I'll Do Anything (1994)

The Worst Film Ever

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Absolutely Fantastic

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Matt Hobbs (Nick Nolte) is a working actor unable to get good gigs. His professional life is diminished by the likes of arrogant producer Burke Adler (Albert Brooks) who ropes him into being his driver. His wife leaves their daughter Jeannie (Whittni Wright) with him even thought he hasn't seen her in 2 years. He's attracted to like-minded production assistant Cathy Breslow (Joely Richardson).Nick Nolte has an angry intensity. I think James L Brooks is looking for that odd couple with a gruff old guy and a little girl. I get it but it's the anger in him and quite frankly the little girl that makes it hard to laugh at. The little girl has a streak of meanness in her. She's not just the quintessential cute little girl. She's yelling for the first half of the movie. The duo has their cute moments but not any funny moments.Albert Brooks has some funny moments but he doesn't really fit the stereotype of a Hollywood producer. He's a more bumbling character than that. It's hard to see him push anybody around.

Not usually a fan of Nick Nolte, I thought he was great in this.Even more, Julie Kavner was GREAT in this. She was so charming, so eye- catching, so ear-catching, she would have been considered the movie- stealer if little Whittni Wright hadn't been there.That child was absolutely astonishing. With no previous movie experience, she carried out her role as if she had done it a hundred times. I hope she changes her (still young) mind and returns to film.Albert Brooks is one of my entertainment heroes, and his role here is different for him -- and he too is great.There is a sweetness -- and I don't mean sugariness -- in this film that could make it worth watching even with a lesser cast, but with such a strong and lovable bunch, it is an almost perfect movie.

This film could have been shot in a month, since everything in it had a freshness and spontaneity that can only come when nothing is labored. I don't know the film world, but this seemed genuine, with the characters each with their own struggles.Nick Nolte's relation with his "difficult" daughter was something to enjoy. When his hopes were raised to get the big role, only to find out it wasn't going to happen, devastation, closing the door and crying in the bathroom, was what could be expected.We only get so many chances in life, and when we miss one that very well could be our last, our life is altered irretrievable. Nothing could be more real, whether it is getting a movie part or a promotion to manager at Walmart.And the six year old who played his daughter, recruited from a clogging class in Georgia from a working class family. She was just a normal little girl, not a child actress, but someone who fit perfectly. And she went back to Georgia and then on to a local College to study Business Administration.Somehow, this film received a low rating here and apparently was a box office failure, yet every written comment was of the vein of this one, laudatory. Perhaps that was the subplot of the film exemplified by its lack of success.Brooks producer character made his films with loud explosions and tested it as a product to satisfy an audience. Artistry had nothing to do with what he was manufacturing. This film was a rare treat, but would never been made by Brooks, or anyone else apparently.But this one got through, and is a pleasure for those who can appreciate it.

This is one of those 'greater than the sum of its parts' movie, where you can't quite put your finger on why it's so great, but it just is. The set of this movie must've motivated these actors to beyond their usual performances..........maybe because the script is so great(they all get their shots at character development..... I can think of 5.) There's Nick Nolte, I've never DISliked him, but his physique combined with his sweet fatherly attitude makes for the perfect combination; it makes him very attractive. Joely Richardson I've only seen in one other movie, but she keeps you interested in her character all the way through, however quirky, weird, or whimsical. Nolte's daughter (Wright) is SO believable as the spoiled little rich girl, brought up by man-hater Tracy Ullman (!)'s character as mom. The two other characters are supporting; one is that lady who does Marge Simpson's voice, and her love interest. All these characters develop and learn. This film also ironically gives insight into the film industry, and how truly unglamorous Hollywood can be. Nick Nolte must cry in a room full of people withOUT the director even being there, a group of ladies who work in casting are asked, when deciding yay-or nay on this actor, if they would sleep with him. But in the end, it stays true to its source, meaning it doesn't look completely down at Hollywood or anything else. It's just a really adorable feel-good movie.Did I mention adorable?-Sep