Back when The Simpsons began airing on Fox, I was a tot in early
elementary school, and while my friends quoted the show and talked of
its greatness, I scoffed, sanctimoniously declaring that I would never
watch something so tasteless. I maintained that attitude for several
years, but then my brother started watching the show occasionally, and
the rest of the family got sucked in. And I realized that although it
may be irreverent, The Simpsons is actually one of the most
thought-provoking, spiritually stimulating shows on television. And boy,
is it clever, skewering pop culture week after week - and I can't tell
you how many parodies I watched on the show only to see the source
material later and crack up again because now I really got the joke. The Simpsons is top-notch stuff. So I was looking forward to the movie.
And then I saw a commercial a few weeks ago in which a predictably
dopey Homer clutches a pig around the middle so that it walks
upside-down, leaving muddy hoof prints on the ceiling as Homer sings,
"Spider-pig, Spider-pig, does whatever a spider-pig does..." Before I
was enthusiastic; now I was obsessed, and the members of my immediate
family soon wished I'd never seen that clip, since I was prone to
bursting out in song at random moments. Yesterday, I finally got to see
the movie, after having acquired the coveted picture of myself on the
theater's promotional three-dimensional couch next to life-size
replications of the Simpsons clan. And oh, was I satiated, with not one
but three recitations of the aforementioned song, two of which were
performed by a distinctly creepy choir. Delirium...
Matt
Groenig pulled together most of the writers who've ever worked on the
show to create a film that incorporates most of the characters who've
ever appeared on the show. Well, no, that's a stretch, but certainly the
regulars are out in force, and in the case of this series, that means a
cast of dozens, though of course heavy hitters like Dan Castellaneta,
Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright and Harry Shearer occupy a dizzying large
number of roles. Springfield is a caricature of small-town America, and
even big-town America, and it's riddled with folks representing
different stereotypes. There's the Indian convenience store owner; the
irascible bartender; the crazy old cat lady; the overweight,
self-important comic book expert; the malevolent multi-billionaire; the
smitten nerd; the school bully... The list goes on and on.
My
favorite of these has always been the cheerfully self-righteous neighbor
- in other words, Ned Flanders. I've heard complaints that the show is
using Ned to poke fun at evangelical Christianity, and while it's true
that there's some gentle ribbing going on, the fact remains that however
much pleasure the bespectacled, mustached diddly-doodler might get from
waggling his finger about, like Millie Kentner, the squarer than square
ex-best friend of protagonist Lindsay on Freaks and Geeks, he's
always someone who can be counted on for support when the chips are
down. I suspect even Fred Rogers would have trouble living up to the
neighborly ideal set by Ned Flanders. So I was very glad to see him
playing a prominent role in this film as an unlikely mentor for Bart.
This happens when Bart finally gets fed up with his dad's
self-absorption and immaturity after a dare goes horribly awry. It's
during a dinner out after the most traumatic day of Bart's life that
Homer meets the pig that will change his life when the
Homer-as-clueless-father subplot meets the
Lisa-as-frustrated-environmental-activist subplot and all of Springfield
pays the price. The laughs come fast and furious, and the whole film
exists within the construct of the Simpson family watching the movie
while Homer complains that they could be seeing this stuff at home for
free, but the film's messages are compelling, particularly the
importance of environmental stewardship and of nurturing one's family.
As with most episodes of the show, you're likely to miss things the
first time around, since some of the jokes are visual and pass by in the
blink of an eye. Among the quickest flashes of humor are the glimpses
of Apu changing the "06" in an expiration date to "08", Bart writing "I
will not illegally download this movie" on the classroom board and
elderly Abe Simpson perusing the magazine Oatmeal Enthusiast;
there are dozens more where those came from. Because of my great
fondness for Flanders, his subplot was probably my favorite, but the
Spider-Pig stuff was hilarious, and it was rather exhilarating to see
Lisa getting swept off her feet by my - I mean her - dream guy. And I
have to give these folks props for really rewarding those patient enough
to stick with the credits. Several short scenes pop up at unexpected
intervals, right down the very end of the credits, and there's also an
entertainingly pointless song, the singers of which seem to share Ned's
contritely confessed sin of "an immodest amount of civic pride" in their
little town.
If you've loved the show for years, you won't
need convincing from me to go see the movie. If you've avoided it the
way I did in the beginning, give the film a fair shake. You might miss a
couple self-referential jokes, but on the whole I don't think
familiarity with the show is much of a prerequisite for thorough
enjoyment. Yes, there are bits of off-color humor, but only a
smattering, and it's all handled very adroitly. Give The Simpsons a shot and see what you think. I sure am glad I did.
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