Can a drug addicted former doctor find redemption by helping a crime boss? That’s the plot of David Duchovny’s Playing God.
Logline
Eugene Sands is a former doctor who is looking for his next fix. The drug addicted former practitioner of medicine is out late at a club looking for a fix, when a shooting inspires the suspended doc to reclaim his old glory. Using his skill, he saves the shooting victim, but comes to the attention of gangster Raymond Flowers.
Raymond’s girlfriend Claire was at the club, and after the former doc and the present gangster meet, they become friends, and Eugene likes the idea of being paid to do what he loves. As the friendship with Raymond blossoms (pun very much intended), Eugene falls deeper into the criminal world, until finally the FBI confront him.
Not sure what to do, and having fallen in love with Claire, Eugene has a plan that will get both him and Claire away from Raymond. Their betrayal sends Raymond over the edge, and a good old fashion car chase is the only way out for Eugene.
High Praise
Timothy Hutton makes this run of the mill role spectacular. He is perfectly charming, warm, and embracing when he is bringing Eugene to his world but can switch off his good nature for brutality in an instant. Hutton masterful displays incredible range and portrays the crime boss Raymond with panache.
What Were They Thinking
I don’t think the producers knew what to do with the Claire character. Angelina Jolie is supremely talented and could have been given far more to do but wasn’t. She is almost unnecessary and irrelevant to the story.
David Duchovny is a great actor and shines in many ways in multiple roles. The character of Eugene Sands is someone who has suffered the consequences of the editing bay, with a story that wasn’t quite finished and lacked direction. Eugene is not likable, and his safety in no way matters to me. I was kind of hoping that John Hawkes’ Flick would have killed him.
Backlot Knowledge
- C.S.I. fans will recognize Gary Dourdan as Raymond’s henchman Yates.
- Fans of Deadwood will recognize John Hawks as Flick.
- Peter Stormare once again plays a nasty Russian villain, Vladimir.
- Angelina Jolie reportedly filmed two sex scenes that were cut from the final film.
- A steamy sex scene featuring Jolie was shown in an early trailer.
- The movie was originally supposed to be released in May of 1997, but poor test screen results led to edits, which forced the movie to miss its original premiere date. (Personally, I don’t think the editing did anything to improve the movie. I would love to see the original film though.)
- According to the book High Concept, the story idea was stolen from a doctor who died at producer Don Simpson’s house before he could finish the story.
- The movie’s opening weekend take at the box office, was less than $2 million dollars.
- Though the movie was a box office failure, critic Roger Ebert gave the film 3 stars, and said it was a turning point for Duchovny and Hutton who stand tall in their roles and have a real presence in their performances.
- In a 2000 interview, Duchovny stated that he should have bailed out of the film because they didn’t have a script ready when shooting started.
Critical Response
{Snub-Skip this Film, Overexposed-Desperate for Something to Watch, Clapper-A Perfect Film For Any Device, Magic Hour– You Must Watch This Film on a Big Screen, Award Worthy– This Film is Cinema.}
There is something that is compelling about Playing God. The problem is that before the movie was made, the producers never found out how to tell the story the best way on the big screen. Duchovny is good, not great. Hutton is excellent, and there is something about the story that would make this movie a prime candidate for a remake.
Playing God would be an excellent limited series on a streaming platform, but as a film, it’s not worth the time, and gets the Snub award.
Best Quotable Line
“Hell does not always look like hell. On a good day, it can look a lot like L.A.” Eugene Sands
Call Sheet
- David Duchovny as Dr. Eugene Sands
- Timothy Hutton as Raymond Blossom
- Angelina Jolie as Claire
Production Team:
Directed by Andy Wilson
Produced by Touchstone Pictures / Beacon Communications / Beacon Pictures
Written by Mark Haskell Smith
Release Date: October 17, 1997
Budget: $12 million
Domestic Box Office Gross: $4,166,918
Coming Attractions
Next week a look back at the South African set comedy, Mad Buddies.