Larger than Life (film)

Last updated
Larger Than Life
Larger than life poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Howard Franklin
Written by Pen Densham
Garry Williams
Roy Blount Jr.
Produced byPen Densham
Richard Barton Lewis
John Watson
Starring
Cinematography Elliot Davis
Edited bySidney Levin
Music by Miles Goodman
Production
company
Distributed by MGM Distribution Co.
Release date
  • November 1, 1996 (1996-11-01)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30 million
Box office$8.3 million

Larger Than Life is a 1996 American road comedy film starring Bill Murray, and directed by Howard Franklin. It was produced and co-written by Pen Densham. The film was financially and critically unsuccessful.

Contents

Plot

The film opens at a convention of recliner salesmen, where Jack Corcoran (Bill Murray) gives a motivational speech based on his book Get Over It. Jack shares the example of his father dying before he was born as a difficult circumstance that must be overcome to succeed. At Jack's engagement party, his agent Walter (Jeremy Piven) updates him on all of his upcoming speaking engagements, and the pair hope that one of the engagements is high profile enough to lead to an infomercial.

As the party winds down, Jack reads telegrams from well wishers. One of the telegrams is from an attorney in Baltimore about the large estate of his recently deceased father Kirby. Jack's mother shortly admits that she lied about his father passing away when he was born. In truth, she left him because she felt he would be a bad example for Jack.

The attorney in Baltimore shows Jack a contract which mentions $35,000. Thinking this is the size of his father's estate, Jack signs the contract. In fact, it is the amount of property damage that the attorney has suffered because of Vera, Kirby's elephant. Vera and Kirby were a traveling circus act, and she is a highly trained elephant. Kirby left a note for Jack that instructed him to call "Blockhead" in Kansas City if there are any problems with Vera. Jack contacts Mo (Janeane Garofalo) at the San Diego Zoo, who happens to be transporting a herd of elephants to Sri Lanka in a few days. She helps Jack ascertain that Vera is a breeding age female, and she agrees to pay $30,000 for the elephant.

Jack and Vera board a train bound for San Diego, but the conductor (Keith David) insists on a bribe. Jack's $600 only gets them as far as Kansas City, where he looks up Blockhead, who is an old circus buddy of Kirby's. Blockhead shows Jack the extent of Vera's training, including a photo of Vera standing on her hind legs, which was a trick that she would only do for Kirby. He puts Jack onto an animal trainer in Los Angeles named Terry Bonura (Linda Fiorentino) who works in show business. Terry offers Jack $40,000 for Vera. So, he and Blockhead attempt to drive to L.A., but his truck breaks down. Jack rents a semi-truck and continues on his own. With no experience driving a big rig, Jack blows out the transmission.

Stuck at a truck stop, he encounters Tip Tucker (Matthew McConaughey) who is a fast-talking, deeply paranoid trucker bound for L.A. Jack slips outside to call Tip's mobile phone, and he tricks Tip into thinking his load has been canceled. Tip agrees to take Jack and Vera to L.A. instead. Along the way, Tip makes a phone call and realizes he has been tricked by Jack. He attacks Jack with a tire iron, but Vera intervenes and saves Jack from a beating. Tip drives off threatening to come back with the police.

Jack and Vera walk into New Mexico to evade Tip. They stumble into a monsoon that is threatening to tear apart a village church. As the villagers struggle to hold the walls up, Vera intervenes, holding the wall up with her head. The wall still threatens to collapse, and Jack gets her to stand on her hind legs to brace the wall for good. The villagers help Jack and Vera board a train that will finally take them to L.A.

As he is about to sign the contract to sell Vera to Terry, Jack realizes that she subjects her animals to a grueling workload, and he witnesses one of Terry's trainers abusing another elephant with an electric goad. He steals one of Terry's trucks and drives to San Diego. Tip found Terry's business card in the cab of his truck, and he arrives just as Jack leaves.

At the San Diego airport, Mo is loading her elephants onto a C-5 Galaxy cargo plane. The tarmac security guard will not let Jack and Vera in because they are not on the manifest. Jack pulls the truck into the passenger drop-off in front of the airport and races through the terminal with Vera. At gate security, Tip finally catches up to them, waving Terry's electric goad. Jack convinces the security guards that Tip is more of a threat than Vera, and they deal with Tip while Jack and Vera catch up to Mo on the tarmac.

