The Great Buck Howard

Charming show biz comedy about a law school dropout (Colin Hanks) who takes a job as road manager for a once-famed but now washed-up mentalist (John Malkovich), eventually bonding with him, despite the performer's egotistical delusions, and falling for his much put-upon publicist (Emily Blunt). Sustained by Malkovich's masterly characterization, writer-director Sean McGinly's gentle spoof offers a valentine to perseverance along with a sendup of celebrity culture, though the central romance becomes sexual after mere acquaintance. A premarital relationship and some mildly sexual humor. A-III -- adults. (PG) 2009

The Great Buck Howard (Full Review)

The tattered margins of the entertainment world provide the setting for the charming show biz comedy "The Great Buck Howard" (Magnolia).

Writer-director Sean McGinly's gentle spoof, at once a valentine to perseverance as well as a sendup of celebrity culture, is sustained by a masterly characterization from actor John Malkovich.

Malkovich plays the title performer, a once-famed but now washed-up Amazing Kreskin-like mentalist -- don't even think of calling him a magician -- whose honorary moniker was bestowed by the late Johnny Carson. Buck repeatedly boasts that he made no fewer than 61 appearances on "The Tonight Show."

Those days are long past, however, by the time law school dropout and aspiring writer Troy Gable (Colin Hanks) takes a job as Buck's road manager to gain some life experience and help ends meet. Though initially put off by Buck's male-diva-style rants and egotistical delusions, Troy eventually develops a soft spot for his isolated but indefatigable boss.

As he moves from one obscure burg to another, constantly repeating his enthusiastic tagline, "I love this town!" Buck insists on maintaining his professional standards and his dedication is unflagging. A scene in which he agonizes under the glare of a spotlight as an illusion goes awry conjures up a similar pathos to that evoked by Laurence Olivier's doomed vaudevillian in John Osborne's "The Entertainer."

While the bond of loyalty between Buck and Troy is admirable, the romance that develops between Troy and Buck's much put-upon publicist Valerie (Emily Blunt) is presented as a long-term relationship but it becomes sexual (off-screen) when the two are no more than acquaintances.

A running gag based on speculation about Buck's sexual orientation (he has no perceptible interest in anyone of either gender) is intended to satirize Hollywood gossip-mongering but tends to trivialize the matter. While these elements require mature judgment, other objectionable material is refreshingly absent.

Hanks' father, Tom, has a cameo as Troy's disapproving dad, whose disdain for his son's employer is unchecked by Buck's characteristic graciousness.

Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

The classifications are as follows:

• A-I -- general patronage;
• A-II -- adults and adolescents;
• A-III -- adults;
• A-IV**
• L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
• O -- morally offensive.