Review of My Fellow Americans (1996) by John E — 02 Sep 2011

My Fellow Americans is a political comedy with corruption at every turn and follows the adventure of two ex-presidents trying to clear their name. Trying to avoid the men who are trying to kill them to make sure their cover-up works, they stumble into some large issues in America and also into some very funny situations. With great comedic veteranism leading the acting crew and direction to guide them, they were able to make the script reach its full potential.

The direction by Peter Segal (Tommy Boy) was great. He was able to get the most out of a cast that was very good and needed little guidance but he still had to get them from one point to another. This is a great film that is sure to help get a good career started because it is both a crowd pleaser and a high quality film. This combination is a great way to get a career started and it is obvious he has a true knack for comedy as he has several great ones under his belt.

The script by E. Jack Kaplan (film debut), Richard Chapman (film debut), and Peter Tolan (film debut) was smart and funny. The political corruption tied in with the overall comedy was great. The story was simplistic but it had a great feel to it because there was so much good honest comedy that it made up for it. Without this and the acting crew to make it worth the view for the audience, it could have truly fallen on its face. The entanglement of the political corruption mixed with this other comedy made it a smarter comedy than most and got away from the usual material that goes with most comedies. It was a nice change and made for a better film.

The acting in the film was absolutely remarkable and it made the film much better for it. Jack Lemmon (Getting Away With Murder) was really great and brought his presence and historic comedic brilliance which allowed the comedy to just roll. Without this presence the comedy could have gone very south because he was able to create a character that leaves the viewer unable to imagine anyone else in the role. Opposite Lemmon was James Garner (Streets of Loredo) a true comedian in his own right. He was able to accomplish the same status as Lemmon and created an unforgettable character that left the viewer laughing throughout the film. It is safe to say that the two made this film what it was and it would have been a lesser comedy without them. Their supporting cast consisted of Dan Aykroyd (Feeling Minnesota), Bradley Whitford (Billy Madison), John Heard (Before and After), and Everett McGill (Under Siege 2: Dark Territory) all of whom did a great job in their respective roles. They helped to enhance the chemistry of the main characters whose was almost pristine. This was truly an amazing group and they put together a really great comedy.

My Fellow Americans was a hilarious political comedy that was a perfect blend of comedy that was both smart and blunt with wise cracks that reminded the viewer of the comedies of the older days. This style helped to make the comedy better than it could have been. The direction helped the actors to get there, but they deserve most of the credit for getting this script to achieve maximum potential. It is without a doubt one of the better comedies with a nice blend, a true comedic treasure.