Mumford (1999, Loren Dean, Hope Davis, Jason Lee) – Classic Film Review 1115

Producer-writer-director Lawrence Kasdan‘s pleasant enough 1999 film stars Loren Dean as a man who assumes a false identity as a psychologist called Dr Mickey Mumford and uses his intuitive skills to help the neurotic residents of a small Oregon town in desperate need of a psychologist’s services and his offbeat advice.

It happens that both the psychologist and the town are named Mumford, a weird coincidence that eventually figures in the plot.

Mumford the man befriends billionaire computer mogul Jason Lee and café waitress Alfre Woodard and tries to play matchmaker, while starting to fall for a patient (Hope Davis) who suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome. But then established therapists David Paymer and Jane Adams, whose patients have been deserting them for Mumford, fight back with the help of an attorney (Martin Short) Mumford has dissed, by setting out to reveal any skeletons in Mumford’s closet.

It’s a very interestingly set-up film, with a strong central situation, a well-constructed small Oregon town flavor and atmosphere and some good, quirky characters. But an excellent, rock-solid ensemble cast sometimes rather falters and flounders for laughs and the truth in Kasdan’s inventively unusual but slightly strained comedy drama. It has a warm heart but not enough laughs or entertainment value in its somewhat shaky script. However, amusing moments, the good actors and the film’s nice spirit save it.

Mary McDonnell, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Zooey Deschanel (in her film debut), Martin Short, Dana Ivey, Kevin Tighe, Ted Danson, Jason Ritter and Robert Stack (as himself) co-star.

With a $28million budget, the film unsurprisingly flopped, earning only $4,500,000 in the US. Kasdan’s next movie was Dreamcatcher (2003).

http://derekwinnert.com/dreamcatcher-2003-stephen-king-classic-film-review-919/

(C) Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Film Review 1115 derekwinnert.com