Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 11, 1990                   TAG: 9004110063
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

`CRAZY PEOPLE' HAS A GOOD CHANCE OF BECOMING A HIT

It's not a great movie; it's not a comedy for the ages. But it is a good movie and it might even be a hit.

The film is a funny and biting advertising satire balanced against a sentimental love story. Both sides are exaggerated, and the production is an odd mix of extremes.

The acting is good all the way through; this is some of the best work Dudley Moore has done since "Arthur." There's an innocence to Mitch Markowitz's story that helps it over some of the rough spots. Tony Bill's direction is typically unobtrusive. As he's done in such films as "My Bodyguard" and "Five Corners," he stresses character over cinematic style.

Moore plays Emory Leeson, a New York ad man who has lost his creative edge. For several reasons, some of which are not revealed immediately, he has been driven past the breaking point. Eventually he snaps, and begins producing ads that tell nothing but the truth. "United Airlines: Most of our passengers get there alive" is one of the few that can be printed in a family newspaper.

Emory's partner Bachman (Paul Reiser) promptly whisks him away to a mental institution where he can rest. At the same time, the truthful ads are mistakenly released. At first, the ad agency's blustering bully of a boss Drucker (J.T. Walsh) wants their heads to roll. But when the ads prove successful, he decides to exploit Emory's unique talent.

Emory, meanwhile, has adjusted to life in the institution. The titular characters are Hollywood's version of crazy people. With one exception, they bear little or no resemblance to real people suffering real mental and emotional problems. Kathy (Daryl Hannah) seems to be a victim of chronic ditziness. The Judge (Alan North) is a bit too fond of ballet. Most of the rest are just a little unusual.

All of their characters might be dismissed as outdated stereotypes if it weren't for George Cartelli (David Paymer), who steals the movie from the stars. He suffers from what seems to be a form of Tourette syndrome. At first, all he can say is the word "hello," but as Emory's success affects the inmates, he changes and becomes more important to the story. Paymer's understated performance is moving and begs comparison to Dustin Hoffman's work in "Rainman."

The Roanoke and Chatham Hall locations match the unusual quality of the production. This is not supposed to be a realistic examination of the worlds of advertising and mental health.

It's a good-natured story about belief, trust and our obsession with materialism. Some of the humor tends to undercut that light touch. There are a few too many jokes equating automobiles and sexual acts, and at times the use of profanity seems forced and out of place.

But comedy is a matter of taste and so many of the jokes really are laugh-out-loud funny that it's pointless to be too critical. "Crazy People" is funny, different and mostly unpredictable.

I recommend it, though I realize that such a recommendation has to be suspect. Perhaps no one with any connection to the Roanoke community can be completely objective. So, to confirm (or contradict) my potentially biased views, I enlisted two disinterested consultants.

My wife and I went to a Saturday night sneak preview in Northern Virginia with a couple of friends who are veteran moviegoers. They knew nothing of the movie's Roanoke connection.

Their reactions were overwhelmingly positive. They described the film as "cute," "old-fashioned, in a way," "entertaining but with a message," "a good date movie, though some of the language was unnecessary."

So, even though no one can predict such things, "Crazy People" might wind up being as successful as our last "local" production, "Dirty Dancing." Whatever its fate in the marketplace, "Crazy People" is a fine piece of work. `Crazy People' A Paramount release playing at the Grandin Theatre (345-6177) and Terrace (366-1677). Rated R for strong language. An hour and 30 minutes long.