Just the Ticket
Director:
Richard Wenk
Writer:
Richard Wenk
Cast
Andy Garcia – Gary Starke
Andie MacDowell – Linda Palinski
Richard Bradford – Benny Moran
Fred Asparagus – Zeus
Louis Mustillo – Harry the Head
Patrick Breen – San Diego Vinnie
Laura Harris – Alice/Cyclops
Don Novello – Tony
Country:
France
USA
Language:
English
Release Dates:
USA – 26 February 1999
Spain – 16 April 1999
Netherlands – 6 May 1999
Australia – 13 May 1999
UK – 18 June 1999
Finland – 2 July 1999
France – 21 July 1999
New Zealand – 29 July 1999
Ratings:
USA: R
Australia: M
Germany: 12
Iceland: L
Netherlands: AL
New Zealand: M
Spain: T
IMDb: 5.4/10
Netflix: 3.0/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 18% (Rotten)
Just the Ticket is a rom-com about a New York ticket scalper named Gary (Andy Garcia) and his ex-girlfriend Linda (Andie MacDowell). At the beginning of the movie Gary is confessing his sins to a priest, but mostly is telling him how much he loves Linda and wants to get her back. The priest is no help. He first throws a bunch of bumper stickers at Gary: Follow your heart. The strength is within you. God will show you the way. Etc. Then he finishes with, “Do you have any tickets for the Knicks game on Friday?”
That’s the tone of the movie. It’s a pleasant enough way to spend 115 minutes, Andy and Andie are fun and good looking, there are a bunch of wacky characters – including the guy who played Father Guido Sarducci and an actor named Fred Asparagus (bet his pee stinks). Everybody does their best, but it didn’t move me.
OK, so you might say that it’s a romantic comedy, it’s not supposed to “move me,” but I am supposed to care, right? I didn’t. Gary and Linda went skipping along on their way to the happy ending that we knew was coming. A couple of surprises, some monkey wrenches thrown into the gears of happiness, like any romantic comedy, but we know they’re gonna make it. I’m not an anti-romance guy either…I’m actually a pretty sentimental slob.
From listening to the commentary track, it would appear that Gary Starke is based on a real life scalper that the writer/director knew in New York. Apparently there’s a sub-plot about his relationship with his mother that they had to lose for time or plot flow purposes. I wonder if I might have cared more about him if they had left that stuff in.
The Misplaced Boy MST3K Scale:
Oh…and Andie MacDowell’s southern accent slips a time or two. But, like I said, everybody seems to have put their heart into the movie, so you can’t hate it. It just didn’t do anything for me.
Nanites
Random Quote Whore Quote:
Just the Ticket is a shaggier, posh, moonrise of a movie! Andy Garcia is palladic!!!
YOU’RE DEAD INSIDE!!!
lol, I have to admit, I’ve also watched Romantic Comedies, where I could care less about the charactors and tried to estimate its budget, so that for the rest of the movie, I’d hold out for the possibility of a huge comet lending a hint of unpredictability!
Still, I might check it out…
^_~
Shhh! Don’t tell anyone about the huge comet scene at the end! We don’t do spoilers here