Reviewed by Andrew Wooding

Fun With Dick and Jane
Director: Dean Parisot (2005)
Distributor: Sony Pictures Releasing
Certificate: 12A

I was surprised by this film. I like Jim Carrey in some of his more serious roles (including The Truman Show, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and especially Man on the Moon), but, with the exception of Dumb and Dumber, I simply can’t stand him when he’s in manic mode, pulling silly faces and using silly voices instead of using genuine wit. I always end up with a headache and I want to shout at the screen to tell him to calm down!

I knew that this film contained more of the manic Jim Carrey and so I was surprised … because I actually laughed a few times. I didn’t laugh all the way through, though. This is not one of my favourite Jim Carrey movies, but what partially redeems it is the fact that underlying the comedy is actually quite a serious message: beware big businesses that put profit above people’s wellbeing, even causing human suffering and anguish for the sake of making a few million dollars. I don’t believe it is any coincidence that certain executives from companies such as Enron (which collapsed spectacularly through fraud and deception) are name-checked at the start of the closing credits.

I can’t help thinking that this film would have been much more effective had a more serious actor been given the lead role, instead of a man who thinks that gurning is the height of humour. As it happens, this film is a remake. The original was released in 1977 and starred George Segal and Jane Fonda. It would be interesting to compare the two, especially the performance of George Segal, and see if the original has a more consistent feel.

So, an admirable message and a pleasantly spent 90 minutes or so, but for a more effective look at the same basic themes you could do worse than check out the films and TV series of the controversial but always thought-provoking Michael Moore.

THROUGH THE LENS OF CHRISTIAN FAITH 

Some key themes: Injustice in the workplace; turning to crime in desperate situations.

“You must not cheat your neighbour or rob him. You must not keep a hired worker's salary all night until morning” (Leviticus 19 v 13).

“Don't cheat hired servants who are poor and needy, whether they are fellow Israelites or foreigners living in one of your towns. Pay them each day before sunset, because they are poor and need the money. Otherwise, they may complain to the Lord about you, and you will be guilty of sin” (Deuteronomy 24 v 14-15).

As you can see, the Bible is very clear when it comes to business principles. If you are a boss, treat your employees fairly. Don’t exploit or mistreat them, otherwise “you will be guilty of sin”. God hates injustice, and injustice from big business is at the heart of the plot of Fun With Dick and Jane.

Sadly, this film is still topical. Take a look at the opening words of this article from The Dallas Morning News on Saturday, 28th January, 2006:

“Kenneth Lay's day in court finally has come. Lay, Enron Corp.'s former chairman, and Jeffrey Skilling, its former chief executive, go to trial Monday, accused of crimes that led to bankruptcy for the once high-flying energy company, destroying jobs, emptying hundreds of retirement accounts and causing investment losses estimated at more than $40 billion. It's a moment long awaited by many who see themselves as Enron victims.
‘ I'm planning on being there to watch part of it,’ said Charles Prestwood, 67, of Conroe, Texas, a retiree who lost $1.3 million in the Enron employee stock ownership plan. In sharp contrast to victims of the debacle, Lay and Skilling still live in relative luxury, free on bond as they await trial. Nationally, the trial of Enron's top executives bookends an era of regulatory reform and criminal prosecution kicked off by Enron's death spiral in 2001.”

In Fun With Dick and Jane, one person’s greed and dishonesty (the CEO of the company that Jim Carrey’s character, Dick Harper, works for) leads to thousands of employees losing their jobs, the wages owed to them, their stocks and life savings and even their pensions. For many this has devastating effects. Bankruptcy. Homelessness. Alcoholism. Family break-ups. Even turning to lives of crime just to pay the bills.

As Dick Harper concludes to his wife: they have done everything they can think of within the law to bring in some money and it hasn’t worked, so the only course open to them is to start breaking the law.

In many ways, this film could be seen as a parable, and I can easily imagine Jesus telling the basic plot to his followers, using words like “rich young man” instead of CEO and “hired help” instead of Dick Harper. At the end of the story, justice is finally seen to be done through the selfless act of one of the characters. And I can see Jesus concluding it all with a sentence about the values of the kingdom of heaven.

This film, while packed with broad humour and slapstick, unfortunately is spot-on when it comes to the value that much of today’s big business places on workers – in other words, not much value at all and even sometimes contempt. How different would it be if business was run on “kingdom of heaven” values – where everyone is treated as equal and important (from senior management to the office cleaners) and there is fairness when it comes to wages and hours expected to work (taking into consideration people’s family responsibilities).

Let us pray that these kingdom values invade earth more and more, including in the world of business – “Your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven.” Imagine how much better our world could be … for everyone.

Discussion questions....

· Do you prefer Jim Carrey to be manic in his movies, or would you rather watch him in a serious role? What are your favourite Jim Carrey films?

· Have you ever been treated unfairly at work or seen an injustice take place?

· Can you think of any other ways a business could be run on “kingdom of heaven” principles?

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