Cast: Loren Dean, Hope Davis, Jason Lee, Mary McDonnell, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Alfre Woodard, Ted Danson, David Paymer, Martin Short
Director: Lawrence Kasdan
Producers: Charles Okun, Lawrence Kasdan
Screenplay: Lawrence Kasdan
Cinematographer: Ericson Core
Music: James Newton Howard
U.S. Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Lawrence Kasdan has never been known as a risk-taking director. Most of his films, even his best ones (like The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, and Grand Canyon), are relatively sedate, uncomplicated movies that rely on strong character identification and well-written dialogue. Mumford is easily one of Kasdan's least ambitious and most dissatisfying efforts. It's disappointing not only because it wastes an interesting and eclectic cast but because it proves to be a pointless endeavor. True to form, Kasdan has made another "safe" picture, but, in this one, the characters are, at best, sketchily developed, and the dialogue is banal.
Mumford bowed at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival less than two weeks before its general release. I saw the movie there and, without a doubt, it proved to be the most bland motion picture I have endured at any festival in years. Kasdan is on auto-pilot, feeding his audience the product of by-the-book filmmaking - the kind of thing that will appeal primarily to those who don't want to be challenged by their movies and who will allow themselves to be emotionally manipulated into a little feel-good corner. Anyone who wallowed in the manufactured emotions of last year's cloying Patch Adams will probably fall for this one. Although, to be fair, I was less offended by Mumford than by Patch Adams, primarily because this movie didn't provoke much of a reaction beyond apathy. It's difficult to muster an active dislike for something I cared so little about.
Loren Dean, in a performance that is perhaps too understated, plays Dr. Mumford, the most successful practicing psychologist in the small town of Mumford. (Hmmm... The doctor and the town have the same name. I wonder if there's a secret there?) Mumford's patients include local billionaire Skip Skipperton (Jason Lee, moonlighting from his stints in Kevin Smith films), who is lonely; pharmacist Henry Follett (Pruitt Taylor Vince), who prefers fantasy to reality; a wealthy housewife (Mary McDonnell) with an obsession for buying things; and the pretty Sophie Crisp (Hope Davis), who suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome. It's Mumford's job to cure all these people while struggling with his own personal demons. In the end, all he really has to do is play matchmaker. Just pair the male patients with the females, and a happy ending is guaranteed.
There's hardly a person with any significant screen time who I felt anything for. I like Hope Davis, but her character, although well acted, is shallow. The title character is a blank slate, and Loren Dean's flat portrayal (which is probably an intentional approach rather than an example of bad acting) doesn't help. The only one with a glimmer of a real personality is Skip Skipperton. Jason Lee works hard to invest some energy into this performance. Martin Short and Ted Danson are both irritating and out-of-place in small, non-comedic roles that allow them to go over-the-top.
Everything from the trajectory of the plot to the dialogue is trite and uninspired. Although the word "mainstream" is not necessarily a bad term, it definitely applies here. The fewer movies you see, the more likely you'll be to appreciate Mumford's dubious charms. This production doesn't offer a single new moment, idea, character, or otherwise interesting element. To give Kasdan his due, it's worth stating that the movie isn't downright awful, either. I stayed awake through all two hours of it, which, at a festival, can be something of an achievement. However, when it comes to recommendations, this gets the thumbs-down. It's more bland than cream cheese.
© 1999 James Berardinelli