THE BEST OF TIMES. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode; written by Ron Shelton; produced by Gordon Carroll for Universal. Starring Robin Williams and Kurt Russell. Rated PG-13.
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Those saddest of words, "It might have been," have probably haunted us all at one time or another. The Best of Times puts a new twist on the old saw, though. And the result is a delightful story, if one that's somewhat corny and certainly unrealistic.
Jack's (Williams) whole adult life can be summed up, or so he thinks (and not without justification), by the phrase "he dropped the ball." In the most important football game of his high school career, Jack bobbled a pass from his good friend Reno (Russell). Not just a personal embarrassment, the miscue blew his town's chance for its first victory ever over neighboring rival Bakersfield.
After this game, which took place in 1972, nothing seems to go right for Jack. The worst of it is that everyone continually reminds him that it was his clumsiness that lost the town (Taft, Calif.) its one chance for glory. Even Reno won't toss car keys across the room to Jack.
Finally fed up with the situation, he decides to replay the game now and give himself and the town a second chance.
The Best of Times' amusing opening sequence, using old photos and Williams' narration, gives a brief chronicle of Taft's hard times. Cursed by terrible climate and scores of oil wells that seem to bring ugliness with no attendant prosperity, Taft has always suffered from low self-esteem. Tying Jack's psychological state in with the town's is a smart move on the writer's part. It adds a sense of history, perhaps even a little epic grandeur, to Jack's plight, as well as an additional measure of sweetness to the movie's ending.
Fans of Williams will be crazy about Jack. His blustery oratory style, which no one ever takes seriously, makes a fine comic contrast to his painful insecurity. In all, Jack is a complicated, interesting, and, most important, a very funny character. Even though his gaffes are sometimes agonizing, the audience is for him 100 percent.
Russell also does a good job with Reno. The old quarterback, now a sought after "van specialist," is a little paunchy, but still sexy; sometimes crude, but still a charmer.
In addition to re-writing the history of Taft-Bakersfield and revitalizing his town's will to live, Jack and Reno's story also involves a little romance. Partially because of the game, and partially because of the general malaise of Taft, both of their marriages undergo separations. The story of their reconciliations is as predictable as the outcome of the game, but both plots are still fun.
The pace of The Best of Times is leisurely enough to permit some poignant scenes, such as one in which Reno reflects on the importance of his high school memories. But most of the movie is played strictly for laughs. And nobody plays a game like that better than Robin Williams.
Februrary 5, 1986