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Show ‘CINEMA ‘Humorisallin the family for Williams’s ‘R.V.’ Chris Hewitt RV. irector Barry Sonnenfeld is serijous about making us laugh. In such movies as “Menin Black,” “Big Trouble,” “The Addams Director: Barry Sonnenfeld Cast: Robin Williams, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Chenoweth Running time: 1 hr., 38 min. Rating: PG for crude humor, innuendo and language Location: OpensFriday in theaters everywhere Family” and now “R.V.,” he has taught himself that amusing audiencesisn't just about the joke.It’s about timing other characters’reactions to the joke, | repeating bit in new contextsso thatit becomes funnier each time we encounterit, underselling a joke so wedecide if it's funny rather than having the actors force it downour throats. I'm thinking ofa scene in “R.V.” wherea gigantic trailer runs over two parked cars. Some directors would kill the joke by harping on the wholeglassshattering smashfest, but Sonnenfeld knowsit’s funnier to show the actors’ reactions instead and thencut to two wafer-thin vehicles, There's also a great bit in which Robin Williams tries to worka recalcitrantseatbelt. It goes on forever and keeps getting funnier, especiallysi ince it's punctuated by a shot of his wiseguy kid, staringin blank disbelief at the dad who's aboutto drive him cross country ina rented recreational vehicle but who can’t operate the simplest devi ice onboard. It would be a disservice to “R.V.” to rave too much, becauseit’s not perfect JOE LEDERER/Columbia Pictures An overworked Bob Munro (Robin Wiliams), drags his family on a road trip to Ginnie!in a recreationalvehicle, in “R.V.” Still, “R.V.” walks a tricky andentertaining line. All the family membersare gifted at sarcasm, and they're openly mean to a family of do-gooders(Jeff Daniels and Kristen Chenowethare a hoot as the sadistically chipper parents), But their humor is sharp (staring in disbelief at the arid parking lot where they're spending the night, Williams's daughter says, “We're where NASA faked the moonlanding!”). Andthey It is, essentially, an unacknowledged remakeof “National Lampoon's Vaca- tion,” in which a squabbling family takes an extended vacation that forces them to squabble in close quarters 24-7. With a waste-disposal bit, a scatalogi- cal nicknamefor the vehicle and several cases of gastrointestinaldistress, way too muchof the humor is fecal. And there's an actress in a small role who kept making me write, “Who is this awkwardgirl?” in my notebook, only to realize as the creditsrolled thatit’s the director's daughter. And I don't need to hear Robin Williams say, “Yo, dawg,” ever again. havean affectionate ease with each otherthat feels right despite the occasional hostility. It’s as if “R.V.” is saying, “Of course, you makefun of the membersof your own family because, after everyone stops laughing, you know they’restill going to be your family. quieter,less histrionic teacher than Fishburne was to Keanu iy nough with the boxing, +{ baseball and gridiron _dflicks. Hollywood has decided thatthe best spectator sport is a good, old-fashioned spelling bee. We've had a mini-flurry of bee flicks, first the wonderful documentary “Spellbound,” thenlastfall’s.dour,fitful drama “Bee Season.” Nowcomes *Akeelah and the Bee,” a wellmeaningandpleasant tale even Reeves in the “Matrix” movies.) Asthe road to the national Akeelah and the Bee bee unfolds, Akeelah finds love Director: Doug Atchison with a competitor (J.R. Villar- Cast: Keke Palmer, Laurence real) and experiences harshrivalry with a front-runner (Sean Fishburne, Angela Bassett, J.R. Villarreal Runningtime:1 hr., 53 min. Rating: PG for some language Location: OpensFridayin theaters everywhere Michael Afable) whose father (Tzi Ma)relentlessly goadshis ° e Daily Herald, Thursday, April 27, 2006 if it does embrace (andpracti- cally squeezethelife out of) all the cliches of the underdog formula. Writer-director Doug Atchison needed a grand presence LaurenceFishburne and Angela forhis title character, an 11- the first time since they played whoseinnate talent for spelling Ike and Tina Turner in “What's LoveGot to Do withIt.” But the year-old inner-cityblack girl makes hera surprise contender to conquer the national spelling bee. And Atchison found a doozy | spirit and hearty humor. Palmeris surrounded by a sturdy supporting cast, notably with Keke Palmer, who ap- peared previously in “Barbershop 2” and “Tyler Perry’s Madea's Family Reunion” and nowsteps intoa lead role with SAEED ADYANI/LionsGate Films Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburre) helps Akeelah (Keke Palmer) makeit to the NationalSpelling Beein “Akeelah andthe Bee.” Bassett, reuniting on screen for movierests onits lead’s young shoulders, and Palmer delivers tremendously,lifting the film aboveits predictability. Palmer’s Akeelah is a bright but uninspired student at her Los Angeles school. Her spelling acumenis noticed by a teacher,and herprincipal (Curtis Armstrong) cordially coerces the reluctant Akeelah into participating at the school spelling bee. The makeshift, informal bee proves a breeze for Akeelah, vaulting herinto high-pressure regional competitions, where stage moms and dads pressure their kids to win atall costs. Akeelah’s single mother (Bassett), frazzled from work, a tough homelife and unfulfilled dreams of her own,offers no encouragement and even becomes an obstacle to her daughter's aims. She thinks spelling bees a wasteoftime. It's fortunate, then, that Akeelah attracts a Mr. Miyagistyle mentor, one Dr. Larabee (Fishburne), a college professor conveniently on sabbatical who becomes Akeelah’s coach. Larabee becomes the stern but loving father figure lacking in Akeelah’slife. (He's alsoa sonto victory. The stereotypes, conventions and coincidences getlaid on thick. Whenparentsare fanatical about their children triumphing, they are blue-inthe-face fanatical. Whenthey're indifferent, they're deadbeat-parent indifferent. When Akeelah’s future — and the movie's climax — hinges on a single word,it’s a word with particular meaning to the main characters. Andyet, somehow, “Akeelah and the Bee” manages to be uplifting without drowning in its own contrived sweetness. The film breezes past on the strength of Atchison’s generally engaging characters, and especially on the devotion and earthy joyfulness of one young actress. And her nameis spelled “KEKE” |