FamilyFans Movies
☼☼☼
CLICK (PG-13)
Plot Summary: An overworked father and husband acquires a mystical remote control which allows him to fast-forward and rewind through parts of his life.
Reason for the Rating: Language, crude and sex-related humor, and some drug references.
Adam Sandler can be funny (Big Daddy, Mr. Deeds), and he can be, well, not so funny (Happy Gilmore, Little Nicky). You never know what you’re going to get when you see an Adam Sandler movie. Click is one of those in-between movies…funny, but not so funny. The comedy will sometimes make you laugh, but the crudeness will always make you cringe.
Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) is a young architect, attempting to make partner and provide a better life for his young family. He loves his wife, Donna (Kate Beckinsale), and their two children, yet is always feeling pressure to put work first in order to be a success. Upon blowing up at his family one evening, he drives to Bed, Bath and Beyond to find a universal remote for the TV. He searches the store, unable to find what he’s looking for, and finally sees a door labeled, “Beyond.” On the other side of the door he finds Morty (Christopher Walken), who is reminiscent of Dr. Emmett Brown from Back to the Future (crazy hair, funny clothes, kooky personality, and surrounded by all kinds of gadgets). Morty gives Michael a new, state of the art remote that will change his life.
Michael goes home thinking he has a remote for the TV, but through a series of circumstances discovers it’s much more than the run of the mill remote. He discovers is magical power. He can mute those conversations he doesn’t want to hear, rewind and re-visit special times of his life, and fast-forward through those long work days to get to the promotion he’s been seeking. All the while, his family is none the wiser, as the Michael his family sees is on auto-pilot…there, but not there.
It’s
not long before he realizes he’s missing life while trying to get to the good
stuff. Conversations, his children growing, the death of his dog, and eventually
the death of his father. Problem is, he can’t get rid of the remote, despite
many attempts, and the remote has taken on a mind of its own. Actually, it just
remembers his preferences and fast-forwards through arguments with his wife,
foreplay, dinner with the family, and long projects at work. His intentions were
good. All he wanted was to get through long hours of work so he could spend time
with his family, but now the remote has taken control, and life has literally
passed him by.
If you haven’t seen It’s a Wonderful Life, Family Man, Mr. Destiny, or any of the other movies previously made where a man gets to see what life could have been if only…, then the movie might be, uh, not so predictable. But, since we’ve all seen at least one of those movies, we know what’s going to happen, and that kind of ruins any suspense that could have made the movie interesting. The movie is only 97 minutes long, but seems endless, because we’re just waiting for the predictable ending we know is coming. The music, though, is great. If you like The Cars, The Cranberries, Billy Idol, and that type of 80’s music, you’ll love this soundtrack.
One
fun aspect of the movie, are the big names who take part in it. Henry Winkler
and Julie Kavner (voice of Marge Simpson) play Michael’s parents, and are
shining lights in the movie. David Hasselhof (Baywatch) is Michael’s
perverted, air-headed boss, and Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) plays
Donna’s second husband, Bill. With so many well respected and seasoned actors, I
expected more from this movie than was delivered.
That said, the movie will make you laugh, and surprisingly it will make you cry. Anyone who is a parent can’t help but be moved at the sadness of Michael’s situation. And, although we’ve seen all the other movies with this same theme, it’s always good to be reminded that life is about loving our family and friends, and being loved in return. All the other stuff…jobs, recognition, promotion, money, cars…is just that. Stuff. What matters in the end is family.
FAMILYFANS RECOMMENDS: Skip this movie and rent It’s a Wonderful Life, or Family Man instead.
AFTER THE SHOW:
-
When have you seen God working in your life, showing you what is really important? Explain.
-
What parts of this movie would you change? How could it be improved??
-
What would you do with a universal remote like Michael’s? Explain.
JW
☼☼☼
Note: All movie-related graphics in this column are standard publicity/promotional shots and are owned by their respective movie studios.