Amos & Andrew

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🎙️ EPISODE 324: 02.16.2021 Starting in 2020, I decided to watch & review the entire Nicolas Cage filmography in alphabetical order. This is 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔜𝔢𝔞𝔯 𝔬𝔣 ℭ𝔞𝔤𝔢 – Chapter 5. This is an incredibly weird document to critique here in our post-BLM word: a 1993 comedy about racism and the police. On some level, I'd rather do anything else. So let me address the societal stuff off the bat so I can get to my "Bob Balaban talks to himself" supercut, OK? I honest to god feel that the politics of this film, deep down, are good and correct. This being a 1993 comedic movie, that might be difficult to discern, and–well–fair enough. Some aspects took too many liberities with their stereotypes and the angry black mob who set fire to Andrew's (Samuel L. Jackson) house is certainly not a good look. But damn if there still isn't something prescient in Dabney Coleman's Police Chief and a young Giancarlo Esposito going at it, and especially the concept of the 'rich white liberal'...

There are a few unrelated gags and goofs, but basically this dynamic is THE WHOLE MOVIE. And frankly, I was shocked how well it held up, all things considered. So now I'll move on to my typical CAGEIAN plot breakdown in my 'normal' fashion. You can decide for yourself if Amos & Andrew (1993) is officially canceled or not. Don't shoot the messenger. Also: Apologies for the shitty video here with the horrible cropping–this one was difficult to procure and the lousy YouTube rip was not a great file to work with.

The film begins with celebrity playwright and academic and super rich person Samuel L. Jackson driving to the unnamed island where he has just purchased a new summer house; his wife will be arriving the next day. The first of a goddam murderer's row of character actors appear in the form of rich white married couple Michael Lerner and Margaret Colin walking their dog at night. I went ahead and made baseball cards for all of the character actors with what might be their most famous roles. A totally normal thing to do...


Unaware, that their island friends have sold this house, they see Samuel L. setting up a stereo in his new home and immediately think that he's a criminal because he's black and they call the cops. Whoops! This bit of racism of course sets off ALL the action for the next 90 minutes, but just know that these two are far from the most racist characters in this.

That honor surely goes to none other than the legendary Dabney Coleman, playing the Chief of Police or Commisioner or whatever who happens to be up for reelection in the next month or so.
Also in tow at the precinct are deputy Brad Dourif and, in a very small role, Chelsie Ross...


And who is at the tiny jailhouse run by these fools other than career criminal Nicolas Cage (Amos)...
Meanwhile back at the house, the cops arrive and shoot at Samuel L., thinking that his car keys are a gun but mostly because he's black. Small-time local reporters arrive and interview the rich couple who called the cops...

But the tables are flipped fairly on, as most parties learn the true identity of this guy: the famous and very rich Andrew Sterling (Samuel L. Jackson). The Police Chief, fearing the horrible publicity that will surely come with having fired shots at an unarmed island homeowner (because he is black), hatches a plan to stage a break-in/hostage situation with Cage as the patsy/wouldbe assailant. So they send in Cage, armed with a shotgun, to trick Samuel L. into thinking he was the guy who shot at him and not the cops, and instruct him to tie him up and release him to their custody in exchange for his safe passage to Canada. Coleman is seriously great as the smarmy racist cop, trying so hard to hide his disdain for the man as he attempts to save face...

The big-time media catches wind of this and soon enough it's a full-on live TV event nationally: the home invasion of a Pulitzer Prize winning playright. Among those watching their TVs? None other than Breaking Bad's Gus, Giancarolo Esposito, playing the role of an Al Sharpton type preacher/proto SJW.


Nicolas Cage quickly figures out that the cops have no intentions of setting him free when this whole thing is over and so refuses to proceed with the plan. Dabney Coleman enters the house and drops a hard N-Word on Samuel L. (not a good idea!)...



So now Coleman is the hostage and the action buddy comedy hijinks promised by the movie poster can ensue! But I gotta give credit to writer-director E. Max Frye for not playing up the tropes; he screws with the conventions of that stock recipe just enough. Sure, they make a connection by the film's end, but they really aren't buddy-buddy at all throughout, constantly at odds with each other, far more concerned with their own indiviudal plight than finding any common ground.

But they do have their moments together. They tie up the Police Chief and run out the back door to the previously mentioned rich couple's house where they encounter their racist dog...

...and find their sex toy stuff (which they would later use to tie up the couple when they return home)...

Then we're introduced to maybe my favorite character in this, Dr. Roy Fink, a psychologist / hostage negotiater played by the incomprable Bob Balaban.


There's a running gag where Bob, thinking he's on the phone with Nicolas Cage, but is really 'talking to' a gagged Dabney Coleman, goes on an on with just a brilliant one-sided conversation. And so here is the promised "Bob Balaban talks to himself" supercut...

Holed up in the neighbors' house, Nicolas Cage finds some weed and starts talking about sea monkies...

Aside from THE BIG IDEAS ABOUT RACISM the movie plays out like any early 90s comedy really. Far more offensive than any of the racial stuff is surely Cage's penchant for underage girls, alluded to earlier and then this bit with a pizza delivery girl...

In a bit of wonky plot development and bad writing, the Police Chief is freed and they take deputy Brad Dourif into custody posing as Amos to get the media off their back. It's not important. The cops call in "Bloodhound Bob," played by another character who's been in a million movies...


...to track down Amos & Andrew. But they escape because Samuel L. can recognize fancy car keys...

And that's basically that. There's a plenty of goofy action and by the following morning, the duo escape: Cage heads to Canada (going in the wrong direction) and Samuel L. finds his wife entering the island; they share their 'moment' and that's all folks...

Oh, and the end credits song is an absolute masterpiece banger by Sir Mix-a-Lot written specifically for the movie called "Suburban Nightmare" which basically just recounts the entire plot of the film...

In closing, a 7 is probably too high a score but I'm sticking with that as a protest vote against the totally undeserved 17% score at Rotten Tomatoes, and you know what? FUCK THE 1st AMENDMENT...


THE VERDICT: 7 CAGES OUT OF 10 • CLICK HERE for all 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔜𝔢𝔞𝔯 𝔬𝔣 ℭ𝔞𝔤𝔢 Chapters + Ongoing Rankings.

CHRONOLOGICALLY
⫷ EPISODE 323 - (YOU ARE HERE) - EPISODE 325A ⫸

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