Reviews

Seated in a theater-in-the round with his face painted silver, Bill Cosby voices the views of all types of bigots present in The United States of America in 1971. Using derogatory ethnic slurs, Cosby expresses contempt for everyone; Caucasians, African-Americans, Jews, the elderly, and numerous other groups.

I saw this film twice. The first time was at my grade school in 1974, the second, in college a decade later. Each time, it was highly effective at making me understand bigotry and how my own father attempted to hand down similar views to his children. By aiming the hatred at everyone and not just one ethnic group, Cosby demonstrated how it felt to be hated and taught me to unlearn the negativity acquired from my father.

I have come to realize that my sense of humor is very much out of sync with mainstream film tastes. Frequently, I have seen a comedy that leaves me in hysterics, only to discover that it is loathed by the mainstream media and masses alike. "The Road To Wellville" is one of these films.

When I first saw "The Road To Wellville" on Cinemax in the mid-nineties, I could not believe just how much crass and bawdy humor was packed into this film, and I could not stop laughing. Up to that time, I could not recall any other film so unashamedly filled with scatological references. I especially enjoyed the great Anthony Hopkins voicing the eccentric views of Dr. John Kellogg while defining a very strange but memorable character.

Of course, the critics panned this film for the very reasons I initially loved it. Seeing it again, I can understand their revulsion. While the film is packed with many hilariously tasteless gags, the overall story is very erratic. The main plot involving Matthew Broderick's bizarre medical treatments is rather entertaining, but John Cusack's subplot is neither very funny nor well-written. By the three-quarters mark, the film loses momentum and becomes just another tedious romantic comedy. Such a shame, considering the outrageously satirical nature of the first few acts of this film. The laughs are there, but the story is not.