Pumpkin

This is a tricky film to review. It’s sold as a comedy, yet many parts of the film are too sad or too black to be comedic. While it contains its share of laughs, they aren’t frequent and are directed more at people and their ways, rather than with anyone. No laughs are aimed at differently abled persons; quite the opposite, they are aimed at the prejudices and small mindedness of elite groups. However, this turns the film into a pointed barb in one direction, utilising something socially conscious as the bearer and inevitably falling flat for it. Not to say the film falls flat – just the comedic angle.

Carolyn McDuffy (Christina Ricci) has it all. Friends, popularity and the superjock of college as her boyfriend. Arriving back on campus for her senior year of college, her sorority house chooses as their charity for the year a group of physically challenged athletes preparing for the Challenged Games. Dead against it, Carolyn succumbs only to be granted the mentoring of Pumpkin Romanoff (Hank Harris), a seemingly retarded, wheelchair-bound teenage boy. As they work together, Carolyn and Pumpkin develop a close relationship in which she finds herself falling in love with him, much to the disgust of her elitist sorority sisters, her boyfriend, her mother and, most of all, herself.

"Those magazines – that is not what challenged athletes think about!"

While it is a charming film in its own way, the relationship isn’t as fully explored as it could have been, which leaves Carolyn’s feelings seemingly popping up out of thin air. Her attempts to waver her thinking are misguided, but this is to be expected from someone as previously shallow as she was with no idea about the real world. By film’s end she has chopped and changed her thinking so often, beetling back and forth between acceptance and denial, it’s hard to take any of her thoughts seriously, even while she makes the biggest decisions of all.

What the film sets out to do with comedy is apparent, yet the delivery of the gags is either so outrageously out of character for the film as to be nonsensical, or so dark in origin as to be pitiful. While attempting to be a comedy it misses, but it has managed to become something other. This cross-pollenation may find the humble viewer a little confused as to what we are supposed to think, which doesn’t help the film’s intent, however there is a sweet story hidden among the dross that is well worth seeking out for those after something a little different.

The transfer here has been accomplished quite well, with a nice sharp picture and evenly saturated colours. There are minor artefacts springing up throughout, though there isn’t anything too horrible or intrusive. Flesh tones are fine and realistic, with blacks being natural and barely any shadows with which to measure detail within. However, the limited night shots all seemed fairly good detail-wise.

Carolyn’s idyllic life with her parents is shot differently, with plenty of fresh, bright colours and overly-perfect sets which adds an air of semi-reality to them as Carolyn finds that life slipping away from her. The only real problem of note here is where someone’s tripped over the camera or something at 30:35. It wobbles just enough to be noticeable.

While we are given a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, it really delivers nothing by way of surrounds but music. Happily, this is all perfectly placed and well chosen to capture the teen angst of the situation in just the right manner. Dialogue is delivered well and clearly, although I had a problem with the swearing. I don’t find anything offensive in the least with swearing (unless inappropriate), but here it seemed almost tacked on, like it ‘should be there’ or something. It struck me as awkward at any rate though certainly nothing major. The score, while terribly understated, does its job well enough, although again is the only real work the surrounds manage.

Herein we are given but a theatrical trailer which does nothing to help the film at all. It’s grainy, earth-toned and washed out looking with its fair share of artefacts. It runs for 2:01 at 1.85:1 with 16:9 enhancement.

I like the message of this film very much and admire the idea behind telling it. However, some careful editing may have improved the piece dramatically and kept it rolling along smoothly, rather than the perceptible stopping and starting.

The leads play their roles well, with Harris as Pumpkin outshining Ricci in their multiple scenes together. While Ricci does an admirable job, we’re not supposed to like her from the start and that makes her job all the harder as her character is coming around.

I enjoyed the film, although felt it a little long with one too many peaks nearing the end that efficiently removed any lingering momentum. Still, well worth a look for fans of Ms. Ricci or the offbeat romance.