Domestic Disturbance ** (2001, John Travolta, Vince Vaughn, Steve Buscemi, Teri Polo) – Classic Movie Review 1511

It’s dad (John Travolta) to the rescue when a 12-year-old boy (Matt O’Leary)’s mom (Teri Polo) remarries and the kid is terrified by the stepfather-from-hell (Vince Vaughn). All too soon it turns out the Vaughn character’s a crook, and his sweaty old partner (Steve Buscemi) turns up like a spectre at the feast for his wedding.

Director Harold Becker’s relentlessly ordinary 2001 B-movie type of thriller is entirely watchable and reasonably well crafted, but it just never truly sparks up, goes anywhere particularly, or has any real conviction or a decent climax. With Lewis Colick’s screenplay three sub-plots short of a movie and the acting not very special at all, something much posher must have been intended than this mediocre thriller. It is just the kind of film that sent Travolta’s career in a downward spiral the first time around in the 80s.

A creepy Vaughn overacts impressively, and so of course does Buscemi, while a cool Travolta keeps his dignity by underplaying. But, together, they do help to keep the movie watchable. Weirdly and refreshingly, there are no guns in a movie that seems destined for a shootout!

Colick based the screenplay on his own story, written with William S. Comanor and Gary Drucker. You’d think with three of them on this job they’ve have come up with at least more story, if not a better one.

Becker seems to have lost his touch since the glory days of Taps, Sea of Love, Malice and City Hall. It’s his last movie to date by 2014.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1511

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com/