The Jimmy Show

An unrelenting character study of tragic proportions, Frank Whaley’s The Jimmy Show is such a bleak and devastating film, with scenes of relief coming around as often as full moons, that the title character is not only bound for failure - - he’s never even given a chance at redemption.

The hapless fella at hand is wannabe comedian Jimmy O’Brien (Whaley), an aging loser who still maintains the same work position held in high school, at the local supermarket. As the film tracks along with Jimmy from one disappointment to the next, never giving the man the slightest break from life’s drudgery, we’re left to ponder whether there is anything he could do to reclaim his livelihood. I personally did and do not think there was, which made the film all the more depressing.

Jimmy marries his high school sweetheart, Annie (Carla Gugino), after she professes to be pregnant. Marriage or children aren’t the greatest idea, though, since our hero still lives with his wheelchair-bound grandmother (Lynn Cohen) in her ancient house in a blue-collar New Jersey neighborhood. Not the cheeriest of atmospheres for young newlyweds, but what’re you gonna do?

Jimmy has aspirations of becoming a comedian. The problem is, he’s not funny. His stand-up routines in open mic clubs are embarrassing, so he stops telling jokes and does what he knows best, which is complain about his miserable life. And miserable it is.

This is Whaley’s second directorial feature. Acting as writer-director, as well as star, he knows how to build a somber mood that can cause the cheeriest of people to mope around with a sunken head. There is one scene where Jimmy takes his wife out for their anniversary to a lively restaurant, but when the restaurant loses their reservation and Jimmy makes a huge deal out of it, they leave to eat in an empty and gloomy diner; not even wishing one another “Happy anniversary”.

Whaley drew together some talented actors to support his performance. Ethan Hawke has an amusing cameo as Jimmy’s clueless best friend and co-worker, dropping cartons from carriers like any bumbling pothead would. But it’s Whaley himself as the pathetic, whining Jimmy that steals the show; and that isn’t because he’s in every scene of the film. The veteran character actor, who last had a cameo in Red Dragon, knows this material by heart (he’s played the role many times on stage), and by adapting Jonathan Marc Sherman’s play to the screen (previously titled Veins & Thumbtacks), Whaley delivers one of the most effective performances of his career. It’s up there with his bumbling “What?” character from Pulp Fiction.

The Jimmy Show is obviously grim, not showing its protagonist much sympathy. Jimmy is a failure, both career-wise and as a suitable father, but despite the fact that he can do nothing right, the character does show much dignity. Hopefully, that quality will get him through life after the end credits roll. Shaun Sages

Return to Movie Navigator