THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 17, 1995 TAG: 9505180053
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
YOU AREN'T likely to rush out for barbecue after seeing ``Gordy.'' In fact, you may be ashamed to look at a pork chop for a long time.
Gordy is a pink piglet who, in the course of a movie that becomes more banal than charming, inherits a huge business, saves a boy from drowning, is featured on the cover of Time magazine with a headline that reads ``Pig Power,'' and hangs out with country singers.
Oh, yes. Gordy also talks.
This is a sweet-natured movie that is largely harmless, but it is so cheaply produced, badly acted and terribly edited that it is likely to be appreciated only by those under 6.
Still, the fun of hearing a pig talk (and pig-paddle to save a drowning human) will delight little kids, at least for awhile.
We meet Gordy on an Arkansas farm on the day his Pig Daddy is being carted away ``up north.'' It's a vague place, one from which pigs don't return. (Could it be a sausage factory?) Gordy trots after Pig Daddy as he is hauled off - a sad scene. On the same day, Gordy's mother and five piglet siblings are also removed from the farm.
The roosters, hens and other animals, who also talk, cheer Gordy on as he sets out to save his family. Along the way, he hitches a ride with a group of country-western singers. Doug Stone, an actual country-western singer, is the father, but the headliner is little Jinnie Sue (Kristy Young).
When the family sings at a fund-raiser for the governor of Arkansas, Gordy saves a little billionaire's son, Hanky (Michael Rosecher), from drowning and subsequently becomes nationally famous.
When Hanky's rich grandpa dies, he leaves the huge food processing company to Gordy. The villain of the piece is a conniving public relations guy who seeks to marry Hanky's mother in order to win the company.
The same plot has been tried recently in both ``Tommy Boy'' and ``Richie Rich.'' Here, it is so broadly written that entire characters change personalities. Hanky's mom, for example, is a preening and selfish wannabe star at first but turns into a sweet thing instantly.
This seems to be the year of the pig. Coming later in the summer will be Universal Pictures' entry, ``Babe, the Gallant Pig'' (which we have every reason to believe will be better than this). A hog named Earl Butz is a central character in Jane Smiley's best-seller ``Moo.''
Pig stars already include the incomparable Miss Piggy, Piglet from ``Winnie the Pooh,'' those three little hamlets of storybook fame and Wilbur from ``Charlotte's Web.'' And let's not forget Arnold Ziffel, the little porker who was the only dignified presence on ``Green Acres.'' The writers of that TV series concocted the plotline for this movie. Tom Lester, who played Eb on the show, appears as Cousin Luke here.
Gordy can't compete with Arnold or any other stellar hams of the past with a script this flimsy. Besides, Arnold did most of his own scenes. Gordy is played by no less than 25 pigs. It's hard to believe when you see how badly the dialogue is synchronized.
There is some preaching about how adults who take the time and are ``pure of heart'' will be able to understand animal talk. It's a dubious message at best, even if it is repeated several times.
Although it's rather cheapjack, ``Gordy'' is still harmless, and little kids should be delighted by a talking pig. If the movie had stayed on the farm and let the animals do the talking, it would have been better. As it is, there's a lot of confusing plot about corporate greed. For that, we have to blame humans. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MIRAMAX FILMS
Piglet Gordy inherits a huge business, saves a boy from drowning and
hangs out with country singers.
Graphic
MOVIE REVIEW
``Gordy''
Cast: Doug Stone, Kristy Young, Michael Roescher, Deborah Hobart
Director: Mark Lewis
Screenplay: Leslie Stevens
MPAA rating: G (adults may find it too banal; the target
audience are those under 6)
Mal's rating: Two stars
Locations: Chesapeake Square in Chesapeake; Janaf in Norfolk;
Columbus, Lynnhaven Mall in Virginia Beach
by CNB