Movie review: ‘Splash’

FloridaGator80

It’s really great to rediscover an old favorite such as “Splash” from 1984. It’s even better when that favorite flick features great work by a young Tom Hanks, a fall-down funny effort by John Candy (did he ever do an un-funny one?), an energetic Eugene Levy and even a quirky Dody Goodman. Oh, let’s not forget Daryl Hannah – the mermaid who learns English while watching TV at Bloomingdale’s. Finally, if you need more – it’s a Ron Howard film. Check this one out if you haven’t in a while. Candy and Levy alone are worth the price of admission, much less Hanks.

‘Splash’
(1984; 111 minutes; rated PG; directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, Eugene Levy and John Candy)

‘SPLASH’ IS FAR FROM A BELLY FLOP

(NOTE: I expanded this review with additional opinion and trivia and the updating of links on July 20, 2015. I again expanded the review on March 21, 2020.)

Watching “Splash” again after nearly 20 years (it was released in 1984 and I’d seen it a few times after catching it in the theater and VHS in the 1990s) is quite a treat. It’s too easy to forget just how the main cast here is so consistently funny throughout the film and that this kind of comedy can be an excellent motion picture – not just a series of jokes that calls itself a film.

“Splash” is absolutely all good, from co-star Tom Hanks, who also had the hilarious “Bachelor Party” released the same year (click here for my review) and was in his first starring role on the big screen; to Eugene Levy, who was coming off his previous year’s role in “National Lampoon’s Vacation;” to John Candy coming off sensational turns in “The Blues Brothers” and “Stripes;” to Daryl Hannah, who was fresh from the steamy threesome flick “Summer Lovers” and the sci-fi classic “Blade Runner.”

Even TV veteran Dody Goodman, who had roles in the megahit “Grease” (click here for my review) as well as in her work with “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” brings down the house as addled secretary “Mrs. Stimler” when she wears a bra on the outside of her blouse at work. The role is one that proves that an actor doesn’t need pages of a screenplay to convey a character.

The person pulling it all together is director Ron Howard, who would go on to win two Oscars for “A Beautiful Mind” (an overrated film showing a bit of revisionist history, but a decent story punctuated by overrated acting). He uses his signature deft touch here and apparently the way to make sure the chemistry is all there in the film.

In case you don’t remember, Hanks is “Allen Bauer,” who fell overboard from a ferry as a child and had a mermaid vision. He grows up to become the deft businessman who runs the family business and suffers gladly his outgoing brother Candy, who plays “Freddie Bauer.” Through the necessary strange circumstances, Hanks winds up in the ocean again and is saved by Hannah.

Soon, they hook up in New York after she comes ashore as a human (an albeit naked human strolling around the Statue of Liberty) and Hanks falls in love with her. The film then winds its way around their relationship as Levy, playing perpetually hyper scientist “Walter Kornbluth,” hustles to find her to prove to a bunch of other less-hyper egghead scientists that he’s not crazy when he says he’s encountered a mermaid.

It all spins out after she is caught (at a speech by the President, no less – it works here, really) and Hanks rescues her. Cue the happy ending, Ron.

  • With two Oscars and four nominations, Hanks does it all. You don’t need me to tell you that he’s watchable in just every scene. Hanks has that ease in front of the camera that translates to a connection with the audience that sets him apart from most other actors. His CV is much too long to recount here (from his nomination in “Saving Private Ryan” to what I consider his biggest stinker – “Forrest Gump,” but that won him a statue), but I especially enjoyed him in “Big” in another nominated role and “Cast Away.” Hanks did deep, serious drama in “Philadelphia” and won an Oscar for it and he was nominated for one for his work in 2019’s “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”
  • While Hanks shows us a glimpse of his career to come in “Splash,” it is two-time Primetime Emmy winner Candy who cannot be contained. Just take scene where he plays racquetball while smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer. No matter what is in the scene, if he’s in it … he overwhelms it. Candy is best remembered as “Uncle Buck” (click here for my review) and also for “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” opposite Steve Martin. While Candy did great comedy (say, “Home Alone” – click here for my review – or “The Great Outdoors” with Dan Aykroyd), he also did drama such as “JFK” and “Only the Lonely” with screen legend Maureen O’Hara. Tragically, Candy died too young at 43 in 1994 of a heart attack while making a film in Mexico.
  • Hannah’s character gets the name “Madison” from the famous avenue in New York (after she learns to speak by watching television in Bloomingdale’s) and she’s simply pitch-perfect as both a woman and a mermaid. Hannah doesn’t have any of the over-the-top work you see from the trio of Hanks-Candy-Levy, but she manages to grade out the equal of them all. Hannah was the vengeful assassin “Elle Driver” in the “Kill Bill” films and was also in “Wall Street” with Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen.
  • Levy gives Candy serious comedic competition as he pushes his arrogant, angry and ultimately vulnerable character to the limit. An actor doesn’t get a chance to accomplish what Levy did in this one and I’m glad he didn’t strike out. He is best remembered as the father in “American Pie” (click here for my look at that franchise) and has also “Cheaper by the Dozen 2” (click here for my review). Levy had the rare chance to play different characters in a film and its sequel when he played a singer auditioning in “Father of the Bride” (click here for my review) and then was the home buyer in “Father of the Bride Part II” and recently has been on TV’s “Schitt’s Creek” as “Johnny Rose.”

