An existential comedy
I Heart Huckabees
Review by Ross Anthony

Do you like quirky comedies? Do you like existential philosophy? Or at least, do you like (or need) to spend a little time reflecting on meaning in your life? Is your life meaningful? Or would you simply enjoy jumping into a strange (but entertaining) reality that begins to remove the outer layers of you, that are not you?

I heart this film! Where else can you find this kind of entertainment? A great pace, great actors, crisp directing, a rich ripe juicy script, a fresh sense of humor and philosophical pondering that aren't stuffy, but rather amusing and musing at the same time.

It's The Coen Brothers meet Sartre. Or the Marx brothers (no not Karl) meet Shirley MacLaine. Or... I don't know, the closest film I've seen to this would be "What the Bleep do We Know?" (also an excellent not-normal piece).

The film opens with and holds for the entire first half an amazing whirling pace. The dialogue never lets up, never gives in until our main characters experience somewhat of a personal enlightenment. Yes, the pace does wane somewhat through the second and third acts, and yes, the climax doesn't muster much energy, but even at 75% the intensity of that mighty first third, the rest of the film is still relatively snappy. In short, the intensity of the emotional arc is backward. A flaw that is usually hard to forgive, but in this case, the project is simply brimming with so much twisted humor, thought, and fun -- that I forgive. I forgive!

This is a wonderfully odd film. Don't expect it to be normal, but do yourself a favor and see it.


  • I Heart Huckabees. Copyright © 2004. 105 minutes. Rated R.
  • Starring Jason Schwartzman, Dustin Hoffman, Isabelle Huppert, Jude Law, Lily Tomlin, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts.
  • Directed by David O. Russell.
  • Screenplay by David O. Russell & Jeff Baena.
  • Produced by David O. Russell, Gregory Goodman, Scott Rudin at Fox Searchlight/Qwerty/Kanzeon/N1

Grade..........................A (3.5/4)

Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.

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Last Modified: Saturday, 16-Sep-2006 08:07:44 PDT