The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 26, 2002, Page 6, Image 6
MOVIE REVIEW
‘Serving Sara ’ another one for trash can
“SERVING SARA”
Starring Elizabeth Hurley,
Matthew Perry
Zero out of ☆☆☆☆☆
BY AbAM MCALLISTER
THE GAMECOCK
Post-summer cinema has al
ways been a film wasteland, a
place movies are sent to wither
away and die, gaining little money
and lackluster critical attention.
This year won’t be any different.
Some of the worst movies being
made these days are out right now
in a theater near you. All it takes
is a quick glance at the marquee;
you’re sure to hit at least one.
In fact, if you were at a theater
this weekend, you most likely no
ticed three of them — the three
that just happened to be the only
new films in wide release;
“Undisputed,” “Simone” and
“Serving Sara.”
Now, I can’t speak for all these
movies,but I threw the dice and
came up snake-eyes. My choice:
“Serving Sara.”
“Serving Sara” is a romantic
comedy starring Matthew Perry
(“Friends”) and Elizabeth Hurley
(“Bedazzled”).
Joe Tyler (Perry) is a New York
process server, and has been on a
bad run lately. He’s already tossed
away a promising career as a de
fense attorney and is in limbo, try
ing to get enough cash to start his
own vineyard.
In an underhand business such
as his, one slip could mean your
career, which is why his latest
case is so important.
It seems a fairly easy case. Find
Sara Moore (Hurley), serve her di
vorce papers, be back home in
time for lunch. But, as Joe is about
to find out, it won’t be that simple.
Another thing not so easy is sit
ting through this film; 90 minutes
have been better spent watching
someone else watch paint dry.
Things actually get worse as the
movie goes on. After a chase se
quence through Manhattan during
which Joe is trying to serve Sara
(get it?), a scene that seemed to go
out of its way to lack humor, the
audience finds the tables turned.
The proposition? To have Joe
flip his mark and, in turn, serve
Sara’s philandering business part
ner/husband, the extreme Texan
Gordon (Bruce Campbell).
According to their plan, if he is
served first, Sara will be entitled
to half his assets instead of noth
ing and Joe will get $1 million.
The only problem is the cliched
rival process server (played by for
mer Sopranos thug Vincent
Pastore) who’s hot on their trail.
If Sara’s served first, all is lost.
One might assume a “comedy”
such as this would at least have
something to fall back on, should
the plot or the leads miss their tar
gets.
That assumption would be
wrong.
Perry’s ’ deadpan shlub,
Hurley’s sex appeal and even the
supporting cast all seemed off-kil
ter. Notorious fan favorite
Campbell, best knows for his char
acter in the “Evil Dead” films,
stumbles blindly through his role,
which is more than can be said of
Pastore and even the oft-times fun
ny Cedric the Entertainer, painful
ly shown in out-of-place cut scenes
as Joe’s disgruntled boss.
Little, if anything, can be taken
away from even the most mindless
viewing of this film. It offers no
comedy, no plot and no reasons to
waste your time.
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS
Elizabeth Hurley and Matthew Perry can’t lift “Serving Sara”
out of the mediocre mire this “comedy” has gotten stuck in.
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