Mo explains that she has spent her entire budget and has no money for Vera. Jack confesses to Mo that he will miss Vera, but he knows she would be better off with other elephants. The film ends with a series of captions that indicate Jack left his fiancee for Mo, and the couple witnessed the birth of Vera's first calf in Sri Lanka together. Jack's ex-fiancee married his agent and Jack's mother ran their life. Tip Tucker also managed to get away and is still roaming the roads of America. The captions conclude by saying that Get Over It never made it to a 2nd printing, but Jack's memoir of his cross-country trip with Vera was a runaway besteller.

Cast

Production

Parts of the film were shot in Professor Valley and Green River City in Utah. [1]

Reception

Box office

The film's opening weekend was $3,799,504, and it had a domestic gross of $8,315,693.[ citation needed ]

The film opened against six other wide releases, including Romeo + Juliet and Dear God . Family features Space Jam and Jingle All the Way were released two and three weeks later. Incidentally Bill Murray also appeared uncredited in Space Jam which proved to be much more successful at the box office.

Critical response

Critics generally responded with negative reviews, Stephen Holden of The New York Times called the vision of the film a mis-fire: "The very idea conjures up visions of classic sight gags in which man and beast fail to communicate, or worse, fail to get along. Think of elegant circus tricks executed in the wrong place at precisely the wrong time. Think of an elephantine stubbornness that makes the most recalcitrant donkey look like an obedient eager beaver. Think of a rampage in a supermarket or a spontaneous grand entrance at a chi-chi social event, and you can begin to see the possibilities". [2]

Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "D" rating and Lisa Schwarzbaum wrote poorly of the script and minor characters "is windy, and the occasional laughs are as heavy-footed as the thunking lead pachyderm herself. Furthermore, a couple of its costars are probably wondering what in the Sam Hill they were thinking when they signed on, since they are singularly ill-used." [3]

ReelViews's James Berardinelli awarded the film 2 and a half out of 4 stars. While noting his appreciation of the comedy routines, he was critical of the acting performances: "Murray did his share of ad-libbing here, which is probably a reason why several of the comic sequences work. Since Murray is simply 'being Murray', there isn't a lot of intensive acting going on. As a result, there are long stretches like watching a standup routine shot on location with a very unusual "straight man". [4]

Roger Ebert awarded the film 1 and a half out of 4 stars and was also critical towards Murray's performance: "the energy isn't there. Murray often chooses to play a laid-back, detached character, but this time he's so detached he's almost absent. He chooses to work in a low key, and the other actors, in matching his energy level, make a movie that drones instead of hums". Yet, Ebert enjoyed the comedy's humor: "Murray's portrait of an inspirational speaker is right on target, and filled out with lots of subtle touches of movement and dialog, and there is humor". [5]

Soundtrack

Larger Than Life: Original United Artists Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
Released1996
Genre Soundtrack
Length30:48
Label Milan Records
73138357832

The score for Larger than Life was composed by Miles Goodman, who died two months before the film's release. This was Goodman's penultimate score. [6] [7] [8] [9]

#TitlePerformer(s)Writer(s)Time
1"Life Is a Carnival" The Band Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Levon Helm 3:55
2"Psycho"Jack Kittle Leon Payne 3:13
3"Main Title" Miles Goodman Goodman2:28
4"Salad Bar"Miles GoodmanGoodman1:47
5"Dad's Trunck"Miles GoodmanGoodman2:18
6"Flying Elephant"Miles GoodmanGoodman3:31
7"An Elephant Miracle"Miles GoodmanGoodman2:03
8"Airport Chase"Miles GoodmanGoodman2:59
9"Swimming"Miles GoodmanGoodman2:20
10"The Magnificent Seven Theme" Elmer Bernstein Bernstein2:46
11"The Blue Danube" Johann Strauss Strauss3:05

Additional songs

Related Research Articles

<i>The Marvelous Land of Oz</i> 1904 childrens novel by L. Frank Baum

The Marvelous Land of Oz: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, commonly shortened to The Land of Oz, published in July 1904, is the second book in L. Frank Baum's Oz series, and the sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). This and the following 34 books in the series were illustrated by John R. Neill.

