Review of Dedication (2007) by Chads. — 01 Mar 2008

When South African novelist Doris Lessing("The Golden Notebook") won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007, Erica Jong, author of "The Fear of Flying", wrote that "they could have given it to Philip Roth for paeans to his penis," which brings us to "Dedication".

Henry Roth(Billy Crudup) is celibate(when he's not careful, he leaves a human stain). He writes children's "literature". Lucy Reilly(Mandy Moore), an illustrator by default, entered the profession after she outlived her usefulness as a self-important thesis adviser's muse.

Reilly shares the same surname as Valerie Martin, the author of "Mary Reilly"; the lesser Reilly, a PhD candidate for English literature, wanted to distance herself("as far as possible," she tells Henry) from the world of important books.

Another name with literary allusions, another inside joke, "Dedication" is funnier than you think. In children's literature, the target demographic tends to be more scrutinizing about pictures than words.

Henry is disposable. His maladjusted persona seems better fitted for a man who writes real literature. All that neuroses is wasted on a beaver named Bucky. Henry's machismo and hubris seems disproportionate to his literary talent.

"Dedication" is "Pollock" of a lesser god. For sure, he's Roth of a lesser god. Lucy, formally trained in uncovering meaning behind objects, will have no problems figuring out the root of beaver.