Envy (2004 film)

Last updated
Envy
Envy film poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Barry Levinson
Written by Steve Adams
Produced byBarry Levinson
Paula Weinstein
Starring
CinematographyTim Maurice-Jones
Edited by Stu Linder
Blair Daily
Music by Mark Mothersbaugh
Production
companies
Columbia Pictures
Castle Rock Entertainment
Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures
Distributed by DreamWorks Pictures (United States)
Columbia TriStar Distributors International [1] (International)
Release date
  • April 30, 2004 (2004-04-30)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20–$40 million [2] [3]
Box office$14.5 million [3]

Envy is a 2004 American black comedy buddy film directed by Barry Levinson and starring Ben Stiller and Jack Black. The film was a critical and commercial failure.

Contents

Plot

Tim Dingman and Nick Vanderpark are best friends, neighbors and co-workers at 3M. Nick is constantly coming up with crazy ideas to get rich quick, and when he invents Vapoorize, a spray that instantly disintegrates dog feces, he actually succeeds. As Nick's wealth continues to grow, so does Tim's envy, as he had initially scoffed at the idea and squandered an opportunity to invest and become mega-rich himself. Nick is blissfully unaware of Tim's envy, and his generosity only serves to make Tim more envious of him. Meanwhile, Nick's wife Natalie decides to run for state senate but is continually plagued by questions about her husband's product.

After Tim's wife Debbie and children temporarily leave and he is fired from 3M, Tim's envy reaches new levels. In a bar, he meets J-Man, a bizarre drifter, who lends a sympathetic ear and offers advice. After a drunken night out, Tim accidentally shoots Nick's beloved horse, Corky, with a bow and arrow, apparently killing him, and buries the horse in his abandoned swimming pool.

Nick offers a $50,000 reward for the return of his horse. J-Man and Tim concoct a plan whereby J-Man would discover the horse and claim the reward, splitting the proceeds. However, a series of unfortunate events, including Tim's family getting holed up in J-Man's mountain cabin, leads to the horse's carcass being lost in a rain storm.

Nick reveals to Tim that he is going to Rome for the debut of Vapoorize there, and gives Tim the opportunity to join him in a 50/50 partnership, which he accepts. J-Man finds out that Tim is now rich, and, feeling betrayed, tries to blackmail him. After confessing to his wife, now enjoying her rich lifestyle, Tim agrees to pay J-Man; however, J-Man ups his demands and asks to be Tim's partner. Tim accidentally shoots him in the back with an arrow and J-Man, believing that Tim has tried to kill him, backs down in fear.

Tim eventually confesses all to Nick who forgives him for his jealousy and agrees to continue with the partnership; however, at a press conference for Natalie's electoral campaign (where she promises to withdraw her candidacy if it is proven Vapoorize is harmful to the environment in any way), Corky's body is seen floating down the nearby river. The animal's post-mortem reveals that the horse was not killed by the arrow as previously thought but actually poisoned by a by-product of Vapoorize, used by Tim to treat his garden after Corky came to eat the apples from his tree. The veterinarian informs the pair that she is obliged to notify the Environmental Protection Agency, and Vapoorize is immediately pulled from the market. Nick and Tim almost lose all their wealth and glory, until Tim comes up with an invention of his own: Pocket Flan, inspired by Nick's family's love for the dessert. J-Man is shown in the audience of Tim and Nick's infomercial for Pocket Flan, apparently reconciled.

Cast

Reception

Envy received generally negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 8% based on 118 reviews with an average rating of 3.11/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Jack Black and Ben Stiller fail to wring laughs from a script that's essentially one extended poop joke." [4] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 31 out of 100 based on 30 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [5] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "D" on an A+ to F scale. [6]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2 out of 4 stars. He said "the movie is funny, yes, but not really funny enough." [7] Variety 's Robert Koehler wrote that the film "can't decide whether to be an eccentric black comedy or a middle-of-the-road diversion" and "Levinson's desire to provoke extreme laughs isn't matched by a strategy of how to get to the edge -- especially when the edge is some distance from his trusty Baltimore storytelling roots." [8]

Stella Papamichael of BBC said that "Envy is all about flogging a dead horse", [9] while Nick Schager of Slant Magazine stated regarding a scene in a film: "[a] canary-yellow Lamborghini's license plate reads "Caca King" in Envy, nicely summing up this dreadful money-versus-friendship comedy". [10]

According to Time Out "Had School of Rock not made Jack Black so bankable, this comedy would surely have gone straight to video – which is where it belongs". [11]

The film was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Actor (Stiller), but lost to Fahrenheit 9/11 (George W. Bush).

