Movies
In Spite of My Daddy Issues - Hamlet 2 Movie Review
Why is it always about daddy? There are so many stories in movies, books, and TV that focus on characters’ bad, or non-existent, relationships with their fathers. From Jenny in Forrest Gump to Clark Kent in Superman Returns and TV’s Smallville, the love of the father is of extreme importance, frequently determining the destiny of a character, whether it be toward hero or villain.
Growing up without a father in the home [cue: “After-School Special” music], I can personally attest to the effects a father’s absence has. Whether or not I’m a hero or villain has yet to be determined; I suppose I’m somewhere in between (ha!). Seriously though, there are numerous sources that link to youth suicide, high school dropouts, poverty, teen pregnancy, and criminal behavior with the absence of a father in the home. The media, it seems, only reflects society when it comes to father issues.
I wish I could say HAMLET 2 deals with daddy problems in a serious, purposeful manner, but, as you can tell from the movie trailers, the movie is an absurdist comedy. It’s a hilarious, offensive, and almost inspiring film that says, “Sure, I have problems with my father, but it’s okay, I can laugh at it, and still do something with my life”. Perhaps this is why I enjoyed watching this movie, in spite of its ridiculous situations and its Christianity-mocking jokes?
In the apparently boring town of Tucson, Arizona, the volunteer high school drama teacher and former (terrible) commercial actor, Dana Marschz, is an optimistic neurotic in spite of his admitted lack of talent and failing department. The school is cutting the drama department because of budget issues and also because Dana tends to produce horrible stage renditions of popular films like Erin Brokovich (just imagine the humorous possibilities). A local theatre critic, after lambasting Dana’s latest production, suggests that Dana try and produce his own material.
Dana (wonderfully portrayed by Steve Coogan), in fact, had been working on a personal piece, called HAMLET 2, for years that deals with unresolved issues he has with his father. Dana’s positive-against-all-odds nature compells him to finish the ‘what if’ sequel to William Shakespeare’s original “Hamlet” because he never understood why everyone had to die in it. Using a time machine as a cheesy plot device, Dana’s HAMLET 2 is his response to that downer, a testament to the occasional thought in all of us about ‘what could have been’ or ‘what should have been’.
However, we only see and hear snippets of what’s in the play’s script, and they’re usually absurd and offensive scenes involving Christianity and sexuality. This of course, leads to opposition from the high school principal, the school board, and the drama students’ parents. And part of the running joke in the movie is Dana’s justification for the scenes, which are as equally absurd as the scenes themselves, but seem to make sense in a strange way, relating to his own life-struggles.
That’s when he’s stuck with a motley crowd of ‘troubled’ kids after an asbestos problem at the school forces certain electives to be cancelled, herding the students into the empty drama class. At first, it seemed easy to dismiss HAMLET 2 as a parody of ‘inspiring teacher’ movies, but the movie only hints at these kinds of movies mainly as a joke, because as we can see, this teacher has problems far greater than those of his students.
Steve Coogan, who coincidentally plays a frustrated director in another actor-spoofing film, Tropic Thunder, is brilliant as the lovable loser desperate to finish his magnum opus, despite his failing marriage and career. Coogan’s nuanced performance captures the broad, over-dramatic cheese one can find in a high school theatre teacher, while portraying a passion to pass on the love of acting to the next generation. He finds the real, funny, and painful moments in his character’s life. He also has a knack for big physical comedy, which I admit can be very funny, but makes some of the film feel a bit juvenile. Watching people fall and get bonked in the head is definitely not considered high-brow humor, but the clever story elements and dialogue give balance to what could be a really stupid movie.
The movie also hints at the idea of having artistic integrity in the face of fascist oppression, but that blurs into parody since it’s obvious that the play is not of high artistic value, even though it has a lot of profound meaning to writer-director Dana. Instead, this often irreverent movie elevates the characteristics of dedication, determination and perseverance. The drama students transcend their stereotypes into a band of hard-working amateurs putting on the show of their lives – a play even bigger than the sleepy town of Tucson.
Understand that the situation and songs of the play within the movie include some very vulgar and offensive content. Topics like rape and sexuality are explored mainly through dialogue, but the big controversy is probably the almost-blasphemous portrayal of Jesus Christ in the play – as a time-travelling, cell phone user with a surfer bod. Apparently, Dana felt it was necessary to include Him in his play because of the supposed Father-Son issues needing resolution. No doubt the songs, including an infectiously catchy tune to which Jesus enters the scene (“Rock Me, Sexy Jesus!”) will offend moviegoers with a moral sensibility. And now recalling certain moments in the film, I find myself smiling in disbelief at the humor infused amidst the mockery. Oh boy, it’s bad.
But there’s something very non-risky about mocking Christianity, it’s Book (the Bible), or it’s central figure, Jesus Christ who once said, “turn the other cheek” if an evil person were to strike you. The common mockery makes it very safe for storytellers in the media to tell their supposedly edgy, pushing-the-envelope stories. I have a sense that God is not offended by these puny mortals who parade around acting as if God is distracted by their ostentatious display of disrespect. But should there be a limit to tolerating religious mockery?
Before I digress, let me conclude by saying that passed the goofy exterior, through the joking about daddy-issues and taboo topics, HAMLET 2 is a manifestation of the wish to go back in time and change things; to erase past mistakes and undo the tragedy into which our lives might’ve unfolded, to restore the shattered dreams, to say sorry when we were silent, to ask forgiveness, and to forgive.
You may not come to the same conclusion, but you might agree that HAMLET 2 is a raucous, hilarious, offensive, and inspiring feat that will have you jumping in the aisles, rockin’ for Jesus! Okay, maybe not that last part; excuse me, I was practicing my Peter Travers-esque quote-whoring.
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