The year is
1999, and I still can’t understand why every time I watch this movie, I’m
laughing my head off.
To be honest, the movie isn’t hilariously clever, nor are the antics
particularly groundbreaking. What leaves you in stitches is the character Jake
Gordon, played by Mel Brooks in his 70s.
Brooks was in a
class of his own. Everyone else in the movie felt like they were playing
catch-up. Whenever the focus shifted away from him, it was frustrating because
the other characters just didn’t bring the same comedic energy—they mostly came
off as overacting.
Two iconic moments from Brooks stand out: first, his “relocating pain”
treatment, which he explains in detail, and second, his habit of bursting into
song with “Toot Toot Tootsie” by Al Jolson every time he hears a tune.
The plot
revolves around an Italian family running a natural food company. The father,
Guido Puccini, is hot-tempered and has no faith in his son Bernardo’s (Ezio
Greggio) ability to take over the business after he’s gone. Desperate to earn
his father’s respect, Bernardo agrees to fulfill his father’s dying wish.
Guido recounts a
story from the war: he was trapped under a statue during a raid when a man
named Jake Gordon (Mel Brooks) saved him. Guido asks Bernardo to go to America
and bring Jake back so he can see him one last time.
Thinking it’s a
simple request, Bernardo flies to America and tracks Jake down—only to find him
in a mental hospital. Jake’s erratic behavior and obliviousness to the chaos he
causes make it difficult, but Bernardo manages to help him escape.
However,
Bernardo loses Jake when their plane lands, and now he must find him before
Jake’s doctor, who’s hot on their trail, catches up and sends Jake back to
America.
I love this
movie, and I hope you will too. For me, the highlight is always Brooks singing
“Toot Toot Tootsie,” a song he sang during World War II.
Fun Facts: It’s
said that during the Battle of the Bulge, the Germans broadcast propaganda
messages over loudspeakers. Brooks, then a soldier, set up his own speakers and
performed his imitation of Al Jolson’s “Toot Toot Tootsie.” The song was
originally performed by Al Jolson in the 1927 movie The Jazz Singer, the
first feature-length motion picture with sound, which marked the end of the
silent film era.
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