppose those that can see humor in a situation that is more disturbing to most means that this movie is right up your alley, though I am one of those people and I didn't feel very much like laughing throughout the movie. Yes it was over the top, and by costume and set design alone you knew that's what they were going for. But it feels a bit forced throughout most of the film, like the over the top acting/plot were in some way making all those on set uncomfortable. Not that they'll ever admit it. Many of the actors and actresses still stand by the film saying it was one of the best movies they've ever done. But in retrospect, it took a few years before Elizabeth Berkley to admit that Showgirls may not have been the smartest move of her career. Perhaps in a few more years Christina Ricci will say the same about this one.
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