<i>Dead Presidents</i> 1995 film directed by Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes

Dead Presidents is a 1995 American crime film co-written, produced and directed by the Hughes Brothers. The film chronicles the life of Anthony Curtis, focusing on his teenage years as a high school graduate and his experiences during the Vietnam War as a Recon Marine. As he returns to his hometown in The Bronx, Curtis finds himself struggling to support himself and his family, eventually turning to a life of crime.

<i>Ballad of a Soldier</i> 1959 film

Ballad of a Soldier, is a 1959 Soviet film directed by Grigory Chukhray and starring Vladimir Ivashov and Zhanna Prokhorenko. While set during World War II, Ballad of a Soldier is not primarily a war film. It recounts, within the context of the turmoil of war, various kinds of love: the romantic love of a young couple, the committed love of a married couple, and a mother's love of her child, as a Red Army soldier tries to make it home during a leave, meeting several civilians on his way and falling in love. The film was produced at Mosfilm and won several awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best Film From Any Source and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

<i>Oh, Doctor Beeching!</i> British television sitcom

Oh, Doctor Beeching! is a BBC television sitcom, written by David Croft and Richard Spendlove, and produced for the BBC. After a pilot for the programme was broadcast in August 1995, full production was green-lighted, with the sitcom running for two series from 8 July 1996 to 28 September 1997. The series focuses on the lives of the staff who run the fictional station of Hatley on a rural branch line who find themselves looking for the means to keep their station open in the wake of news that Dr. Richard Beeching has promoted plans for the closing of many branch lines and their respective stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mombi</span> Fictional character

Mombi is a fictional character in L. Frank Baum's classic children's series of Oz Books. She is the most significant antagonist in the second Oz book The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904), and is alluded to in other works. Mombi plays a very important role in the fictional history of Oz.

<i>A Tiger Walks</i> 1964 film by Norman Tokar

A Tiger Walks is a 1964 American drama film directed by Norman Tokar and starring Brian Keith and Vera Miles. Based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Ian Niall, it was produced by Walt Disney Productions. It was Indian-born actor Sabu's last film, which was released a few months after his death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vera Duckworth</span> Soap opera character

Veronica "Vera" Duckworth is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by Liz Dawn. Vera is known for her long-standing marriage to Jack Duckworth ; they became one of the best-loved couples in television history. Vera was often shown in a comedic light.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Duckworth</span> Fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street

John "Jack" Duckworth is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Bill Tarmey. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 28 November 1979. Jack was introduced by executive producer Bill Podmore. Tarmey had previously appeared as a background character in many episodes featuring scenes in the Rovers Return, including some occasional speaking lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Duckworth</span> Soap opera character

Terry Duckworth is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Nigel Pivaro. He was introduced as the son of popular characters Jack and Vera Duckworth, making his on-screen debut on 1 August 1983. Terry has three sons: Paul Clayton, Tommy Duckworth, and Brad Armstrong. The character made regular appearances until leaving Weatherfield in 1987 and has made only brief visits in years following. In February 2012, it was announced Pivaro would be returning to Coronation Street and he made his return as Terry on 16 April 2012. Terry departed on 11 May 2012 and this was his last appearance to date.

<i>Ten More Turnips from the Tip</i> 2002 studio album by Ian Dury & the Blockheads

Ten More Turnips from the Tip is the fourth and final studio album by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and Dury's ninth overall. It was compiled and released in 2002, two years after Dury's death in March 2000.

<i>Tip-Toes</i>

Tip-Toes is a musical with a book by Guy Bolton and Fred Thompson, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin. It centers on a vaudeville act composed of Tip-Toes, her brother and her uncle, who try to pass her off as an aristocrat to snare a millionaire husband. Farcical complications ensue involving Tip-Toes' temporary amnesia and a marital infidelity subplot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Blockheads</span> English rock band

The Blockheads are an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Originally fronted by lead singer Ian Dury as Ian Dury and the Blockheads or Ian and the Blockheads, the band has continued to perform since Dury's death in 2000. As of March 2023 members included Chaz Jankel, Nathan King (bass), Mick Gallagher, John Turnbull, John Roberts (drums), and Mike Bennett. There is a rolling line-up of saxophonists that includes Gilad Atzmon, Terry Edwards, Dave Lewis, and from time to time, the original sax player, Davey Payne. Between 2000 and 2022, the band's lead vocalist and main lyricist was Derek Hussey.

