Welcome to Me : Movie Review


Welcome to Me (2014) - Movie PosterHaving a kernel of a great idea is the crucial first step in a film's creation, but a script that lives up to this creative initial spark is just as important. For all of the talent in front of the camera, the cast of "Welcome to Me" is let down by a rushed, underdeveloped screenplay from Eliot Laurence that fails to adequately probe the psyche of its lead character. Alice Klieg (Kristen Wiig) is ripe for exploration—indeed, the story she is in practically demands that she open up about her life and what has led her to her present—but director Shira Piven opts for shtick over substance and makes a grave miscalculation by treating her heroine's serious mental illness predominately as a lark.

Alice hasn't turned off her television set in eleven years. Every day, she rises from slumber at 12:15 p.m. and immediately dives into her videocassette recordings of old episodes of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," all of which she has long since memorized. She rarely goes out, but when she does it is usually down the street to the convenience store to pick up small provisions and lotto tickets. When Alice suddenly wins the California Stack Sweepstakes, she sees her $86-million earnings as the answer to all her problems. Refusing to heed the warnings of longtime therapist Dr. Moffat (Tim Robbins), she promptly stops taking her prescriptions to treat her borderline personality disorder, moves into a Palm Springs casino, and approaches a local television station with an offer that sibling owners Gabe (Wes Bentley) and Rich (James Marsden) cannot refuse: a $15-million check to host her very own talk show, called "Welcome to Me." Alice insists on making every decision, right down to the construction of a swan boat on which to make her grand entrance. She doesn't want to interview guests, cover human-interest stories, or discuss current events. For two hours, five days per week, she plans to focus on only one topic: herself.


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Author : Dustin Putman, TheFilmFile.com.