My Favorite Year
1982  PG  COMEDY  1h 32min
CAST— Peter O’Toole, Mark Linn-Baker, Jessica Harper, Joseph Bologna, Bill Macy, Lainie Kazan, Anne DeSalvo, Lou Jacobi, Adolph Green, George Wyner, Selma Diamond, Cameron Mitchell
MUSIC— Ralph Burns  DIRECTOR— Richard Benjamin

     The year was 1954. An ambitious young comedy writer named Benjy Stone lands the biggest, most challenging assignment of his career. A larger than life swashbuckling adventurer from the films of yesteryear (and Benjy’s lifelong idol) is to appear on the show. Only now the years have taken their toll. Benjy’s hero has been reduced to a shell of his former self, becoming a drunken mess that barely recognizes himself in the mirror. Benjy’s assignment is simple: Keep the guest sober for rehearsals and please have him remain sober for their live broadcast. The film’s premise promises laughs, but alas, those turn out to be empty promises. The film fails to deliver any comedic punch whatsoever, although the cast tries hard to compensate. The real standout is Mark Lynn-Baker in his film debut, but no matter how good his performance is, even he can’t save this one from the fire. Where’s Bronson Pinchot when you need him? Later adapted into a Broadway musical.
OUR RATING— * ½