Play the Game

Seen at: Carmike 10 in Fort Collins, at 4:10 pm on Nov. 17

I'd watched helplessly as this small-budget movie came and went from the theaters a few months back without my getting a chance to see it. Then two weeks ago, it crops up out of nowhere in the listings for the Carmike theaters in Fort Collins and Cheyenne. I knew the habits of the Carmike---they book movies like this for a one-week run, so I made a priority to see it right away. My intuition was confirmed when I found myself heading to tiny little auditorium #9 at the neighborhood Carmike, the one in the corner of the building with only 88 seats.

All I knew about this movie going in was that it had a scene with Andy Griffith receiving oral sex. Now I'm an old Andy fan to be sure---I've seen nearly every Matlock---but this foreknowledge didn't really have me running to the theater.

So let me just say right the back that the scene in question actually worked within the context of the story. And you only see him from the neck up.

I just plain liked this movie, overall. It's really the story of a young man (Paul Campbell), stuck in a job as a sleazy car salesman working for his father, who is really looking for love. He meets a young woman (Marla Sokoloff), and, following the dictates of the Postmodern pick-up artist (not to be confused with the Post-Postmodern version) he attempts to woo her through deception and stalking.

That is, he does everything to meet her and gain her interest except telling her about his interest in her directly. Being up front is the last thing he would ever do.

All this plays out in the context of a relationship between the young man and his grandfather (Griffith), who is in a retirement home, and is still mourning the loss of his wife. The story between the two of them is based on reciprocal teaching---the old man tries to tell his grandson about being direct with a woman, and the pleasures of long-term companionship (the old Classical way), while the grandson helps the grandfather overcome his grief and learn to be spontaneous without worrying too much about replacing his wife as a companion.

The stories work very well together. As such, the grandfather learns to loosen up (hence the scene in question) while the young man wins the young women, while only partially following his grandfather's advice. Indeed, through much effort he finally does meet her, gains her interest, and gets her to fall in love with him---all the while playing his deceptive game. But of course, at the critical moment she revolts against his insincerity and leaves him broken hearted.

Such are the wages of the efforts of the Postmodern Boy-man trying to use femininte wiles to win the woman. It only works up to a point.

Did I say feminine wiles? Yes, this movie has a wonderful Classical twist at the end, one that endorses the old double standard that whereas men must be direct and up front about their desire, women can (and perhaps should) be indirect and even downright deceptive in the courtship game.

The Postmodern Boy-man complains about this supposed double standard. The Classical man accepts and embraces it as part of the order of the universe. As you might guess, I really had a smile on my face as I left the Carmike.

Verdict: Charming and fun