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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 1996)
‘Multiplicity’ offers comedy within malfunctioning plot ■ MOVIE: Michael Keaton and Andie MacDowell’s performances are good, but the film is not worth the price of admission By Jean M. Bond Entertainment Reporter Contractor Doug Kinney (Michael Keaton) has, like many of us, too much to do. As if he doesn’t already spend enough time at work, he is suddenly sad dled with another person’s work. His co-worker, Ted (John DeLan cie), clearly has a professional vendetta against Doug. Doug has two kids (Katie Schlossberg and Zack Duhame) and a beautiful wife, Laura (Andie MacDowell), all of whom he neglects. And that “time for yourself’ everyone hears pop psychologists talk about these days? Personal time is a distant memory for Doug. What’s a guy to do about it? Well, in Multiplicity, Doug clones himself. And not just once, either. By the end of the movie there are four-count ’em, four-Dougs. The clones go to work for Doug, so he can spend more time with the wife and kids, and then they take care of the wife and kids so he can spend more time with himself. Keaton does a great job playing four Doug Kinneys, all slightly dif ferent. He is especially good at the clones, which are great comedic vehicles. Unfortunately, the whole movie is little more than a comedic vehicle, and not a very good one at that. COURTESY PHOTO Michael Keaton stars as character Doug Kinney and his three clones in Multiplicity. For one thing, the original Doug just isn’t all that interesting. He fumbles around for most of the movie, unsure of what he wants or what he’s doing. It’s hard to care that much about him. Besides, he doesn’t seem particularly bright. In one scene, he is talking to Clone Two in a men’s bathroom and when someone else walks in, he shoves the clone’s head into a sink. The obvious ploy, pretend ing to be twins, never seems to oc cur to Doug. Andie MacDowell does well as Laura, Doug’s ignored and frus trated wife, but the role is never very well-developed, and is pri marily a supportive role. Ironically, one of the traps Mul tiplicity falls into is that of trying to do too much. Several side plots in the movie are started but never finished. The audience waits for something to happen to Ted, Doug's obnoxious, cutthroat co worker, but nothing ever comes of it. Noreen (Ann Cusack), another of Doug’s co-workers, goes on a date with Clone Two, thinking he is Doug and is cheating on his wife, but this is never resolved ei ther. It is also never explained why each of the clones is different. They are supposed to be exact clones of the original Doug, with MOVIE REVIEW Multiplicity ★★ STARRING: Michael Keaton, Andie MacDowell, Harris Yulin, John DeLancie RATED: PG-13 the same memories and feelings as him, but they have extremely dif ferent personalities from Doug and from each other. The audi ence is simply left to wonder why. The beginning of the movie is strained. The tension between Doug and Laura seems too sudden to be real, as does Dr. Owen Leeds’ (Harris Yulin) sudden offer to clone Doug. The end of the movie is too pat, although at least they ex plain what happens to the clones. (You didn’t think he kept the clones, did you?) What can be said for this movie is that the cloning idea does set up some great potential for comedy, and Keaton delivers on that poten tial. His versatility comes through in portrayals of four identical men who are easily distinguishable from each other on the screen be cause of facial expressions and body movements, even before they speak. And he is very funny, even in obviously set-up situations. Multiplicity has many funny moments, but when it’s not funny, it’s strained, obvious and incom plete. It’s a mixed-bag probably not worth full admission price, but it should make a good video rental next year. Filming: Parking spaces on campus will be few ■ Continued from Page 1 ride a bike. LTD is also a good option.” Street closures will vary de pending on where the Warner Brothers crew will be filming, Stamm said. The closure of 15th Avenue will mean a loss of 126 parking places, and the closing of 15th Ave. and Uni versity Street will result in the elimination of 400 to 420 spaces. “They are paying the stan dard metered rate for the spaces," Stamm said. “It’s not free. The University will re coup the money.” However, parking on cam pus will not be completely im possible. Stamm said there are plenty of vacant parking spaces in the Bean, Music and Education lots. “There is also a lot of space at Autzen Stadium that we want to utilize better,” he said. “If this had to happen, this is the best time of year. The stu dent population is low, so this is the best you could hope for.” As far as avoiding the crunch this weekend, shuttles will run every 10 minutes from Autzen Stadium to the track. ^ jl&k TH-SA ib -5U-WL $4'-§U MAT 53' • 5R5 J3.M • KIB5 52.5fl"''^CEnrWC,»rES AKAAAfl5T BARGAIN PASSES ON SALE NOW - 5 MOVIES FOR $17.50, 10 FOR $30, GOOD SU - TH r HELD OVER! 5:20, 7:25, 9:30 Nightly Sun Mat 3:10 LS LIMITED ENGAGi 5:10, 7:10, 9:10 Nightly Trainspotting BIJOU LATE NITE • Lae Nile Adm Th-Sa $3 "Su-We $2.50 • Web Slle hll «M»J:rt.u:mTM=EKnniifnami»g ,□ STARTS FRIDAY, 8.9! It:40 Nightly "S Demi PI oo re STRIPTEASE A COMEDY IVHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT TO I liND ONE. Ordinance: Ban could go into effect immediately ■ Continued from Page 1 University area every day. “We’re asking people to use their skateboards for transporta tion, but when they get to the area, get off, pick it up and be come a pedestrian,” council woman Barbara Keller said. When the ordinance goes into effect, dogs and skateboards will not be allowed on E. 13th Avenue from Kincaid Street to Ferry Street, on Alder Street between 12th and 14th Avenues and in the alleyways off E. 13th. Like any other ordinance, the ban is scheduled to go into effect in 30 days. But the Council will meet again on Monday, August 12, in an attempt to enact an emergency clause that would cause the ordinance to take effect immediately. In order for this to happen, six of the eight council members must vote in favor of the clause. Only five members voted for the ordinance on Wednesday. Whether the ban goes into ef fect immediately or in thirty days, there are questions about how it will be enforced. Although Lieu tenant Hanson said, in most situa tions, people will not be carted off to jail if they break the law, the question remains of what will be done. Police say warnings will be giv en to skateboarders or people with dogs who have no proof of residence in the area. Citations will also be issued. Some say, the biggest concern is that people will not pay the fines because of the number of vagrants on E. 13 th. Although there were a lot of questions about the effects of the ordinance, most of the council members agreed that there should be an evaluation period after the ordinance is enacted. There was some debate about when the best time to make an evaluation would be, but most council members wanted it to be sooner than the proposed July 1,1997 date. “We wouldn’t want to do it be fore six months because during fall and winter, there is a drop-off in activity,” Lieutenant Hanson said. Several of the council members also called for more discussion on the subject when more students are in town. The City will post signs to in form people when the ordinance goes into effect. After that, warn ings will be issued to people with dogs or riding skateboards. 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