Be Kind Rewind
Released: February 2008
Runtime: 102 minutes
Rated: PG-13 (sexual references)Sometimes Hollywood
does itself such a disservice. When
Be Kind Rewind
was first released back in February 2008 it promoted the storyline of
how Jack Black and Mos Def re-shoot a bunch of movie blockbusters after they are
accidentally erased. From what you could see before stepping into the
theatre this would be the main theme of the movie. But in true Hollywood
fashion, nothing could be further from the truth.
Be Kind Rewind
is more about community, tradition and nostalgia then anything to do with
re-making (or having been "Sweded" as it is referred to in the movie) an
eclectic mix of old Hollywood films such as
Ghostbusters,
Driving Miss Daisy,
2001: A Space Odyssey and even Rush Hour 2. In one particular montage,
Director Michel Gondry serves up at least a dozen different movie re-makes.
Melonie Diaz, Jack Black and Mos Def in Be Kind
Rewind
Set in Passaic, New Jersey,
Mike (Mos Def) is put in charge of a dying
VHS video rental store as Mr Fletcher (Danny Glover) goes off on a trip.
One of the last things Mr Fletcher tries to tell Mike is keep Jerry (Jack Black)
out of the store.
Of course, Mike
cannot keep Jerry out, and after Jerry becomes magnetized he ends up erasing all
of the rental movies. Not wanting to let down Mr Fletcher and to keep the
business operating Mike and Jerry set-out to remake (or "Swede") the films in
the store one-by-one.
These "Sweded" movies become a hit as far away as New York
City and soon customers are lined up around the block to rent one of the
re-makes.
But I, like the original studio advertising, am doing the
movie a disservice here because the re-creation of these movies is only part of
the overall story. The real storyline revolves around the fact that Mr
Fletcher's store has been condemned and unless he can come up with $60,000 to
make the necessary repairs it will be demolished to make way for a new
development.
Once word gets out however about the remakes, the Hollywood
machine kicks into action and the store is soon visited by Ms Fletcher
(Sigourney Weaver), a lawyer sent by the studios to shut down production of
these unauthorized copies.
With production shut-down and the movies destroyed by the
Hollywood lawyers, the gang, with assistance from the entire community, takes
one more stab at saving Mr Fletcher's store by creating an original movie based
on a fictionalized version of jazz musician Fats Waller's life.
It is in making the Fats Waller film that the truth of
Be Kind Rewind
is finally able to emerge, speaking to the nostalgia of simpler times
when a community actually came together for a greater good.
Definitely see this movie but don't go in with any
pre-conceived notions of what it is about; don't believe the Hollywood marketing
machine.
Maybe now that it is on DVD and not being misleadingly promoted,
Be Kind Rewind
will get the audience it deserves.
