Barry Levinson’s Envy, is one of the future cult movies, believe me. I don’t understand why it is so overrated, but I hope that this will change when people will start to think with their heads, not with the subliminal advertising for Twilight or Wonder Woman.
An obvious example is Envy, by Barry Levinson which has after many years come to a 4.8 out of ten on imdb. Is it maybe because watchers don’t like Jack Black, or, worse, Ben Stiller? I know that Roger Ebert didn’t gulp Ben Stiller for sure, he liked only people whom he used to dine with or were recommended by the studios. Look around, please, and check who dares to badmouth The Avengers! They are heroes, aren’t they? They are what America has better…
Ben Stiller and Jack Black in Envy
[source for all pics: imdb.com]
Envy – Plot
But, fortunately, what America has better is the freedom, the entrepreneurial spirit, the business mind, the potential. This is what Envy represents, this is what Envy is about.
We have here two friends. They are also neighbors and co-workers. One is a good employee, the other is a dreamer. The dreamer has ideas, sometimes funny, sometimes less practical. Doesn’t matter, because one day, the dreamer invites his friend to invest with him in a venture research for an idea he has. The idea seems funny, but it’s very practical. He wants to find a solution to eliminate animal poo from the streets, gardens, kitchens, etc.
Jack Black in Envy
Unfortunately, the worker guy doesn’t even consider. He secretly despises his poor friend, considering him somehow retarded. The “retard” pays a scientist and they start to work together to his invention. In no time, they come up with a product which will sell better than bread. The spray makes poo disappear, so, it is called “VaPOOrize”. The dreamer becomes rich now, he substantially upgrades his house: he built a mansion, bought a white horse, he has a butler, he is happy. He stays in the same neighborhood to be close to his friends.
What happens with the employee friend who was more concerned with his job than investing in a dream? He discovers a new feeling. It is old as the world, but it was new for him. It is the envy, of course.
From now on, you have to watch it. One more thing, a little spoiler: besides these friends and their families, another character appears in this movie, also specific to the American life, a bum.
Envy – The Poster
Cast
Ben Stiller is Tim Dingman, the calculated friend. Jack Black is Nick Vanderpark, the dreamer. Rachel Weisz is Debbie Dingman, Tim’s wife. Amy Poehler is Natalie Vanderpark, Nick’s wife. Christopher Walken is J-Man, a philosopher bum.
Envy was written by Steve Adams and directed by Barry Levinson. Released in 2004, it waited almost two years in the drawer.
Trailer
Final Thoughts
This movie is a jewel, a pearl, as I mentioned in the title. It’s hilarious, it has Christopher Walken in one of his memorable roles, it is extremely watchable. I feel sad that not everybody can see the good where it resides. I have been pissed off by Mr. Ebert because he didn’t praise The Usual Suspects. I was terribly wrong. Maybe there are movies which Roger Ebert didn’t get, maybe he was sometimes tired and he wrote too lightly about some deeper things, but regarding Bryan Singer, I’m afraid he knew more than us at the time. To end this article in a positive note, in all the bunch of top critics who bitched about Envy, Roger Ebert gave it two stars out of four, which is closer to what an “unserious” movie can normally receive if it wasn’t made by Mel Brooks or Charlie Chaplin.
If you liked what you read (and for that I humbly thank you for your patience), subscribe to this blog by Email! Follow this blog on Twitter, and on Facebook! For a joyous day, check out my pins on Pinterest or my grams on Instagram 😄. I hope you like this blog so much that you think it’s time to take a step further by becoming yourself a blogger; in order to do that have the kindness to read the Own Your Website offer I have prepared for you! You won’t regret. Thanks for passing by 😄 Speak your mind, don’t be shy!
