A Happening of Monumental Proportions: DVD Review
Arriving on DVD this week is the all-star comedy “A Happening of Monumental Proportions”, which is the directorial debut from actress Judy Greer. This also happens to be the writing debut from Gary Lundy. I recently caught a television interview with Greer in which she mentioned that she basically called in favors to her Hollywood friends, asking if they would appear in her film. That explains how she was able to get talent like Common, Jennifer Garner, Bradley Whitford, Allison Janney and Rob Riggle to take on major roles. Not-to-mention Nat Faxon, Kumail Nanjiani, Anders Holm, John Cho, Katie Holmes and Keanu Reeves for extended cameos. That is an impressive cast for a film as lifeless and unfunny as “A Happening of Monumental Proportions”.
One of the first glaring issues with “A Happening” is the casting of Common in what seems to be the lead role. I like Common and he is usually good in whatever he is in, but here he plays a widowed father who loses his job on the very day he is supposed to speak at his daughter’s school for career day. The reason he was fired, was because the co-worker he had an affair with (Garner) accused him of vandalizing the break room. The interactions between Common and Garner are not the least bit believable and neither are Common’s interactions with his boss (Whitford). The actors are so much better than the material they have-to work with and I would be able to look passed some of the performances if “The Happening” delivered any laughs, which it doesn’t. I am not going to give away Keanu Reeves role, but I am sure audiences will be able to figure it out early on. When we finally see him, we are treated to one of his worst performances to date (and that is saying something). Keanu can usually get by with just being Keanu, but not here.
Seeing a cast like that makes it hard not to have a desire to take-a-look at “A Happening of Monumental Proportions”, but I must warn you, there is not a single element here that feels monumental and the title is much more-clever than anything in the 82-minute run-time.
By: Marc Ferman