Plot: Dr. Jeff Weitzman (Dennis Boutsikaris) is a psychiatrist working in a sanitarium in New Jersey. His primary patients include Billy (Michael Keaton) a pathological liar with violent tendencies, Henry (Christopher Lloyd) an obsessive compulsive who thinks he's a psychiatrist, Jack (Peter Boyle) a former ad executive who thinks he's Jesus, and Albert (Stephen Furst) a catatonic who only speaks in baseball terminology. Convinced that his patients need to get out for a day, Weitzman organizes a trip to Yankee stadium. But when Weitzman witnesses a murder by two crooked cops and is rushed to the hospital, the four are abandoned in New York City without supervision and desperate to find Weitzman before he ends up dead.
Review: I freely admit a little bias when it comes to The Dream Team. Next to Fletch it is my all-time favorite comedy. While many who know me know I have a sense of humor (albeit a sick one) not many know that, for some reason, it takes a lot for me to laugh at a movie.
The Dream Team made me laugh out loud the first time I saw it and has ever since. The main ingredients for a fantastic comedy include strong writing, good characters, impeccable timing, and excellent chemistry. The Dream Team has all four of these in spades. Every character is distinct and endearing in their own particular way and the comedic timing between the four characters is a sight to behold. The Dream Team is easily one of Keaton's best comedic performances. He's totally outlandish, sarcastic, and abrupt. Lloyd is perfectly cast as Henry and plays the obsessive compulsive doctor role to a T. Even Furst's Albert, who is most often remembered as Animal House's Flounder, consistently delivers funny lines despite the fact that he only speaks in baseball announcer phrases. (Thankfully not Joe Morgan.)
Peter Boyle really steals the show however. Next to his role as Frankenstein's monster in Young Frankenstein, his turn as God delusional Jack is magnificent. His tendency to strip down naked isn't so much disturbing as it is funny. The scene where he proclaims himself Jesus to a group of black Baptists in NYC is particularly memorable.
What is most impressive however is the personal connection we feel to all the characters. Unlike the movie Grown Ups I just reviewed, all four characters have their individual quirks that make them endearing. Jack is a guy who just cracked after realizing he was in a soulless and demeaning job, Billy is reluctant to take on a leadership role and despite his tough outward exterior is really scared of making personal connections. Meanwhile Henry has a wife and son who desperately want him back in their lives and Albert's social anxiety is as heartbreaking as it is funny and endearing.
Director Howard Zieff, most known for 1980's Private Benjamin gets a lot of credit for The Dream Team. It's not often that a director can get the most out of four actors of this caliber but he pulls it off effortlessly. Kudos also goes out to writers John Connolly and David Loucka who crafted not only a funny script but a surprisingly touching one too.
Forget Jordan, Byrd, and Magic. This comedy gem is the real dream team.
My rating: 9/10
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