Fun With Dick and Jane (2005) - Second Media Log

Summary:

                This is a story about Dick and Jane’s life. Their life was great. Just like any typical American families, they have a healthy kid, they own a nice and big house in a peaceful neighborhood and they both have decent jobs… However, their faith had changed in the year 2000. Dick works for a company called Globodyne. His love for his job was enough to get him promoted as the new Vice President of Communication. He later found out that the CEO of Globodyne, Jack McCallister, had sold all of his shares and the company basically shut down. Jane also quit her job at a travel agency because she was convinced by Dick to just stay home and take care of their son, Billy. Because of the fear that they were going to be dispossessed of their home, they switched to being robbers and going crime. They would rob local stores, restaurants and car dealers. The last place they decided to rob was the bank where another couple, who also worked for the company, decided to do the same thing except that they were caught by the police. Traumatized with what happened to the couple, Dick and Jane decided to abandon doing criminal activities. But as soon as they heard Dick was going to be charged by the court for his role in the company, the couple lost hope. They met the CFO of the company, Frank Bascombe, who revealed Jack’s wrongdoings and suggested a plan as a sign of revenge. They tricked Jack at a local bank by stealing his signature and forging it to get the company’s money back. The next day, Jack learned from the local reporters that he basically gave all of his money to all the employees of the company. A news report later showed Dick and Jane giving away money to the other employees.  

Evaluation:

Image source: IMDb (imdb.com)

                According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), this movie is a total remake of the movie also entitled “Fun with Dick and Jane” which was filmed on 1977. Dean Parisot (director of the remake), along with the producers, had chosen specifically the cast that really blended in to their roles and had kept that comedic genre from the old film. Jim Carrey (Dick Harper) and Tea Leoni (Jane Harper) were the lead actors and they were excellent on their roles by bringing in a mix of laughs and seriousness. Also, the importance of the storyline was prioritized so that viewers could laugh, enjoy and at the same time, understand the movie. Their dialogue with the supporting actors were also superb in a sense that you can fully understand the story without any confusion. They could have worked better on the setting and the ending of the story but overall, this movie is definitely worth of any viewer’s time who is looking for a comedy movie.

Reflection:

          I believe the ones who really created the message were Gerald Gaiser (writer) and Ted Kotcheff (director), the ones who took care of the movie “Fun With Dick and Jane” in 1977. Dean Parisot (director of the 2005 remake) might have also added some of his own ideas to the story.The actors’ acting skills and dialogue appealed to my eyes. The funny conversation by the actors made me focus on what was happening in the story. Plus, the acting skills were good and funny. 
         The movie showed one reality of our society today, some rich people just take advantage of poor people. This can be seen with how the Globodyne Corporation shut down due to the CEO’s decision to sell all of his shares. Most of the employees’ money were invested in the company and were doomed after that terrible situation. Moreover, I can only conclude one thing on what these directors are trying to convey, that no matter how bad your situation may be, that is no excuse for us to do any crimes. 
          I personally think that the message was sent with enough intervention to get through the viewers’ mind. I feel this is a great way to teach us on what to do in situations like losing a job. It prevents us from going to crime to resolve any problems.
        Different people might view this message as inapplicable to their lives because some might say that the situation in the movie have the slightest chance that it would also happen to them. Other people, who might be doing crime themselves, might reconsider and repent for their actions. 
        They want to discourage their viewers’ to do any crimes no matter how hard their life is. Although it was all about Jack Harper's perspective and his creative skills in order to survive, his victims point of view was somehow omitted. 
         The message will be a sign of awareness to those who takes advantage of people. Although this story is fictional and supposed to be a comedy movie, it gives more than just entertaining and making people laugh. We can also learn how to value, respect and trust each other through rough and good times.