Main Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Bridget Fonda, Matthew Broderick, John Cusack, Dana Carvey
Release Year: 1994
Country: US/UK
Run Time: 120 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
This adaptation of the comic novel by T. Coraghessan Boyle is the story of real-life Corn Flakes inventor Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (Anthony Hopkins), an eccentric health nut in the early 20th century. Convinced of the benefits of holistic health practices (mostly involving irrigation of the bowels and colon), Kellogg opens a spa in Battle Creek, Michigan that immediately attracts the well-to-do of his time, including Will (Matthew Broderick) and Eleanor Lightbody (Bridget Fonda). A young couple with sexual and marital problems, the Lightbodys aren't helped much by the forced separation of sexes at Kellogg's sanitarium, and the situation is further exacerbated by Will's obliging nurse (Traci Lind) and Eleanor's encounters with a group of German sex therapists. Also at the spa are Charles Ossining (John Cusack), an ambitious con man who sees a fortune in Kellogg's cereal, and the unwashed, cretinous George Kellogg (Dana Carvey), one of the doctor's several dozen adopted children. A spoof as obsessed as its protagonist with its scatological subject matter, The Road to Wellville was an unusual effort for director-composer Alan Parker, known better for darker dramatic material and musicals. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Review
Although it was met with reactions ranging from bafflement to high-minded condescension upon its unsuccessful theatrical release, this scatological satire of America's early-1900s health obsession deserves a more balanced second look. Adapted by writer/director Alan Parker from the novel by T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road to Wellville boasts a stellar cast, amusing period detail, and enough surreally grotesque set pieces to power any two David Cronenberg films. The humor may be of the toilet variety, but it serves persuasively and enjoyably to mock the "progressive" ideal of better living through "science" -- in this case the science of enemas, shock treatments, vegetarianism, and thinly disguised snake oil. Parker's satire succeeds or fails on the strength of the individual characters -- caricatures, really, for nothing about The Road to Wellville is subtle. Luckily, the actors are all game and capable, from Anthony Hopkins' buck-toothed reformer to the health-seekers played with abundant and varied charms by everyone from Lara Flynn Boyle and Camryn Manheim to Bridget Fonda and Matthew Broderick. Despite the presence of John Cusack, a subplot involving the breakfast-cereal boom doesn't really go anywhere, but it does help hammer home the film's key point: that middle-class Americans of any historical era would rather throw money at dubious health schemes than make substantive changes in their lifestyles. If modern audiences can't see that, perhaps they're simply too busy obsessing over their low-carb diets, cholesterol levels, home gyms, and personal trainers. The film's poor reputation more likely stems from two pieces of received wisdom: first, that jokes about the digestive and excretory systems are uniformly juvenile, and second, that the human libido took a vacation in the Victorian era and didn't resurface until the swinging 1960s. Parker's film, though uneven and overlong, has great fun disproving both notions. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
Lara Flynn Boyle - Ida Muntz; Michael Lerner - Goodloe Bender; Colm Meaney - Dr. Lionel Badger; John Neville - Endymion Hart-Jones; Traci Lind - Nurse Irene Graves; Camryn Manheim - Virginia Cranehill; Roy Brocksmith - Poultney Dab; Norbert Weisser - Dr. Spitzvogel; Gabriel Barre - Desk Clark; Marshall Erwin Efron - Bartholomew Bookbinder; Michael Goodwin - Dr Frank Linniman; Mark Jeffrey Miller - Woodbine; Marianne Muellerleile - Nurse Bloethal; George Nannerello - Reporter; Richard Olsen - Fox Fur Man; Monica Parker - Mrs Tindermarsh; D. Anthony Pender - Waiter on Train; Carole Shelley - Mrs Hookstratten; Ann Tucker - Hannah; James Bigwood - Reporter; John Henry Scott - Bath Attendant
Credit