Related Research Articles

<i>The Bank Dick</i> 1940 American comedy film starring W. C. Fields

The Bank Dick, released as The Bank Detective in the United Kingdom, is a 1940 American comedy film starring W. C. Fields. Set in Lompoc, California, Fields plays Egbert Sousé, a drunk who accidentally thwarts a bank robbery and ends up a bank security guard as a result.

<i>Six Degrees of Separation</i> (play) 1990 play by John Guare

Six Degrees of Separation is a play written by American playwright John Guare that premiered in 1990. The play was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and the Tony Award for Best Play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny DeVito</span> American actor, director, and producer (born 1944)

Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. is an American actor, director, and producer. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series Taxi (1978–1983), which won him a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award. He plays Frank Reynolds on the FX and FXX sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2006–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Walken</span> American actor (born 1943)

Christopher Walken is an American actor. Prolific in film, dance, television, and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades. He has earned an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards. His films have grossed more than $1.6 billion in the United States alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Levinson</span> American filmmaker

Barry Lee Levinson is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. His best-known works are mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as Diner (1982), The Natural (1984), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Bugsy (1991), and Wag the Dog (1997). Levinson won the Academy Award for Best Director for Rain Man (1988). In 2021, he co-executive produced the Hulu miniseries Dopesick and directed the first two episodes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Black</span> American actor and musician (born 1969)

Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for roles in family and comedy films, in addition to his voice work in animated films. His accolades include an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and nominations for three Golden Globe Awards.

<i>Bedazzled</i> (1967 film) 1967 film by Stanley Donen

Bedazzled is a 1967 British comedy DeLuxe Color film directed and produced by Stanley Donen in Panavision format. It was written by comedian Peter Cook and starred both Cook and his comedy partner Dudley Moore. It is a comic retelling of the Faust legend, set in the Swinging London of the 1960s. The Devil (Cook) offers an unhappy young man (Moore) seven wishes in return for his soul, but twists the spirit of the wishes to frustrate the man's hopes.

<i>Bob Roberts</i> 1992 film by Tim Robbins

Bob Roberts is a 1992 American satirical mockumentary film written, directed by, and starring Tim Robbins. It depicts the rise of Robert "Bob" Roberts Jr., a right-wing politician who is a candidate for an upcoming United States Senate election. Roberts is well financed, due mainly to past business dealings, and is well known for his folk music, which presents conservative ideas with gusto.

<i>Car Wash</i> (film) 1976 American comedy film by Michael Schultz

Car Wash is a 1976 American comedy film released by Universal Pictures. Directed by Michael Schultz from a screenplay by Joel Schumacher, the film stars Franklyn Ajaye, Bill Duke, George Carlin, Irwin Corey, Ivan Dixon, Antonio Fargas, Jack Kehoe, Clarence Muse, Lorraine Gary, The Pointer Sisters, Richard Pryor, and Garrett Morris. Originally conceived as a musical, Car Wash is an episodic comedy about a day in the lives of a close-knit group of employees at a Los Angeles, California car wash and their boss, Leon "Mr. B" Barrow.

<i>Son of the Mask</i> 2005 film by Lawrence Guterman

Son of the Mask is a 2005 comedy film directed by Lawrence Guterman. A stand-alone sequel to the 1994 movie The Mask (1994), it is the second installment in The Mask franchise, an adaptation of the comic book series of the same name by Dark Horse Comics. The film stars Jamie Kennedy as Tim Avery, an aspiring animator whose child is born with the powers of the Mask. It co-stars Alan Cumming as Loki, whom Odin has ordered to find the Mask, alongside Traylor Howard, Kal Penn, Steven Wright, Bob Hoskins as Odin, and Ryan and Liam Falconer as Tim's baby Alvey. Ben Stein cameos as Doctor Arthur Neuman from the original film. The film was a critical and financial failure upon release, grossing $59.9 million against its $84–100 million budget.

