Raising Flagg
Alan Arkin has the enviable ability of making nearly everything he's in watchable. Sadly, "Raising Flagg" sorely tests that ability.Clearly, the makers of this unfunny character comedy were trying to combine the sensibilities of a pair of TV shows — the communal quirkiness of "Northern Exposure" and the abrasive family dysfunction of "Mama's Family."
As a result, the movie plays out more like an overextended sitcom episode than "Grumpy Old Men."
Arkin stars as the title character, Flagg Purdy. He does all sorts of handyman jobs in a small Oregon community, while his wife Ada (Barbara Dana) provides organic eggs to the local markets.
Flagg also has a long-running feud with his neighbor, Gus Falk (Austin Pendleton). And their feuding gets even uglier when Flagg sues Gus over water rights. The crotchety Flagg wins the case, but in doing so he becomes more unpopular than ever.
That turns out to be a crushing blow to his ego. So, depressed and unable to get out of bed, Flagg becomes convinced that he's dying, causing him to reach out to his estranged family members in his time of need.
Co-screenwriter/director Neal Miller has considerable experience in television, and it shows. This kind of thing would probably play a little better on the small screen than it does on the big screen.
They're all appealing performers but they're given little to do. And the way Flagg is written, Arkin can't really do anything with the character. He's so unlikable that we really don't want him to be redeemed in the end.
"Raising Flagg" is rated PG-13 for crude humor (references and jokes regarding animal bodily functions), scattered profanity and brief drug references (marijuana). Running time: 102 minutes.
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