Marci X ** (2003, Lisa Kudrow, Damon Wayans, Richard Benjamin, Christine Baranski) – Classic Movie Review 7668

‘Hip Hop Meets Shop Till You Drop.’ Director Richard Benjamin’s 2003 music comedy Marci X stars Lisa Kudrow as Jewish-American woman Marci Feld, who falls for controversial rapper Dr S (Damon Wayans), but the provocative lyrics of his songs are jeopardising her dad Ben (Richard Benjamin)’s record company.

Conservative senator Mary Ellen Spinkle Marci (Christine Baranski) attacks Ben in the media over the lyrics of Dr S’s rap song ‘Shoot Ya’ Teacha’, released on Ben’s hip-hop record label. When Ben has a heart attack, Marci is forced to take control of the record label and tries to rein in the rapper.

Kudrow and Wayans try hard, but this is a would-be hard-hitting comedy that just plays clumsy.

The satirical script by Paul Rudnick, the Author of Jeffrey, In & Out, Isn’t She Great and The Stepford Wives, has some funny lines and amusing moments, but overall it is not remotely sharp or witty enough.

Also in the cast are Paula Garcés, Jane Krakowski, Charles Kimbrough, Veanne Cox, Sherie Rene Scott, Ganno Grills, Nashawn Kearse, Myron Primes, Billy Griffith, Andrew Keenan Bolger, Gerry Becker, Bruce Altman, Walter Bobbie, Henry Strozier, Mustafa Shakir, Dell Maara, Lordikim, Brice McMillon and Matthew Morrison.

Marci X is directed by Richard Benjamin, runs 80 minutes, is made by Paramount Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions, Munich Film Partners New Century & Company (MFP) and HAM Productions, is released by Paramount and UIP, is written by Paul Rudnick, is shot by Robbie Greenberg, is produced by Scott Rudin, is scored by Mervyn Warren, and is designed by Thérèse DePrez.

Chris Rock turned down the part of Dr S but turned it down: ‘It’s the worst script I’ve ever gotten. I’d have been happier getting an envelope full of anthrax.’ The film cost $20,000,000 and grossed $1,646,000 at the US box office. It currently has an impressively low 2.8 rating on the IMDb. It a much unloved movie.

By 2018, it Benjamin’s the most recent feature film.

Matthew Morrison and Christine Baranski both star in TV’s The Good Wife. Morrison recalls: ‘I actually did a movie with her back in the day and I brought it up to her and she almost died laughing because I think it was the worst movie we’ve both ever been a part of. It was called Marci X with Lisa Kudrow and Damon Wayans. We got a good kick out of that one.’

Years before Morrison was Mr Shuester in Glee, he was singing in a gay boy band in Marci X. Morrison recalls: ‘It was the gayest thing I’ve ever done in my life, literally. I was in a gay boy band in the movie called Boys R Us.’ Adam Fleming, Matthew Morrison, Manley Pope and Michael Seelbach play the members of Boys R Us.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7668

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