Richard Earl - Art Director, John Willett - Art Director, Lisa Moran - Associate Producer, Scott Kinzey - Boom Operator, Juliet Taylor - Casting, Howard Feuer - Casting, Judith Bouley - Casting, David Snell - Conductor, Penny Rose - Costume Designer, Peter Kohn - First Assistant Director, Alan Parker - Director, Gerry Hambling - Editor, Marc Abraham - Executive Producer, Tom Rosenberg - Executive Producer, Mari Bloom - Hair Styles, Linzi Matthews - Location Manager, Rachel Portman - Composer (Music Score), Nelson Stoll - Musical Direction/Supervision, Peter Frampton - Makeup, Michael Roberts - Camera Operator, Brian Morris - Production Designer, Peter Biziou - Cinematographer, Armyan Bernstein - Producer, Robert F. Colesberry - Producer, Alan Parker - Producer, Claudette Didul - Set Designer, Alan E. Lorimer - Special Effects, Nelson Stoll - Sound Mixer, Donald J. Malouf - Sound Editor, Albert Gasser - Sound Editor, Walter Newman - Sound Editor, Jayme S. Parker - Sound Editor, Dean Mumford - Stunts, Gary Price - Stunts, Greg Brickman - Stunts, Joe Dunne - Stunts, Frank Ferrara - Stunts, Don Hewitt, Sr. - Stunts, John Stoneham - Stunts, Robert Jauregui - Stunts, John Copeman - Stunts, Diane Dalmonte - Stunts, Denise Fholer - Stunts, Jennifer Lamb - Stunts, Nick Stamper - Stunts, Gary Combs - Stunts Coordinator, John Robotham - Stunts Coordinator, James Bigwood - Unit Production Manager, Chris Coles - Unit Production Manager, Alan Parker - Screenwriter, Jason Dawes - Production Assistant, Peter Hollocker - Production Assistant, Allen Burry - Publicist, Rachel Aberly - Unit Publicist, Bill Coe - First Assistant Camera, Peter Bloor - Gaffer, Bret Caldwell - Grip, Frank Ryan - Grip, Leslie Percy, Jr. - Key Grip, Ingrid Johanson - Production Coordinator, Larry Bird - Properties Master, Andy Nelson - Re-Recording Mixer, Anna Behlmer - Re-Recording Mixer, Scott Millan - Re-Recording Mixer, Samuel F. Kaufman - Re-Recording Mixer, Andrea Lakin - Re-Recording Mixer, Dianne Dreyer - Script Supervisor, Molly M. Mayeux - Second Assistant Director, Merrick Morton - Still Photographer, Alan Robert Murray - Supervising Sound Editor, Terry Rodman - Supervising Sound Editor, Alonzo Wilson - Costume/Wardrobe, Marina Marit - Costume/Wardrobe, Denise Horta - ADR Editor, Dean Drabin - ADR Mixer, Ann Hadsell - ADR Recordist, David Eckert - Assistant Art Director, Rita Parillo - Assistant Hair, Rita Troy - Assistant Hair, Rose Bologa - Assistant Hair, Richard DeLabio - Assistant Location Manager, Doug Nicely - Assistant Location Manager, Wendy Bell - Assistant Makeup, Joe Hurt - Assistant Makeup, Rachel Kick - Assistant Makeup, Paula Davis - Assistant Production Coordinator, Kendra Zimmerman - Assistant Properties, Darnell Martin - Assistant Sound Editor, Mary Morrisey - Assistant Sound Editor, Kristina Trirogoff - Assistant Sound Editor, David A. Wolowic - Assistant Sound Editor, Galen Goodpaster - Assistant Sound Editor, Jonathan Phillips - Assistant Sound Editor, Jim Donahue - Best Boy Electric, Willie Mann - Best Boy Grip, Bill Hill - Best Boy Grip, Marthe Pineau - Buyer, Julia Sherborne - Buyer, Mark Duncan - Camera Loader, Meredith Tucker - Casting Assistant, Lynette Ashby - Casting Assistant, Lance Howell - Casting Assistant, Derek Marino - Casting Assistant, Regina Perrone - Casting Assistant, E.W. Bradford - Construction Coordinator, Angela Billows - Costumes Assistant, Kirsten Hecktermann - Costumes Assistant, John Hay - Costumes Supervisor, Stephanie Flack - Dialogue Editor, Constance A. Kazmar - Dialogue Editor, Lucy Coldsnow - Dialogue Editor, Mike Moad - Dolly Grip, Peter Childs - Draftsman, Scott P. Murphy - Draftsman, Todd Heater - Electrician, Kelly Curry - Electrician, Troy Muhammed - Electrician, Larry Evans - Electrician, Andrea Isaacs - First Assistant Accountant, Jonise Misiewicz - First Assistant Accountant, Peggy Tison - First Assistant Accountant, Carolyne Chauncey - First Assistant Editor, Kevin Bartnof - Foley Artist, Ellen Heuer - Foley Artist, Hilda Hodges - Foley Artist, John Roesch - Foley Artist, Neil Burrow - Foley Editor, Patrick Bietz - Foley Editor, Leonard T. Geschke - Foley Editor, Martin Samuel - Key Hairstylist, Polar Bear Shaw - Leadman, Sam Montiforte - Post Production Accountant, Mary Montiforte - Production Controller, James Onate - Scenic Artist, Paddy Kiely - Second Assistant Camera, David Feldman - Second Assistant Editor, John Marston - Second Assistant Editor, Trey Batchelor - Second Second Assistant Director, Robert Schlienig - Set Dresser, Billy Alford - Set Dresser, Larry Brew - Set Dresser, Rick Gardner - Set Dresser, John Bromell - Set Dresser, Beth Christian - Set Dresser, Jennifer DeBell - Set Dresser, Hal Gardner - Set Dresser, Stephen C. Peterman - Set Dresser, Larry Sauls - Set Dresser, Michael Shapiro - Set Dresser, John Ceniceros - Set Dresser, Michael G. Jefferson - Set Production Assistant, Ian Stone - Set Production Assistant, Chris Gilmer - Set Production Assistant, Marshall Taylor - Transportation Captain, Peter Dean - Transportation Coordinator, Dennis Milliken - Transportation Coordinator, T. Coraghessan Boyle - Book Author, Barbara Harris - ADR Voice Casting, Alenka Pavlin - Cable Person, Mark Fabert - Construction Foreman, Jerry G. Henery - Construction Foreman, Mary Jo Lang - Foley Mixer, Marilyn Graf - Foley Mixer, Carolyn Tapp - Foley Recordist, Ron Grafton - Foley Recordist, Bobby Hart - Negative Cutter, Dale Williams - Production Secretary, David Simmons - Special Effects Foreman, Juno J. Ellis - Supervising ADR Editor, Stephan Wertlake - Art Department Coordinator, Billy West - Carpenter, Terry Phillips - Carpenter, Philip Smith - Carpenter, Chris Brown - Carpenter, Eddie Farrell - Carpenter, Andy Mash - Carpenter, Joseph Newman - Carpenter, Dave Wells - Carpenter, Peter Durand - Painter, John Fenemore - Painter, Brian Kontz - Painter, Alton McClellan - Painter, Karin Wiesel - Assistant Set Decorator, Paul Cheponis - Assistant Set Decorator
The Road to Wellville stars Anthony Hopkins as Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, Matthew Broderick as William Lightbody a patient at the sanatorium, Bridget Fonda as his spouse Eleanor Lightbody, John Cusack as Charles Ossinning a budding health food entrepreneur, Dana Carvey as George Kellogg, Dr Kellogg's estranged adopted son and Colm Meaney as Dr. Lionel Badger.
The sanitarium attracts a number of well to do patients including William and Eleanor Lightbody (Matthew Broderick and Bridget Fonda) who are both suffering from ill health following the premature death of their child. On their way to Battle Creek they meet the enterprising Charles Ossining (John Cusack) who is hoping to make his fortune by exploiting the craze for health food cereals. He finds a partner in the devious Goodloe Bender (Michael Lerner) and having enlisted the services of George Kellogg (Dana Carvey), Kellogg's estranged adopted son they attempt to produce Kellogg's Perfo Flakes.
In the sanitarium Will is separated from his wife and starts harboring lustful thoughts toward Nurse Graves (Traci Lind) and Ida Muntz (Lara Flynn Boyle). Meanwhile Eleanor befriends Virginia Cranehill (Camryn Manheim), who has a less uptight attitude toward sexual pleasure than her, influenced by the works of Dr. Lionel Badger (Colm Meaney).
Will finally succumbs to Ida Muntz's charms and has sex with her. Later he discovers that Ida has died during treatment. Following the death of a patient in the sinusoidal bath, as well as the discovery of a further death, Will has a breakdown, flees the sanitarium and gets drunk and eats meat. At the restaurant he meets Ossining and agrees to invest $1,000 in his health food business. Will returns drunk to the sanitarium where he is reprimanded by Dr. Kellogg and abandoned by a distraught Eleanor.
Eleanor then visits Dr. Spitzvogel, a practitioner of clitoral massage, and rediscovers her sexuality.
Ossining's business, however, is a disaster with no edible products and they resort to stealing Kellogg's cornflakes and repackaging them in their own boxes. He then meets his aunt, an investor, at an open day at Kellogg's sanitarium where he is exposed as a fraud and arrested. At the open day Nurse Graves attempts to seduce Will; however, the guilt-stricken Will spurns her advances and goes to find Eleanor. She and Virginia Cranehill are receiving clitoral massages from Dr. Spitzvogel while Dr. Badger is masturbating. Will, incensed, thrashes Dr. Spitzvogel with a branch and takes Eleanor away, where they reunite.
George Kellogg pays a final visit to his father and subsequently burns the sanitarium down. In the chaos, Ossining makes his escape.
It should be noted that in the film Kellogg seems to reconcile with George in the mud bath at the aftermath of the fire. In the book, Kellogg actually kills George by drowning him in macadamia paste.
In the final coda, the Lightbodys are happily married with four daughters. Will receives a cheque for $1,000 from Ossining who has become a Cola drinks tycoon. Dr. Kellogg dies in his 70s of a heart attack while diving.
The film was poorly received at the time with a good deal of criticism of the scatological nature of the film with Hopkin's portrayal of Kellogg being singled out in particular for criticism. The film has a 44% rating on Rottentomatoes.com. Not all the reviews were negative, writing in Bright Lights Film Journal, Tanfer Emin-Tunc said it is a sophisticated blend of humor and documented historical material that seeks to question the various forms that race and class have assumed in twentieth-century American society.[1]
The film flopped at the box office, only grossing $6.5 million dollars in the USA, partly hindered by the R rating it received.
