Avoid the butch boss

Callie Khouri's Mad Money (Overture, 1.18) is being sold as a Nine to Five-ish female empowerment larceny comedy. Aging divorcee Diane Keaton, struggling mom Queen Latifah and single whatever-girl Katie Holmes decide to grab some U.S. Treasury money that's about to be burned. A typical start-the-year throwaway programmer...could be fun, might be bad, who knows?


I'd be cool with this as far as it goes (you have to be willing to laugh -- you have to say to yourself "I will laugh if it's funny...I won't scowl or sneer but laugh...if it's funny"), but I've just announced a lifetime decree/commitment to avoid all Queen Latifah movies unless...that's the question. Unless she's in a supporting role (i.e., the film isn't built around her preening movie-star attitude) and subordinate to something other than her sassy African-American butch-boss personality.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on December 7, 2007 at 3:05 PM

comment #1

BurmaShave Author Profile Page says ...

Whoa, butch-boss? Depending on her announcement in the next few days, you might want to clarify or retract that statement.

2 Questions:

1) In 3 years, how has Diane Keaton gone from Oscar nominee on a major comeback to Queen of the Dump Season?

2) Is THELMA & LOUISE's reputation such that it's still a major selling point? I've been under the impression that it was a schizo and childish film that has aged quite poorly.

Posted by BurmaShave Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 3:35 PM

comment #2

malibugigolo Author Profile Page says ...

Laugh?
This doesn't look like once the final credits roll that it would provide in the slightest.... something to talk about.

Posted by malibugigolo Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 3:43 PM

comment #3

actionman Author Profile Page says ...

The trailer was revoltingly bad and the poster is beyond tired.

Posted by actionman Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 3:46 PM

comment #4

George Prager Author Profile Page says ...

It's an Olive Garden enema.

Posted by George Prager Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 3:49 PM

comment #5

ZayTonday Author Profile Page says ...

OOO yay a white-washed cross between Set It Off and Dead Presidents. do not want.

Posted by ZayTonday Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 3:50 PM

comment #6

George Prager Author Profile Page says ...

Whatever happened to Michael Dudikoff?

Posted by George Prager Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 3:58 PM

comment #7

corey3rd Author Profile Page says ...

is there a scene where they dance around a table while listening to Cyndi Lauper's "Money Changes Everything?" Cause that poster screams that scene.

Posted by corey3rd Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 4:05 PM

comment #8

Terry McCarty Author Profile Page says ...

Arcane reference of the day:
I'm having flashbacks to the poster for HOW TO BEAT THE HIGH COST OF LIVING in 1980, except the three leads are fully clothed.

Posted by Terry McCarty Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 4:16 PM

comment #9

Craig Kennedy Author Profile Page says ...

Terry, Exactly. Only this one has 100% less Jessica Lange, hence I'm 100% less interested.

Posted by Craig Kennedy Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 4:22 PM

comment #10

Josh Massey Author Profile Page says ...

What about that Photoshop job? Keaton's head appears to have been sloppily cut out of a Something's Gotta Give still and pasted on their - by a first grader. The head doesn't even fit the body.

Katie Holmes actually looked pretty funny in the trailer, though. Not enough to make me ever see it, but it was a reminder of her one-time appeal.

Posted by Josh Massey Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 4:29 PM

comment #11

Josh Massey Author Profile Page says ...

... on "there." I've had a couple of drinks. Might explain the Holmes love, who knows?

Posted by Josh Massey Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 4:39 PM

comment #12

Craig Kennedy Author Profile Page says ...

Drinks or no drinks, I think we all wish Katie hadn't become a weirdo Josh.

Posted by Craig Kennedy Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 4:49 PM

comment #13

malibugigolo Author Profile Page says ...

Who will give me odds on Charlie Wright's Express Yourself playing as a montage commences at the 55 minute mark of all the ladies shopping with all that money they've stolen and Queen getting a REALLY BIGASS HAT with HUGE BRIM and then they all Jaywalk at once!

Posted by malibugigolo Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 5:24 PM

comment #14

BurmaShave Author Profile Page says ...

And then get hit by a bus. And then I woke up.

Posted by BurmaShave Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 5:30 PM

comment #15

EOTW Author Profile Page says ...

Come on, even I admit it is sad to see how strange Katie has become since she married Cruise. Back in the day, she was primo stroke material Just ask any guy.

Posted by EOTW Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 6:04 PM

comment #16

Walter Sobchak Author Profile Page says ...

If Diane Keaton signed on to play Queen Victoria she'd still wind up wearing that same haircut, same sunglasses and same turtleneck she's been wearing everywhere in everything for the past six years.

Posted by Walter Sobchak Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 6:12 PM

comment #17

jeffmcm Author Profile Page says ...

'primo stroke material'

So that's what happened to the guy in Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

Posted by jeffmcm Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 6:47 PM

comment #18

Craig Kennedy Author Profile Page says ...

I'm a little embarassed to admit Jeff how long it took me to get that joke, but you might be happy to know I laughed when I did.

Posted by Craig Kennedy Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 6:49 PM

comment #19

Luke Y. Thompson Author Profile Page says ...

Depending on her announcement in the next few days, you might want to clarify or retract that statement.

Is she finally coming out in the next few days?

Posted by Luke Y. Thompson Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 8:25 PM

comment #20

Peterson Author Profile Page says ...

Keaton is not a divorcee in the movie - she's married to Ted Danson who's lost his job.

Posted by Peterson Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 8:34 PM

comment #21

BurmaShave Author Profile Page says ...

LYT, so the rumors go. She's to announce her engagement to her longtime girlfriend. From the reliable pages of Defamer.com

Posted by BurmaShave Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 8:39 PM

comment #22

MattM Author Profile Page says ...

This is clearly a counterprogramming attempt dump. (See, e.g., "Georgia Rule," "Catch and Release," "Because I Said So.") "Cloverfield" is going to suck all the air out of the weekend, and will skew very young and very male, so going older and female is the sensible play.

Posted by MattM Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 9:01 PM

comment #23

Aris P Author Profile Page says ...

If this is the best they can do, women should stop directing films.

Posted by Aris P Author Profile Page at December 7, 2007 11:40 PM

comment #24

Legowombat Author Profile Page says ...

Rather than 'Nine To Five', it sounds like a thinly-diguised remake of the other feminist trio film from 1980 also co-starring Dabney Coleman, 'How To Beat The High Cost Of Living'.

As for stroke material, at least that one taught me how to sing 'Roll Me Over In The Clover', and had 1980 Jessica Lange and Jane Curtin's body double's tits to offer. I think that trumps Mrs. Cruise.

Posted by Legowombat Author Profile Page at December 8, 2007 11:54 AM

comment #25

christian Author Profile Page says ...

Suddenly we are run over by a bus.

Posted by christian Author Profile Page at December 9, 2007 5:09 PM

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