<i>Tarzans Hidden Jungle</i> 1955 film by Harold D. Schuster

Tarzan's Hidden Jungle is a 1955 black-and-white film from RKO Pictures directed by Harold D. Schuster and starring Gordon Scott in his first film as Tarzan, taking over the role from Lex Barker, who had in turn followed Johnny Weissmuller in the series. The film about Edgar Rice Burroughs' ape-man also features Vera Miles and Jack Elam. The last of twelve Tarzan pictures released by RKO before the rights returned to MGM and the eighteenth overall film of the Tarzan film series that began with 1932's Tarzan the Ape Man, it was followed by Tarzan and the Lost Safari in 1957.

<i>Vipers</i> (film) American TV series or program

Vipers is a 2008 American television film directed by Bill Corcoran and starring Tara Reid and Jonathan Scarfe. It premiered on the Sci Fi Channel on September 21, 2008, and was released on DVD on September 23, 2008. The name of the film was inspired by the Co/Ed softball team of the same name, playing games in the summer months throughout the Capital Region. It is the 12th film of the Maneater Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Duckworth</span> Soap opera character

Tommy Duckworth is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Darryl Edwards from 1992 to 1997, Joseph Aston in 2000 and Chris Fountain from 2011 to 2013. The character was born on screen during the episode airing on 9 September 1992 and departed in December 1993, before returning for five short stints in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, and 2000. The character returned on a more permanent basis on 28 March 2011. Tommy is the son of Terry and Lisa Duckworth. Since his first appearance in 1992, he had few storylines; but after his return in 2011, he became more of a central character.

<i>Jumpin Jack Flash</i> (film) 1986 spy comedy film directed by Penny Marshall

Jumpin' Jack Flash is a 1986 American spy comedy film starring Whoopi Goldberg. The film was directed by Penny Marshall in her theatrical film directorial debut. The soundtrack has two versions of the song "Jumpin' Jack Flash": the original by the Rolling Stones, and a remake by Aretha Franklin in the end credits. Franklin's version was not on the film's soundtrack album but was released as a single.

Tai was an Asian elephant. She was best known for portraying Bo Tat in the film Operation Dumbo Drop (1995), Vera in Larger than Life (1996), and Rosie in Water for Elephants (2011). Her name was derived from her country of birth, Thailand. Tai was captured in the wild and placed into captivity. She was owned by Gary and Kari Johnson of Have Trunk Will Travel, Inc., a privately funded organization that generates income through elephant rides, shows and events, as well as film and commercial appearances. In 2020, Have Trunk Will Travel was rebranded as The Preserve.

<i>The One and Only Ivan</i> 2012 book by Katherine Applegate

The One and Only Ivan is a 2012 novel written by Katherine Applegate and illustrated by Patricia Castelao. It is about a silverback gorilla named Ivan who lived in a cage at a mall, and is written from Ivan's point of view. In 2013 it was named the winner of the Newbery Medal. It has won several other awards and is currently nominated to several reading lists. It was followed in 2020 by The One and Only Bob, presented from the point of view of Ivan's best friend, the dog Bob. A second sequel, The One and Only Ruby, was published in 2023.

References

  1. D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood Came to Town: A History of Moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton: Gibbs Smith. p. 298. ISBN   978-1-4236-0587-4. Wikidata   Q123575108.
  2. Holden, Stephen (November 1, 1996). "Just a Guy and His Elephant". New York Times . Retrieved 2011-06-29.
  3. Schwarzbaum, Lisa (November 15, 1996). "Larger Than Life". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved 2011-06-29.
  4. Berardinelli, James (1996). "Larger Than Life". ReelViews . Retrieved 2011-06-29.
  5. Ebert, Roger (November 1, 1996). "Larger Than Life". Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved 2011-06-29.
  6. Jablon, Robert (18 August 1996). "MILES GOODMAN, FILM COMPOSER AND JAZZ RECORD PRODUCER, DIES". Associated Press. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  7. Oliver, Myrna (20 August 1996). "Miles Goodman; Record Producer, Film Composer". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  8. "Miles Goodman: Composer". Sarasota Herald-Tribune . 22 August 1996. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  9. "Record producer, composer Miles Goodman dies at 47". The Daily Gazette . 21 August 1996. Retrieved 25 March 2015.