Dummy (2002 film)

Dummy
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Greg Pritikin
Written by	Greg Pritikin
Produced by	Richard Temtchine Bob Fagan
Starring	Adrien Brody Milla Jovovich Illeana Douglas Vera Farmiga Jessica Walter Ron Leibman Jared Harris
Cinematography	Horacio Marquínez
Edited by	William Henry Michael Palmerio
Music by	Paul Wallfisch
Production company	Quadrant Entertainment
Distributed by	Artisan Entertainment
Release dates	February 21, 2002 (2002-02-21) (AFM) September 12, 2003 (2003-09-12) (United States)
Running time	91 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$71,646^[1]

Dummy is a 2002 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Greg Pritikin. The film stars Adrien Brody as an ex-office worker who becomes a ventriloquist. It also stars Milla Jovovich, Illeana Douglas, Vera Farmiga, Jessica Walter, Ron Leibman, and Jared Harris. It premiered at the American Film Market on February 21, 2002, and received a limited theatrical release on September 12, 2003.

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Plot

Steven Schoichet is a recently unemployed ne'er-do-well who has difficulty expressing himself. Steven finds he has a knack for ventriloquism. Steven's best friend is Fangora "Fanny" Gurkel, an aspiring punk rock singer who, along with Steven, is just looking for her niche. Eventually, Fanny takes a shine to klezmer music when she learns of an opportunity to get an actual gig. Through his newfound talent, Steven discovers that he is able to overcome his social problems through his dummy and decides to try impressing and winning the heart of Lorena Fanchetti.

Cast

Adrien Brody as Steven Schoichet
Milla Jovovich as Fangora "Fanny" Gurkel
Illeana Douglas as Heidi Schoichet
Vera Farmiga as Lorena Fanchetti
Jessica Walter as Fern Schoichet
Ron Leibman as Lou Schoichet
Jared Harris as Michael Foulicker
Mirabella Pisani as Bonnie
Helen Hanft as Mrs. Gurkel
Richmond Hoxie as Sorensen
Adam LeFevre as Theatre Director
Poppi Kramer as Jen Freed
Alan Demovsky as Talking Mime
Lou Martini Jr. as Unemployed Italian
Gabor Morea as Unemployed Frottager
Edward Hibbert as Unemployed Actor
Robert Larkin as Pharmacist
Alan Semok as Professor Parlepancia
John Elsen as Cop
Debbie Ross as Le Bagel Waitress
Lawrence Leritz as Groom (uncredited)
Natalia Paruz as musical saw player

Production

Casting

In May 2000, it was reported by Variety that Adrien Brody and Milla Jovovich had been cast in the film, Brody as the lead character of Steven, and Jovovich as the best friend of Brody's character.^[2] The following month, in June 2000, it was announced that Illeana Douglas had joined the cast in a supporting role.^[3] Vera Farmiga, Ron Leibman, Jared Harris and Jessica Walter were also cast in supporting roles. Brody (who had no previous experience as a ventriloquist) performed all of the ventriloquism and puppetry live during shooting, doing so without puppeteering stand-ins or voiceover dubbing. He was coached prior to and during production by veteran actor-ventriloquist-puppetmaker Alan Semok, who is credited in the film as special consultant and designer/creator of the title character.

Filming

Principal photography took place in New York City, Wayne, New Jersey, and Long Island, New York in July and August 2000.

Reception

Box office

The film was given a limited release in the United States. Dummy made $30,130 from 5 theaters in its opening weekend. It made an additional $41,516 at the box office for a total domestic gross of $71,646.^[1]

Critical reception

Dummy received mostly positive reviews from film critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 71%, based on 34 reviews, with an average rating of 6.15/10. The site's consensus reads, "Dummy is a sweet family comedy that succeeds due to charming performances, even if the final product feels slightly undercooked."^[4] On Metacritic, the film holds a 48% rating based on 12 critical reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".^[5]