REEL CRITICS

* EDITOR’S NOTE: The Reel Critics column features movie critiques written

by community members serving on our panel.

‘Drowning Mona’ is wacky, offbeat comedy

With an extremely funny scenario and a proficient cast, here’s a wild &

wacky film that puts a different twist on the whodunit plot!

In “Drowning Mona,” the fun starts with Mona Dearly (Bette Midler)

wheeling a speeding Yugo down a country road in Verplanck, N.Y. When her

brakes fail, she drives directly into the Hudson River.

She’s pronounced dead, and Chief Rash (Danny DeVito) begins his

investigation. He drives off in his Yugo. This was driving us nuts.

Everyone is driving a Yugo ... Turns out Verplanck was where the car was

introduced in the United States -- and probably where it died.

Lucinda (Kathleen Wilhoite), a local garage mechanic, checks out the car

and confirms the sheriff’s suspicions. The car was rigged.

Now Chief Rash has to narrow down the list of suspects in a town brimming

with nut cakes. The No. 1 suspect is Mona’s own son, Jeff (Marcus

Thomas). Savage Mona may have hacked off his hand. Suspect No. 2 is her

dimwitted husband Phil (William Fichtner), who is having an affair with

suspect No. 3 Rona (Jamie Lee Curtis), an aging waitress at the local

diner -- who is also having affair with suspect No. 1, Jeff.

Or could it be suspect No. 4, Bobby (Casey Affleck), Jeff’s landscaping

partner, who wanted to get even for the harassment he has withstood from

Mona? Bobby is going to marry Chief Rash’s pregnant daughter Ellen (Neve

Campbell), so he needs him eliminated as a suspect.

Lost yet?

Don’t give up. This offbeat film won’t win best comedy of the year, but

the cast sure has a great time portraying the town idiots. Can’t say you

will have as much fun, but it’s worth a try.

We say “Drowning Mona” is clever, wacky and amusing. OK -- but pay

matinee prices.