THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 27, 1996 TAG: 9608290700
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E7 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: 44 lines
In the hectic tradition of ``It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,'' ``Carpool'' has suburban identity. It is a comedy that tries hard, and with some degree of success, to touch a note of recognition with the ``family'' audiences it seeks. It's going for the ``Home Alone'' sweepstakes (but then so has just about every parent-bashing movie since that box office phenomenon).
David Paymer, looking beset and overworked, is an advertising executive who is obsessed only with his office. When his wife has a tummy ache and demands that he drive the children's carpool to school, he reluctantly consents.
The way to school turns out to be more meandering than the yellow brick road. The van is hijacked by an inept bank robber, played by a red-faced Tom Arnold, who looks as if he's been out in the sun almost as along as George Hamilton. Arnold portrays a loser who is just trying to raise money to pay off the bills on his carnival. (The bearded lady, fat lady and the other side-show employees have demanded pay, or they're going to defect to Swingling Bros.)
Arnold isn't much of a bank robber, but he does teach Paymer how to be a good father as they flee across town and through a shopping mall. The van is inhabited by varied caricatures of kids - including a laughably weird creature named Travis, who wears a shower cap on his head.
At one point they are pursued by a gung-ho meter maid, played by Rhea Perlman, who wants to prove that she can handle chases better than the boys downtown. Paymer's boss is played by Oscar-winner Rod Steiger and it's all directed by Arthur Hiller, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
``Carpool'' is a modest little programmer, but, even at that, it is better than one would have expected. In its own frantic way, it makes a case for parents paying more attention to children. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
MOVIE REVIEW
``Carpool''
Cast: Tom Arnold, David Paymer, Rhea Perlman, Rod Steiger
Director: Arthur Hiller
MPAA rating: PG (some language)
Mal's rating: Two stars by CNB