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"The
'Buck' Stops Here"
by Scott Mantz
"Chuck and Buck"
Mike White, Chris Weitz
Directed by Miguel Arteta
Rejoice, oh
moviegoer, in the glory of thy youth! It's amazing how, as adults,
we tend to look back on our younger years with so much fondness--when
life was supposedly so much easier. Well, I don't know about you,
but that's not how I remember it. Sure, we may not have had bills
to pay, but dealing with all that awkward insecurity wasn't exactly
a walk in the park either. In the homoerotic thriller "Chuck and
Buck," it's a walk that Mike White still seems to be taking. By
coming to grips with his sexuality and his quest for belonging,
he seeks out his childhood friend, played by Chris Weitz, and the
result is an engrossing, sometimes touching, and intermittently
disturbing moviegoing experience.
On the outside
Buck (Mike White) may be 27 years old, but on the inside he's still
11. He lives at home, he decorates his room with stuffed animals
and Matchbox cars, and he always has a lollipop dangling from his
mouth. At his mother's funeral, he is reunited with his childhood
friend Charlie (Chris Weitz), a.k.a. Chuck, who's now a high-powered
music exec living in Los Angeles with his higher-powered fiancee,
Carlyn (Beth Colt). Buck is not only still fixated on his old buddy,
but his emotional bond has now turned into a sexual obsession. He
accepts Chuck's invitation for a visit at face value, withdraws
$10,000 from the bank, and moves to Los Angeles with hopes that
he and Chuck can pick up where they left off. What starts out as
an innocent nuisance turns into an emotional obsession, and Chuck
finds himself being stalked by his former (ahem!) playmate.
Hot on the heels
of the critically acclaimed "Star Maps," director Miguel Arteta
faced an enormous task with "Chuck and Buck." In the hands of another
director, the film could easily have fallen into a sort of gay version
of "Fatal Attraction" or "The Cable Guy." Fortunately, that's not
the case here. Where Glenn Close and Jim Carrey were completely
out of their minds with their respective obsessions, Buck turns
out to be an enormously sympathetic character.
It isn't that
Buck doesn't possess some of their traits, but his execution couldn't
be any different. Sure he's obsessive, but he's not physically dangerous.
In fact, he really couldn't hurt a fly. He's simply confused, and
he's trying to get back in touch with the one person who's probably
ever been nice to him. Picking up and moving to LA on a whim may
be relentless, but now that he finally has a chance to embrace his
true feelings, he's not going to give up. Despite his awkward behavior,
the audience cannot help but like him, feel sorry for him, and,
at times, even root for him. At no time in "Fatal Attraction" or
"The Cable Guy" did the audience ever root for the psychopathic
stalker.
What makes Mike
White's performance so impressive is that he's not even an actor.
Then again, he's certainly no stranger to the business, either.
In addition to writing "Chuck and Buck," he's also served as a writer
and producer for TV's "Dawson's Creek" and "Freaks and Geeks." As
Buck, he is mildly disturbing, but he is also enormously sympathetic.
Chris Weitz also knows a thing or two about show business, having
co-directed last year's "American Pie." As Chuck, it's clear that
he's moved on and grown up, while Buck hasn't changed a bit. He
feels a certain loyalty to his old friend, but now that he's made
a name for himself with a pretty fiancé, he feels threatened
by what Buck represents.
While the film
is intense and engrossing, it is also laced with plenty of humor.
Lupe Ontiveros is the kind-hearted theater administrator who helps
Buck make a play about his life (appropriately titled "Hank and
Frank"), and her sharp wit and stability counterbalances some of
the film's more disturbing scenes. Paul Weitz (Chris' brother) is
another quirky addition to the strong cast, as the actor that Buck
casts in his play because of his resemblance to Chuck. Finally,
Beth Colt adds a strong backbone to her relationship with Chuck,
since her lover obviously doesn't have one.
After making
quite a splash at this year's Sundance Film Festival, it's clear
that "Chuck and Buck" is one of the more engrossing films to come
along so far this year. Despite its disturbing surface, it remains
a touching and heartwarming story. Buck realizes that it's time
to let go of the past, while Chuck realizes that it's time to face
it. They both accept that their time together, then and now, was
all about discovery--even if some of it was sexual. There's nothing
wrong with experimenting during these awkward times, as long as
you learn more about yourself in the process.
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