MeinFuhrerICanWalk Review of I'll Do Anything

I'll Do Anything (1994)

A gem, despite its shortcomings - *possible spoilers*

[1 September 2003]

This is one of those movies that I have grown to love almost inspite of itself. Yes, it's haphazard and kind of all over the place, and yet I am compelled to watch it through to the end whenever it plays on the telly. I can't quite figure out how well the characters are actually written, but they are played so beautifully that it really doesn't matter. I've always liked Nick Nolte but he's never been one of my 'favourites'. When I saw this film though, he completely won me over: he's selfish yet tender, brusque yet warm - just a wonderful, brave performance. Whitni Wright as Jeannie is remarkable - for any age. She is so utterly natural and believable, capturing the exasperating but ultimately disarming precociousness of childhood perfectly. It's a pity she has stopped acting, I think she would be amazing. It's also great to see Julie 'Marge Simpson' Kavner on the screen, she's severely underused by Hollywood - a great talent (remember 'Radio Days'?) And by the way, the film is about much more than an errant father mending his ways and changing his attitude toward his neglected kid, it's about a man unsure of his own worth finally changing his attitude toward HIMSELF. All in all, a gem despite its shortcomings.