The scene is short where Hanks, Candy and Levy use subterfuge (if you can call it “subterfuge” by Candy using the Swedish language he learned from his extensive viewing of porn) to get into rescue Hannah, but it is a showcase for why the film works: Everyone’s obviously having fun! I also like how Howard had Levy turn his anger inward. When he’s in a dentist’s chair, Levy snarls to the doctor, “I don’t deserve painkiller, just drill!”

In one of the film’s quietly funny moments, officials come into the room where Hannah as a mermaid was being held captive in a big aquarium, Candy is sitting on a plank above it with his feet dangling in the water. He’s using a stick strung with computer tape as line to look like he’s fishing. “Hiya, boys. Come on in, the water’s fine,” he tells them. A perfect performance in a perfect scene.

Finally, the hallmark of a stem-to-stern funny film is when a bit-part character’s one line is tremendously funny, as the cab driver does here when mouthing off to soldiers chasing Hanks and Hannah. It’s a little too coarse, so I’ll not repeat it here, but it is a memorable scene.

I’m sure it doesn’t take much to see that I’m a big fan of “Splash.”

Although consistently great throughout his career, Howard can make a stinker (try the auto racing dud called “Rush” – whoo, that one’s as bad as a film can be … check out my criticism here), but the hallmark of his career is top-notch films and he’s not defined by genre. He’s done drama (“Parenthood” – click here for my review – and “Apollo 13”); drama-comedy (the almost-forgotten “Night Shift” with Henry Winkler and just-about-as-forgotten “Gung Ho”); and even fantasy (“Willow” … and now he’ll be working on a TV series based on his movie).

Howard received a pair of Oscar nominations (director and Best Picture as co-producer) for “Frost/Nixon” and he’s also done solid work in front of the camera on both TV (the iconic “Happy Days” as a young adult and “The Andy Griffith Show” as a child) and films (such as “American Graffiti” and “The Shootist” with John Wayne in that legend’s final movie – click here for my review).

Whew! They don’t come any better than Howard in Hollywood!

“Splash” made $68.8 million on a budget of $8 million and was the 10th ranked film at the box office in 1984, according to Box Office Mojo. It’s interesting to note that Hanks was a double winner that year since his “Bachelor Party” comedy film came in 19th at $38.4 million (and that was for an R-rated raunchy comedy). The No. 1 film was the now comedy classic “Ghostbusters” with $220.9 million in ticket sales and No. 2 was “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” with $179.8 million. Here are the films from 1984 that I’ve reviewed:

Other cast and film notes (via IMDb.com):

  • Candy’s middle name was Franklin and, at 6-feet-2, he was not one of Hollywood’s micro-men who top out at 5-foot-5.
  • To prove just how incredibly incompetent advertising folks can be, look at a couple of the movie posters above. They misspell Hanks’ character’s name. Sigh.
  • Directly from IMDb.com: “Ariel in The Little Mermaid (1989) was originally blonde, but was made a redhead to look different from Madison.”
  • One supporting actor in the cast is Clint Howard, the director’s brother. I’d say Clint needs to continue to thank Ron for keeping him working in Hollywood, as he has found a spot in many of his sibling’s films with having little discernable talent. Still, he’s had a prolific career in TV and films outside Ron’s work, with a total of 250 acting credits coming into the spring of 2020.
  • Directly from IMDb.com: “The beach where Allen first encounters the nude Madison is on the former Gorda Cay in the Bahamas, which now is known as Castaway Cay, the private island of Disney Cruise Line.”
  • Jeffrey Dreisbach plays a reporter in “Splash” and you’ll remember two of his films (“Die Hard With a Vengeance” and “The Thomas Crown Affair” — click here for my review) but, sadly, not him or the roles in what was a brief career.
  • The film has been cited as the sparkplug for the girl’s name “Madison.” Hannah takes it from a Madison Avenue street sign and Hanks notes “that’s not a name,” but it went on to become one of the most popular girl names over the next generation.
  • John Travolta passed on the role on the advice of his agent, according to some reports. While I don’t have anything against Travolta, who has done excellent work, I cannot imagine him doing this comedy. Another turn-down was from Jodie Foster in favor of “The Hotel New Hampshire” and Hanks had said he was the 11th choice for the role of “Allen.”
  • Comedian Shecky Greene has a small role playing “Mr. Buyrite,” a customer of Hanks and Candy. Greene can also count an episode of “The Love Boat” on his resume (click here for by take on the series).
  • The other principal cast members to notch “Love Boat” cruises are Hanks (he was “Gopher’s” frat brother), Goodman and Patrick Cronin (who plays Levy’s obnoxious boss in “Splash”).
  • Finally and directly from IMDb.com: “The first film released under Disney’s Touchstone Pictures label, which was created so the studio could release more adult-oriented fare.”
  • Click here for IMDb.com’s extensive trivia page about the film …

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