<i>Problem Child 3: Junior in Love</i> 1995 television film directed by Greg Beeman

Problem Child 3: Junior in Love is a 1995 American television film directed by Greg Beeman and written by Michael Hitchcock. It is the third and final installment of the Problem Child trilogy created by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. The film premiered on NBC on May 13, 1995. It is the only film in the series not to receive a theatrical release.

"Whoever Did This" is the 48th episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the ninth of the show's fourth season. Written by Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess, and directed by Tim Van Patten, it originally aired on November 10, 2002.

<i>My Bosss Daughter</i> 2003 film by David Zucker

My Boss's Daughter is a 2003 American comedy film directed by David Zucker. It stars Ashton Kutcher, Tara Reid and Terence Stamp. The film revolves around a man housesitting for his boss and getting into various hijinks with the people who come over to his place. My Boss's Daughter received overwhelmingly negative reviews from critics and was a box office flop, grossing $18 million worldwide against a production budget of $14 million.

<i>Man of the Year</i> (2006 film) 2006 American film

Man of the Year is a 2006 American political satire film written and directed by Barry Levinson, produced by James G. Robinson, and starring Robin Williams. The film also features Christopher Walken, Laura Linney, Lewis Black, and Jeff Goldblum. In the film Williams portrays Tom Dobbs, the host of a comedy/political talk show, based loosely on the real-life persona of Jon Stewart. With an offhand remark, he prompts four million people to e-mail their support; then he decides to campaign for President. The film was released theatrically on October 13, 2006, and was filmed in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, and in parts of Washington, D.C. Man of the Year received mostly negative reviews and earned $41.2 million on a $20 million budget.

<i>From Within</i> (film) 2008 American film

From Within is a horror film directed by Phedon Papamichael Jr. and written by Brad Keene. Filming took place in Maryland in fall 2007. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April–May 2008.

<i>Six Degrees of Separation</i> (film) 1993 film by Fred Schepisi

Six Degrees of Separation is a 1993 American comedy-drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Fred Schepisi, adapted from John Guare's Pulitzer Prize-nominated 1990 play of the same name.

<i>The Longshot</i> 1986 American film

The Longshot is a 1986 American comedy film directed by Paul Bartel and starring Tim Conway.

<i>30 Minutes or Less</i> 2011 film by Ruben Fleischer

30 Minutes or Less is a 2011 American action comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari, Nick Swardson, Michael Peña, and Fred Ward. The story follows a pizza delivery boy who is strapped with a bomb and forced to, with the help of his friend, rob a bank in exchange for disarming it. Stuart Cornfeld, Ben Stiller, and Jeremy Kramer produced the film.

Racing Luck is a 1948 American comedy romance sport film directed by William Berke and starring Gloria Henry.

<i>The Wrong Missy</i> 2020 film by Tyler Spindel

The Wrong Missy is a 2020 American romantic black comedy film directed by Tyler Spindel which was produced by Happy Madison Productions. With a screenplay by Chris Pappas and Kevin Barnett, the film stars David Spade as a recently single businessman who accidentally invites a woman with whom he had a horrible first date to a corporate retreat after a case of mistaken identity.

References

  1. ↑ "Envy (2004)". British Film Institute . Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Envy (2004)". The Numbers . Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Envy (2004)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Envy (2004)". Rotten Tomatoes . Flixster . Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Envy Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  6. ↑ "CinemaScore". Archived from the original on February 6, 2018.
  7. ↑ Ebert, Roger (April 30, 2004). "Envy movie review & film summary (2004)". Chicago Sun-Times .
  8. ↑ Koehler, Robert (April 30, 2004). "Envy". Variety .
  9. ↑ Papamichael, Stella (September 6, 2004). "Envy (2004)". BBC . Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Film Review: Envy". Slant Magazine . April 29, 2004.
  11. ↑ "Envy". Time Out . Time Out Group.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.