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Renaissance Man [1994]


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Renaissance Man
Review date: 2005-09-29 Rating: 8 out of 10

From the director that brought us other manipulative tear-jerkers such as "Big" and "A League of their Own" comes "Renaissance Man" which unashamedly pulls the same tricks and more or less guarantees not a dry eye in the house by the end.

Bill Rago (Danny DeVito) is an overworked overstressed advertising executive. After a failing to win a lucrative deal for his company he is fired and for the first time in his life finds himself drawing social security benefit. After registering himself as available for any type of work he is given an assignment to teach failing students at a Army training camp. Although he protests that he is no teacher, as far as the department of employment are concerned, he has a Masters Degree and is therefore qualified to teach.

Bill arrives at the Army Camp in a confusion of abbreviations and is eventually billeted and meets his class of students. In a first assignment of "Why did you join the Army" we learn about the 8 raw recruits and the troubled pasts they have attempted to escape from by joining the military forces. Bill is world weary and cynical of the "go-gettem" attitude forced onto the recruits in endless rounds of early morning drilling, combat training and assault course work. The students are convinced they are failures, have no confidence and are sure that Bill cannot possibly teach them anything useful from the coy of Shakespeare's Hamlet he holds. Little by little Bill draws them out of their shells although his less than militaristic approach doesn't go down too well with the recruit's drill sergeant.

First the bad things about the film. There are several huge gaping holes in the plot without even any attempts to fill them. What exactly is Bill supposed to teach the students anyway? His brief is to "teach them comprehension" which is hardly an exact mission. The students' knowledge and grasp of the minute details of Shakespeare after only a few weeks is amazing to say the least and the obviousness of some of the plot development techniques are hardly subtle. When the drill sergeant accuses Bill of not caring about the student with a shot of the assault course tower in the background you just know that at some point Bill is going to find himself on top of it.

On the other hand the film makes no pretence about being anything other than a Saturday afternoon family feel good film. There's no arty attempt to liken the Army life with that of Hamlet, although the speech one of the students makes from Henry V to his fellow recruits in the pouring rain is quite moving. All the casts try their hardest and from DeVito down, they all put in good solid performances. Mentions for Stacey Dash who as the only female member of the students manages to combine femininity, strength and feeling into her role and Mark Wahlberg in one of the first film roles that moved him from rap star to actor.

I think you'd have to be very hard hearted to criticise the film for being contrived and sentimental. It is both of those but still manages to work on the levels its supposed to and raises a couple of laughs along the way.

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Reviews


This band of brothers
Review date: 2005-03-20 Rating: 10 out of 10

Bill Rego (Danny DeVito) had it all from being a successful father (maybe a tad self-centered) and advertising businessman. Now he is divorced and out of a job. He gets a job opportunity to use his skills to teach or bring a hand full of marginal soldiers up to military material. The soldiers of course are from all walks of life and bring with them different backgrounds and emotional luggage. He must learn how to do help each one accomplish the goal. He settles on Shakespeare as the learning tool as he is familiar with the material.
Will he succeed?

Does he learn anything in the process?
What effect does this have on the instructors he works with?
Do we come away with anything of worth?

There are many teaching "the unruly" movies out there and there will be many more. This one has a little more depth in also teaching the teacher. It is not some great unknown insight but a gradual awareness that benefits all involved. If you are planning on a pure comedy this may not be the film you are looking for as it has many comic moments yet has a message that supersedes those moments.



Not just a feel-good film
Review date: 2005-02-27 Rating: 10 out of 10

This film WILL make you feel good, but it is also (wild though it sounds) a demonstration of why people still read Shakespeare. The uninspiring group of Army trainees find, unexpectedly, that his insights into human life and real people actually ring bells for them, and the startlingly poingnant recitation of the St. Crispin's Day speech in the context of a modern army bivouac makes you see why. It's a film that stays with you long after the final scene.

thoroughly good feel good movie
Review date: 2003-06-03 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is a thoroughly good feel good family movie. Yes it's American, but it's about an advertising exec, who we would all love to hate, transforming himself and a bunch of underachievers into a bunch of people to be proud of!!! It's got some young faces people will recognise and Danny DeVito does a great job. If you like your films uplifting, then give this a try.

The film spanned generations.
Review date: 2000-04-08 Rating: 10 out of 10

There is only one word which will describe this film - brilliant! The film could not be placed in a category. It had action, comedy, romance and sadnesss. Danny DeVito was absolutely fantastic in it as was the casting of his supporting actors. I would strongly ad vise that you view this film!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
James Remar
Danny DeVito
Lillo Brancato
Gregory Hines
Ed Begley Jr.

Creators:
Danny DeVito (Primary Contributor)
Gregory Hines (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Pathe Distribution
Manufacturer: Pathe Distribution
EAN: 5060002832219
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Full Screen, PAL,
Release date: 2003-06-30
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 123 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1994-06-03
Language: English (Original Language)

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