CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
David Duchovny, Demi Moore Can’t Keep Up With ‘The Joneses’
CHICAGO – Introduced with one of the easier movie pundit headlines ever, “The Joneses” indeed cannot keep up with itself, despite a sharp script and the plausible efforts of David Duchovny and Demi Moore.
Rating: 3.0/5.0 |
David Duchovny plays Steve Jones, the perfect modern father who practices his golf swing as much as his parenting. He is partnered with Demi Moore as Kate Jones, the sleek lady-who-lunches, with her finger on the pulse of the new town the Joneses have moved to, complete with their high school age children, Jenn (Amber Heard) and Mick (Ben Hollingsworth).
There is something odd about this family unit, with their perfect look and effortless material richness. Almost unfairly it seems, they have everything. But behind this mask of perfection is the awful truth – the Joneses are planted marketing hucksters, a fake family whose sole purpose is to “suggest” the latest and greatest products to their social climbing and merchandise accumulating upper middle class neighbors.
Duchovny’s Steve Jones is new to the suggestion game and has trouble adjusting to his false patriarchy. He finds himself attracted to his phony wife Kate, and has sympathy for the put-upon guy next door, Larry (Gary Cole). While his sales are initially lackluster, his competitive streak soon puts his numbers into the stratosphere, much to the chagrin of the ambitious Kate. Jenn and Mick, meanwhile, are having some troubles of their own adjusting to their high school characters beyond the product placements, and these small cracks in the facade may eventually blow everybody’s cover.
Photo Credit: Gene Page for © 2010 Roadside Attractions |