Domestic Disturbance

"Bad"

Domestic Disturbance Review


You would think it'd be a sure bet that a drama with the title Domestic Disturbance would at least be better than its laughable name. But frankly, Domestic Disturbance may as well be called Movie Theater Disturbance. Or, more specifically, Cookie Cutter Clichéd Thriller. This retread of barely suspenseful nail-biters from ten years past (think Pacific Heights and the like) is one lackluster sleepwalk of a movie.

An obvious John Travolta vehicle, it features the healthy-looking, tanned, hit-or-miss star as Frank Morrison, a loving but divorced father who is earthy enough to build wooden boats for a living, and honest enough to not charge a profitable fee. He's nice. He loves his young son Danny (a natural Matthew O'Leary), and is dealing with his ex-wife's (Meet the Parents' Teri Polo) marriage to rich investor Rick Barnes (a stale Vince Vaughn, playing a whole other kind of psycho).

Travolta gets a chance to flex his cinematic hero muscles when Rick's shady past and even shadier acquaintances start to seep into their idyllic Maryland town. When young Danny learns more than he should about his new stepdad, he finds that his history of crying wolf -- what a convenient plot point! -- means that mom and dad don't believe him. But, of course, after a night of good and hard thinking, dad decides he believes him. Screenwriter Lewis Colick (October Sky) would habe us believe that it took Frank a sleepless evening to realize that -- wait a minute -- Danny has lied to everyone all these years, except him! Whew, what a relief! Now big, tan Frank can nose around and find out exactly what this bad new husband did.

Colick and veteran director Harold Becker (Sea of Love, Mercury Rising) slather these proceedings in a milky cover of barely believable happenings, clichéd dialogue, and absolutely no deviation from every sub-par "family thriller" that looks just like this one. Case in point: When Danny makes a statement against his evil stepdad at the police station, the cops allow all parents (including his mean new pop) to be present, staring the kid down. What!? A blatant case of ignoring reality for the sake of some conflict -- and minor conflict at that.

And Vaughn, who can be so creative and funny playing fruitcakes in movies like Made, Swingers, and even Psycho, just can't get it done with this stuff. He doesn't play sincerity well enough for us to believe that Teri Polo's Susan would ever marry him, and he doesn't play the scheming nutjob well enough for us to believe that he's a real bad man. I wholly suggest a viewing of the off-kilter The Stepfather to see Terry O'Quinn really hit a home run with this sort of role.

Speaking of better movies from this genre, it's worth mentioning Michael Apted's 1984 thriller Firstborn, a cable favorite that covers the remarriage theme with a good deal more suspense and subtlety. Instead of being some wide-scale, moronic criminal, like Vaughn's Rick, Peter Weller's role is simply that of a coke-snorting sleazebag. The tension between he and the oldest son is truly palpable, unlike here, where nothing really feels too threatening between stepdad and stepson. Becker and Colick might have wanted to take it down a notch to add some realism, but that never happens.

Instead, we get a predictable, by-the-books, thriller that is treated like some kind of weak horror movie. Perhaps the film's more of just an Annoying Disturbance -- too deadened to really piss you off as a moviegoer. Call it what you will, but just avoid calling it out loud while standing at your local theater box office.

Should you find yourself so fascinated with Domestic Disturbance that you absolutely must rent or (God forbid) buy it on DVD, you'll find the extras to be every bit as mediocre as the film itself. The deleted scenes clock in at about 4 minutes total (some are more like glipses than actual scenes), and Becker sounds so tired on his commentary track it seems like he could croak at any minute. Good thing he only has to talk for 80-some minutes.

One disturbed individual.



Domestic Disturbance

Facts and Figures

Run time: 89 mins

In Theaters: Friday 2nd November 2001

Box Office USA: $44.4M

Box Office Worldwide: $54.2M

Budget: $75M

Distributed by: Paramount Pictures

Production compaines: Paramount Pictures

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 1.5 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 24%
Fresh: 24 Rotten: 76

IMDB: 5.5 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director:

Producer: , , Jonathan D. Krane

Starring: as Frank Morrison, James Lashly as Jason, as Laurie, Debra Mooney as Theresa, as Susan, as Ray Coleman, as Rick Barnes, Rodney Pike as Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Contactmusic


Links


New Movies

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...

Ferdinand Movie Review

Ferdinand Movie Review

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...

Shot Caller Movie Review

Shot Caller Movie Review

There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...

Advertisement
The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist Movie Review

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...

Stronger Movie Review

Stronger Movie Review

Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...

Only the Brave Movie Review

Only the Brave Movie Review

Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...

Wonder Movie Review

Wonder Movie Review

This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...

Happy End  Movie Review

Happy End Movie Review

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...

Advertisement
Artists
Actors
    Filmmakers
      Artists
      Bands
        Musicians
          Artists
          Celebrities
             
              Artists
              Interviews