Olive Films have certainly timed their new releases around the recent holiday. Along with Secret Admirer, Mystery Date is another wacky comedy with romantic overtones that would be well suited for Valentine’s Day viewing (or at least a slightly belated Valentine’s showing). Mystery Date doesn’t work quite as well as the other title, but it is interesting to watch a future star ply his trade in an early role.
Tom (Ethan Hawke) is a teen pining over a neighborhood house-sitter named Geena (Teri Polo). However, he doesn’t have the courage to ask her out. When his older brother Craig (Brian McNamara) arrives in town unexpectedly, the smooth-talking sibling takes control and sets up a date between Tom and Geena. Craig dresses his insecure brother and then lends him a credit card. But after the date begins, Tom starts to suspect that Craig is involved in some nefarious activities. Our hero is soon confronted by angry parties mistaking him for his brother. Can the lead survive their attacks and impress the object of his affections?
Hawke’s very likable as the shy and awkward teen who is forced to display increasing resolve as events get more and more out of hand. Some of the best moments come early on as the character learns that the sibling he idolizes is less than worthy of his respect; he gets slapped by random women and even discovers something shocking in the a trunk, requiring the young man to cover his tracks without detection. There’s some good physical comedy and one almost wishes the filmmakers had added more of these moments.
It’s unfortunate that despite the great work done by the lead, the people behind the camera never quite nail the tone. There’s a dark and dangerous edge to what is going on, often involving dead bodies; it contrasts strongly with the light romantic interchanges occurring at the same time. A more outrageous approach would have helped. Actor Fisher Stevens is misused in a role as a flower delivery man stalking Tom. There’s really no discernable reason for his manic behavior. Audiences will wonder if he isn’t a secret agent or have an ulterior motive for his pursuit. Unfortunately, he doesn’t, making his actions all the more confounding.
At least there is an odd scene here or there that does hit the mark. There are chuckles to be had when the villain (DW Wong) invites the dating couple to dinner and begins verbally threatening their lives. Later, when one of his men attacks Tom, it results in a funny throwaway gag and an amusingly over-the-top stunt. It’s during these sections that the film works best. If only these bits of rampant silliness remained consistent throughout.
This movie definitely has its fans and they’ll be happy that once again this is another excellent looking disc. The cinematography is filled with eye-popping color (including some gorgeous, neon-lit Chinatown locations) and the Blu-ray does a great job of presenting the film. The visuals were impressive enough for me to look up director of photography Oliver Wood (he’s also responsible for shooting Die Hard 2, Face/Off and The Bourne Identity among many other flicks).
So even if Mystery Date doesn’t quite meet its full potential, it does have a few interesting elements and fans of the lead actor will enjoy seeing the performer in a unusual role.