| Reviewer Roundup |
| 1. |
 | Dustin Putman |
| review follows |
|   |
| 2. |
| Steve Rhodes |
| read the review |
| |
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Review by Dustin Putman
2½ stars out of 4
Just as "The Glass House" was a "guardians-from-hell" picture, "Domestic
Disturbance" is a "stepfather-from-hell" suspenser. Both recent films
follow the same basic outline of all "fill-in-the-blank-from-hell" movies,
are predictable, and aren't exactly sterling examples of original
filmmaking. Still, there is a place for this genre, and "Domestic
Disturbance," directed by Harold Becker (1998's "Mercury Rising"), is
a serviceably entertaining, if formulaic, thriller.
Frank Morrison (John Travolta) is a Maryland boatbuilder who has such a
close relationship with his 12-year-old son, Danny (Matthew O'Leary"),
and ex-wife, Susan (Teri Polo), that he even attends her wedding to the
well-respected, well-off Rick Barnes (Vince Vaughn). Just as the upset
Danny agrees with his father to give Rick a chance, a set of sticky
circumstances leaves him the only witness to the cold-blooded murder
and subsequent cremation of the shady Ray Coleman (Steve Buscemi), whom
Rick owed money to. Danny, known for often crying wolf just to get his
way, is distraught to find that no one believes him about Rick. No one,
that is, but Frank, who progressively becomes obsessed in finding out
the truth and protecting his son and ex-wife from a man who could very
well be a monster.
"Domestic Disturbance" never strays far from the beaten path of thriller
cliches, but it is an involving motion picture helped along by some
strong performances and workmanlike plot developments that are fun even
when they can be easily telegraphed, in advance. At a crisp 88 minutes,
the film seems to intentionally be over before your senses set in and
you start thinking about its downfalls.
In the best showcase he's had in a few years, the role of Frank is certainly
not a challenging one for John Travolta (2000's "Battlefield Earth"), but
it is a good one. Especially refreshing is having Travolta play the hero
again after a series of bad guy parts, because he always seems like such
a good-natured, warm fellow. This attribute shines brightly through here.
As his nemesis, Rick, Vince Vaughn (2000's "The Cell") makes for a
chillingly menacing presence, the kind of man you wouldn't want to get
stuck at home with alone.
In his feature film debut, Matthew O'Leary is surprisingly captivating as
pre-teen Danny, ably holding his own with the veterans in the cast. Teri
Polo (2000's "Meet the Parents") gets some strong scenes as Susan,
turning her into a realistically caring mother who, nonetheless, fails
to see the danger hanging right under her nose. Steve Buscemi (2001's
"Ghost World") has a small, but memorable, part as the ill-fated Ray
Coleman, the kind of token slimeball he plays so well. Finally, a pair
of supporting turns also stand out from Angelica Torn (1999's "The
Sixth Sense"), as a prostitute whom Frank seeks help in, and Susan Floyd
(1999's "Random Hearts"), as Frank's new girlfriend.
Screenwriters William S. Comaner and Lewis Colick (1999's "October Sky")
successfully ratchet up the tension, despite serious lapses in intelligence
and character logic. One scene, in which Danny says all the wrong things
in court just to protect his dad, is downright maddening, while the
reasoning of how Danny sees Rick murdering a man is far-fetched. Meanwhile,
the obligatory climactic fight scene is about as exciting as these things
get, and it even gets a little scary, too.
"Domestic Disturbance" is a hackneyed, by-the-numbers thriller that has
no right to work, but it does. The film is never less than well made,
and you get a chance to care enough about the characters so that it
actually means something when they are placed in jeopardy. For all its
rough edges, "Domestic Disturbance" is the type of widely accessible
studio film that could put Travolta on the big-time map again after some
recent pitfalls, and he deserves it.
Copyright © 2001 Dustin Putman
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out of 4
