Rubin and Ed (1991)

Rubin and Ed: Directed by Trent Harris. With Crispin Glover, Howard Hesseman, Karen Black, Michael Greene. An unsuccessful, nervous businessman gradually comes to befriend an eccentric, asocial nerd on a trip to Utah to bury a deceased cat.

“I presume this film to have been a u0026quot;work of loveu0026quot; for Crispin Glover and Howard Hessman – two actors reveling in their trade just for the fun of it and for the personal challenge. The result is both hilarious (I donu0026#39;t use that word lightly) and gratifying, as the two never let us down, but sustain their wonderful best to the end. The budget must have been super-lean, yet the work is crafted to fit within it, resulting in a piece of comic theater that should even provide the two actors themselves with nostalgic sidesplits in years to come. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis film brought to my mind visions of u0026quot;Rozmarné Létou0026quot; (Capricious Summer, by Jiri Menzel) for its humanist humor, and, less obviously, Ataque Verbal, by Albaladejo and crew, for its acting virtuosity – though by Albaladejo, I would sooner recommend Cielo Abierto to anyone unfamiliar with his work. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003enAt first viewing, though I felt the acting good, I considered it narrow in scope. On second viewing, the depth of the charactersu0026#39; problems struck me: one a virtual agoraphobic recluse with little future ahead, the other a whimsical business misfit whose wifeu0026#39;s left him. Neither has a clear view of how to escape his predicament, but both see through – or have no choice but to wrestle with – much of the phoneyness of Americana materialism and mercenary dreams. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI just wish this film were more available – and on DVD – Iu0026#39;d like to buy several copies to send to friends.”