Every now and then we read a plot of a film in development and can’t decide whether it sounds good, bad, or so ugly that someone will never work again. That’s when we’ll present the pitch to you — in our spankin’ new category "Dude, THAT’S your plot?" — and let your votes decide for us. Today’s film: Nailed, a romantic comedy from director David O. Russell (I Heart Huckabees).
According to The Hollywood Reporter, James Marsden, Catherine Keener, and Tracy Morgan are in final negotiations to join the cast, which already includes Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Biel. So far so good, right? But wait: "Marsden will play the small-town boyfriend of Biel’s characterAlice, a naive waitress who gets a nail shot into her head, causingerratic and outrageous behavior. She heads to Washington to fightfor better health care and ends up falling for a clueless newcongressman (Gyllenhaal) who must summon the political courage tosave her.Keener will play a self-serving Congresswoman. The filmmakers arefinalizing details on Morgan’s character, who will likely be aninjured compatriot of Alice’s who has given up on love."
Different? Definitely. But in a good, bad, or so ugly way?
this is going to be another movie about how much our country sucks in one way or another. in this case, it’s healthcare. i hate these preachy, messagey movies. enough w/ how much hollywood hates bush & the war (not that i love it or him but enough!). the movie will obviously be made & people will see it but i predict it will go the way of Lions for Lambs. enough w/ the preachy boring movies!
I’m just excited by the prospect of another David O. Russell freak-out landing on YouTube – this time, I’d guess, with Tracy Morgan bearing the brunt of the director’s demented rage.
Definitely different in a good way! David O’ Russell will put a wonderful sensibility to the finished product. If it was some cookie-cutter director, I would be very leery of it, but since it is O’Russel it should be quirky in a loveable way. I am definitely looking forward to this one!
All I know is that I can’t wait for the inevitable leaked footage of Russell cursing Catherine Keener out on set or reports about him getting into a fistfight with Marsden after Marsden stood up for some extras that Russell was berating.
He’s a very talented writer-director, but I wish he weren’t such a d-bag.
That being said, as is the case with “The Tourist” (I refuse to call it by that ubergeneric title “Deception”), the cast mostly has me sold…though jr is right in that this movie DEFINITELY has potential to be tiresome.
This post is eight days early, right?
I’m torn on this one. The premise sounds so loopy, it could actually be great, especially with David O. Russell at the helm (although I’m with Ceballos on his status as a d-bag).
Not different at all in that it sounds exactly like the plot of A Dirty Shame, which was made 4 years ago.
I think it has potential to be good. I suppose it just depends on how clever the script is & what kind of vibe the director gives it.
it’s a modern day retelling of phinneas gage! my psych 101 professor is smiling somewhere…
Yes, Phineas Gage! I knew this sounded familiar. I also hope that it isn’t really supposed to be a “message movie” about healthcare. Although I completely agree that the healthcare in this situation is terrible, a romantic comedy is really not the place to preach about it…
I am shocked anyone wants to work with David O Russell considering how he verbally abuses his cast. He must be giving Jessica Biel a hard time, considering she isnt the most talented of actresses…
I agree with Raven; a simple plot description isn’t enough. really depends on so many other factors and nuances.
I’m definitely sick of message movies that end with a rally around someone giving a moving speech, and this is what seems likely to happen from the description. But if it’s funny and doesn’t take itself seriously, it has potential, especially with this cast.
As far as I’m concerned, if the cast contains Jessica Biel, the movie is guaranteed to be a stinker.
DC movies never do well so I’d argue this is bad. The distinguished gentleman was the only send up of Congress that even came close. The Contender was so unlike the real DC that they even shot the “Congress” scenes in Richmond, Virginia!
I’ll be the first to say I want to see a movie made about Congress that can show us Congress the way that Goodfellas let us know about the mob. The only way they’ll stretch any truths about DC if this is made into a movie is that they’ll need to add a love element, and finding love in DC while working on the Hill is very much fiction.
Truth is that most of us “insiders” are too freaked out about ending up in Roll Call’s “heard on the hill” to give any real insights, so you end up with idealistic schlock that totally fails to hit the target.