Themes: Fired or Laid-Off, Doctors and Patients, Mothers and Sons
Main Cast: Steven Weber, Craig Bierko, Matt Keeslar, Karen Sillas, Robyn Peterman
Release Year: 1998
Country: US
Run Time: 91 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Sitcom veteran Larry David, the co-creator of TV's Seinfeld, made his big-screen directorial debut with this clever comedy featuring distinct Seinfeld overtones. Sour Grapes was released April 17, 1998, only four weeks prior to the last Seinfeld episode. Selma Maxwell (Viola Harris) is the adoring mother of boyish, fun-loving shoe designer Richie (Craig Bierko), who would like to see his more-mature cousin Evan (Steven Weber), a respected neurologist, enjoy himself more. So the two head for Atlantic City for a gambling weekend. They lose heavily at the tables and soon are down to pocket change at the slot machines. After Richie inserts his last quarter, he asks Evan for two coins to go a final round. The spinning cylinders land on three grape clusters, triggering alarms, flashing lights, and a $400,000 jackpot. Richie is ecstatic. But Evan feels that since the win was made with his quarters, he deserves 50%. Richie refuses, and heady with power, Richie soon turns nasty and is fired after he insults his boss. Richie's girlfriend Roberta (Robyn Peterman) suggests he settle down and give Evan something, while Joan (Karen Sillas) wants Evan to drop his money demands. An attempt to renew the friendship goes awry when Richie finds Evan's jogging-suit gift ludicrous, while Evan becomes incensed by an offer of only 3% of Richie's $400,000. The film's score punctuates the escalating conflict with witty excerpts from familiar classical compositions. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
Review
It's difficult to express the depth of sheer loathing with which this comedy from Seinfeld co-creator Larry David was greeted upon its theatrical release; "despised" would not be too harsh a phrase to describe the reaction of the typical critic. However, a tiny, drowned-out minority correctly identified the writer/director's feature debut as a viciously funny, unabashedly cynical exploration of social mores and ethics gone berserk. The film's only real flaws are a distracting, clichéd classical music soundtrack (what, they couldn't afford Randy Newman or Mark Mothersbaugh?) and a rather too-consciously familiar cast of characters. David's dark side, which resulted in many of Seinfeld's most controversial episodes, is unleashed here and he relishes making comic hay out of the most tragic situations possible, including death, terminal illness, crime, and just sheer, unexpurgated selfishness. His is a vision of humanity that may not go over like the life-affirming tonic that so many expect from the traditional lukewarm mainstream comedy, but David has to be respected as an artist sticking to his guns and giving his id free reign to invent audacious and startling material. Like Office Space (1999), another excellent but ignored late-'90s comedy from a TV show producer, Sour Grapes (1998) is a lost gem destined to be rediscovered in subsequent years on -- ironically -- television. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Viola Harris - Selma Maxwell; Orlando Jones - Digby; Jennifer Leigh Warren - Millie; Richard Gant - Detective Crouch; James MacDonald - Detective Frehill; Sonya Eddy - Nurse Loder; Philip Baker Hall - Mr. Bell; Ann Guilbert - Mrs. Drier; John Toles-Bey - Lee
Credit
Charles Butler - Art Director, Liberman/Hirschfeld Casting - Casting, Debra McGuire - Costume Designer, Daniel Silverberg - First Assistant Director, Larry David - Director, Priscilla Nedd-Friendly - Editor, Barry Berg - Executive Producer, Charles Rosen - Production Designer, Victor Hammer - Cinematographer, Laurie Lennard - Producer, Anne McCulley - Set Designer, Rob Janiger - Sound/Sound Designer, Larry David - Screenwriter
Richie Maxwell is down to his last quarter at a slot machine in Atlantic City, so he asks cousin Evan for two more coins for one more spin — a spin that wins a $400,000 jackpot.
The joy of victory is quickly replaced by a fierce disagreement over who deserves what. Richie begins by offering Evan a very small percentage of his winnings. Evan didn't expect anything at first but now he is offended because he provided two-thirds of the money Richie sank into the machine.
A bitter feud develops. Richie, a sneaker designer, hogs all the money and quits his job. Evan, a doctor, is so annoyed that, as a prank, he lets Richie believe he is dying. By the time he reveals the joke, Richie has done something drastic.
The more rattled Evan gets, the more distracted he becomes at work, even removing the wrong testicle of a patient in surgery. And even when the cousins come to a tentative truce, everything backfires on them in events that involve girlfriends, relatives and even the homeless.
Larry David as Studio executive / Annoying doctor / Singing bum
Reception
The film made it on the 2005 list of Roger Ebert's most hated films. In his review, he remarked "I can't easily remember a film I've enjoyed less." [1]
