MOVIE INFORMATION

With 10 as a must-see, Jack gives this film a: Stars: Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, Chazz Palminteri, Robin Wright Penn, Anna Paquin and Meg Ryan Director: Anthony Drazan Rated: R, strong profanity, violence and sex Length: 105 minutes

ROCHESTERCRITIQUE

Having seen this film, how would you rate it? 10 5 9 4 8 3 7 2 6 1

By Jack Garner
Democrat and Chronicle

(Jan. 15, 1998) -- Despite a formidable reputation as an Off-Broadway play, David Rabe's Hurlyburly disappoints on the big screen.

Could it be that this icon of 1980s theater is already out of date? That seems to be the case as Anthony Drazan's film version sloshes through the selfish, drug-fueled antics of a gang of refugees from the Me Generation.

These self-absorbed guys aren't just unappealing; they're also uninteresting.

And since they're played by such notable actors as Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey and Chazz Palminteri, that's a real surprise.

Penn is Eddie, a disgruntled, drug-addled Hollywood casting agent and the central focus of the film.

When he's not snorting lines of coke, Eddie frets about his failed love life, spars with Mickey, his cynical, wise-guy housemate, and bemoans the lack of substance in today's Hollywood.

His other friends include Artie, a conniving would-be Hollywood player (Garry Shandling) and Phil, a brutish would-be actor (Palminteri).

Mickey is especially confused by Eddie's affection for Phil, since the guy's a near-psychotic loose cannon with the social skills of a slug.

The women in these men's lives are little more than pawns in their macho games.

Robin Wright Penn is Darlene, Eddie's on-again, off-again girlfriend who's also slept with Mickey. Donna (Anna Paquin) is an underage runaway, brought to the house by Artie as a "gift" for the boys.

And Bonnie (Meg Ryan) is an exotic dancer who is probably the second most generous woman in the nation when it comes to providing oral sex. Her reward? Getting thrown from a moving car by Phil.

No wonder the women in Rabe's play stirred controversy when Hurlyburly opened Off-Broadway.

The uniformly excellent cast brings considerable energy and sass to these portrayals, but to no avail.

I just don't give a hoot about any of the characters, or understand what I'm supposed to be learning from this narcissistic exercise in belly-button lint removal.

"I think I'm going to need a magnifying class to find what's left of your good points," Bonnie tells Eddie.

I know what she means.