Danny Deckchair (2004)
If this film is ever remade by Hollywood,
it will more than likely be called "Lawnchair Larry."
A reverse of the "Crazy Aunt" film
(where an eccentric relative visits a family and turns
the family/neighbors/town upside down and wakes them
up) is the "Stranger in Town" film, where an outsider
visits a quaint little town, usually seemingly by
accident, and finds himself changed for the better.
"The Majestic" is one of these. This year's "Connie
and Carla" tried to be a film like this as well. The
latest entry into this genre is a nice little romantic
comedy called "Danny Deckchair." A seeming example
of the archetypical Australian film, "Danny Deckchair"
is quaint, sweet-hearted and easy to enjoy.
The set-up here actually takes quite
a while which is only a little frustrating for those
knowing the set-up going in. We meet Danny, a bored
construction worker and Trudy, his easily excitable
girlfriend who is also a real estate agent. When his
live-in lover cancels their holiday together, leaving
Danny with two weeks to bang about the house, he becomes
even more bored. Eventually due to his boredom and
wanderlust, during a bar-b-que with friends taking
place during a 3-day- weekend, Danny ties some big
helium-inflated balloons to his lawn chair and drifts
away.
Of course, Danny floats into a small
town, meets a girl and invariably becomes the town
hero. That's all to be expected. But it is amazing
just how enjoyable it is to watch the obvious unfold
here. Lead actor Rhys Ifans (probably still best remembered
for his work in 199's "Notting Hill") is quite charming
as the stuck-in-a-rut Danny. Miranda Otto ("Lord of
the Rings") as Glenda, his new love interest, also
is quite wonderful and the two of them have a magical
chemistry, helping the story to become engrossing
easily. Everything falls into place easily with them
and nothing seems overtly contrived, a marvel in this
type of film. These are two interesting and realistic
characters and we immediately see they belong together
and we cheer when they do come together.
In the end, it's easy to kick back
and enjoy "Danny Deckchair" because of its easy-going
approach and its likeable cast. The film doesn't have
the stereotypical bad guys or the hackneyed "on the
lam from gangsters" plot device that other films in
the "Stranger in Town" sub-genre usually have as their
set-up. And that type of simplicity is a big part
of its winning appeal.
Notes:
This is the debut feature of storyboard
artist Jeff Balsmayer.
Based on a true incident of a man
named Larry Walters who tied 45 balloons to a chair
and ascended up faster than he assumed he would.
Released in Australia in 2003, the
film began an arthouse run in the U.S. in August 2004.
Viewed at a press sneak at the Dobie
in Austin in August 2004. The event was also a screening
for members of the Austin Film Festival. Their new
Membership Director introduced the film and gave the
shortest, least cloying introduction to a film I've
ever seen a Membership Director for a film festival
ever give.
