Standing on Fishes . Austin Chronicle . 03-29-99

Standing on Fishes

DIRECTED BY: Meredith Scott Lynn

REVIEWED: 03-29-99

Without question, there is a rich vein of humor, tragedy, and pathos running through the stratum of self-help, self-realization, and self-actualization that seems to be burying our society. But mining it comes with its own set of difficulties and dangers. Standing on Fishes gives it a go, but neither the script nor the performances can overcomethe pitfalls of irritation and boredom inherent in the subject matter. While there may be comic depths to Caleb's and Erika's ongoing verbal battles about communication and acknowledgment and equal relationships, they were not plumbed here. I found the rapid-fire dialogue more trying than trenchant, the story more frustrating than funny. Kelsey Grammer's bizarre buffoon of a filmmaker is silly and amusing and the prosthetic pussy quite the novelty but, as most novelty acts go, this goes, too.

--Hollis Chacona

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