DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| * (out of 5 stars) STARRING Ashton Kutcher as TOM STANSFIELD Tara Reid as LISA TAYLOR Terence Stamp as JACK TAYLOR Carmen Electra as TINA Molly Shannon as AUDREY BENNETT Rated R Studio: Dimension Films Directed by: David Zucker Back to DVD Review Home |
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The DVD release of “My Boss’s Daughter” is an R-rated cut of the film. It is clearly marked on the cover box as “R RATED! The Version You Didn’t See In Theaters!” Arguably, the PG-13 version is also one that you didn’t see in theaters, since no one saw this movie in the theaters. Still, the R rating teases us into thinking that maybe we’ll see a sexy, edgier movie. Well, if you consider a gratuitous shot of Terence Stamp’s naked rear sexy and edgy, then you’ll be pleased. But if you’re like me waiting for a generous scene with Carmen Electra, you’ll be sorely disappointed.
Ashton Kutcher plays Tom, an uptight junior executive who has the hots for Lisa Taylor (Tara Reid), the daughter of his Machiavellian boss Jack (Terence Stamp). Unfortunately for Tom, she thinks he’s gay. Who got punk’d on that one? Through a misunderstanding, Tom is invited to housesit for Jack. Eager to please his boss, secure a promotion and impress Lisa, he agrees. However, the moment Jack leaves on a business trip, things go wrong with wacky visitors, crazy relatives and other uninvited guests.
The film turns into one unfunny gag after another. While these gags all had the potential to be funny, it’s the weakness in the characters that make them almost unbearable. As more and more people show up during Tom’s house-sitting gig, I quickly lost sympathy for him due to his stupid decisions and self inflicted wounds.
“My Boss’s Daughter” actually is filled with really funny people like Molly Shannon, David Foley, Jeffrey Tambour, David Koechner and Andy Richter. Add to the fact that the director is ZAZ alum David Zucker, who gave us such funny films as “Airplane” and the “Scary Movie” series, and you might think you’re in for a treat. However, after watching the film, I now know what Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep fans thought when they finished watching “Heartburn.”
The problem at the core of this film is Ashton Kutcher, who also acts as producer (a warning sign if there is any). While he can play a good slacker or pot-head in films like “Dude, Where’s My Car” and even the somewhat decent “Just Married,” his attempt at the straight-man comedy blows up all around him. Even his physical comedy, which is usually pretty decent, falls apart in this film.
Tara Reid doesn’t make things any better. But what can you expect from an actress who peaked playing the promiscuous brat Bunny Lebowski in “The Big Lebowski”? With a resume that includes such recent flops as “Josie and the Pussycats” and “National Lampoon’s Van Wilder,” Tara Reid is well on her way to the throne from Jennifer Aniston, the reigning queen of box office poison.
Sadly, the most embarrassing performance of the year goes to Terence Stamp, who normally brings dignity and poise to anything he touches. Unfortunately, his existence in this film proves that even great actors need to make a living.
Noticeably absent from this DVD is a commentary track, which is really a shame because it could have been the only chance for redemption. Some directors, like James Cameron, shy away from commentaries. Others, like David Fincher, so love to hear themselves speak that they’ll appear on multiple commentaries on the same DVD. It’s too bad David Zucker didn’t take this opportunity to eat crow and talk about what went wrong. Sometimes, these train wreck movies make the most entertaining commentaries, such as Danny DeVito’s melancholy thoughts on his bomb “Death to Schmoochy” or the commentary for “Crow 3: Salvation” in which the filmmakers pat themselves on the backs, oblivious to the fact that their film stunk.
What you’re left with is a fluffy behind-the-scenes documentary, in which the filmmakers talk about how funny the movie is going to be. The outtakes aren’t bad, and the funniest one has Ashton Kutcher riffing about Terence Stamp. (It’s a shame this is Kutcher’s funniest moment on the whole DVD.)
A gem in the special features, which is unintentionally funny, is Tara Reid’s audition. While Kutcher goes on in the behind-the-scenes about how perfect Reid was, her audition is like watching an accident on the highway. Her raw, unrehearsed performance is uncomfortable to watch and achingly bad, but you just can’t pull your eyes from it.
There is an interesting easter egg that tells the story of how Zucker convinced the studio to pay for an additional day of shooting by showing them a home video rough scene. However, while the scene is mildly funny and probably improved the film, it didn’t make up for the slippery slope it was already on.
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (1.85:1), enhance for 16x9 televisions. French language track; Spanish subtitles; English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.
