Cast: Diane Lane, Stephen Collins, James LeGros, Tess Harper, Bruce Altman, Maddie Corman
Director: Stacy Cochran
Producer: Michael Flynn
Screenplay: Stacy Cochran
Cinematography: Edward Lachman
Music: Pat Irwin
U.S. Distributor: I.R.S Media
Irwin (Bruce Altman) and Myra (Maddie Corman) are going to get married. When they break the news to their friends Debbie and Gerald Bender (Diane Lane and Stephen Collins), Myra also shows off something Irwin bought for her: a .38 with "Myra" engraved on it. Gerald, deciding that this is a good idea, buys Debbie a similar weapon, even though she states emphatically that she doesn't want one. The gun turns into a real issue, however, when it is appropriated by the Benders' odd neighbor Skippy (James LeGros). While Debbie thinks Skippy is harmless, her husband is convinced that he's either a Satan- worshipping junkie or a hit-man who has botched a job.
The first half of My New Gun is a bitingly funny lampoon of the yuppie lifestyle. Certain scenes are incisive because they mirror this snobbish, self-centered reality with just a slight exaggeration. Gerald Bender is the kind of pompous, property-obsessed person who inhabits an expensive condominium, considers spending nearly $400 on a windbreaker, and could care less about those less privileged than himself.
Unfortunately, about midway through, the movie diverges from those aspects that work. The second half has none of the freshness and originality of what went before -- it tells a simple, uncomplicated story with less humor and little energy. I don't know why writer/director Stacy Cochran changed the film's trajectory. Perhaps, as a first time filmmaker, she didn't know how to satisfactorily wrap things up. Or maybe she simply ran out of ideas for the satirical parts of the script. Whatever the case, My New Gun loses a lot in its last forty-five minutes.
Beneath the humor, My New Gun sports a cautionary message. The film shows how the introduction of a gun into one household can lead to a complete change in lifestyle -- and not in the expected way. The gun, as Gerald puts it, is a "catalyst". In today's world, where people purchase firearms and bring them into their homes with about as much thought as they buy a toaster, it's refreshing to see a movie take a closer look, no matter how absurd, at the issue.
Stephen Collins is almost perfect as the arrogant, stuck-up Gerald. Collins, normally relegated to playing clean, nice-guy roles, gets an opportunity to act against type. Diane Lane, who has appeared in everything from high-concept films (Chaplin) to low-budget exploitation thrillers (Lady Beware), is consistently solid, no matter how off-center the storyline gets. James LeGros is adequate -- his role demands more than he gives. LeGros' Skippy is supposed to be a charismatic figure, but it's difficult determining what Debbie sees in him. And what is it with LeGros and gun movies, anyway? First, Guncrazy; now this.
Based on My New Gun, Cochran has the potential to be a fine film maker. This movie isn't quite "there", but it contains enough effective elements to be worth a look, if not in a theater, then at least when it's released on video. My New Gun offers satire with an edge and a message -- something you're not in danger of being exposed to in a Naked Gun or Hot Shots movie. It's too bad this movie fizzles before the one-hour mark.
© 1993 James Berardinelli