Review of Crazy People (1990) by Daniel S — 04 Mar 2008

This is a great, lighthearted poke at the lack of honesty in the advertising industry. Dudley Moore stars as Emory Leeson, an ad exec going through a nervous breakdown who makes up some blatantly inappropriate billboard ads that are accidentally sent to print.

Some great examples include 'United Airlines - most of our passengers get there alive' and 'Jaguar - for men who want hand-jobs from beautiful women they hardly know'. After the ads are displayed all over New York, Emory is not-quite-voluntarily checked into a mental institution to sort himself out.

While there, he keeps trying to re-find his advertising genius, and this leads to the patients helping him out with slogans and campaigns. Emory's bosses laud him for his return to success, until they find out that most of the work has been done by a bunch of mental patients.

A devious plot is hatched, and it is up to Emory to convince his gentle-minded friends that they are being royally screwed. This is an hour and a half of pure fun, and the underlying exploitation theme isn't overplayed, leaving the film in a good place despite the potential darkness of corporate suits exploiting the skills of mental patients.

You can probably guess who gets the last laugh, but it's still well worth watching. Daryl Hannah puts in her usual stunning-but-sweet performance as Emory's love interest and other top efforts are made by Paul Reiser and David Paymer (you'll know them when you see them).

If you are in the mood for something light and funny, this film is a great choice.