Shameless Self Expression

Tom Hanks has a boating accident and is saved by a mermaid (Daryl Hannah). She ventures on to dry land and tracks him down. They fall in love, with Hanks none the wiser to her true identity. An accident prone, obsessed scientist (Eugene Levy) threatens to ruin it all. John Candy plays Hanks’ ne’er-do-well brother.   Everybody loves “Splash” . My name’s not ‘Everybody’, though. I’ve tried to like this 1984 literal fish-out-of-water film from director Ron Howard ( “Night Shift” , “Parenthood” , “Apollo 13” ) at least twice now and with the same result. Mild disinterest. There’s some humour here and there and Hanks was ever-so slowly starting to find his Jimmy Stewart ‘nice guy’ leading man groove here, but there’s nothing consistently funny or memorable. Part of the problem is that I find fish-out-of-water comedy gets played out very quickly, with even the film’s best joke still being a rather awful guilty laugh (Hannah telling Hanks her name).   The biggest part of the problem

The loving but too-frequently quarrelling married title couple (played by Robert Montgomery and Carole Lombard) find out that their marriage isn’t legal due to a technicality. Montgomery subsequently offends Lombard who then seeks someone else, while Montgomery tries his best to win her back. Gene Raymond plays Montgomery’s straight-laced friend and business partner who nonetheless decides to swoop in on Lombard for himself.   Semi-obscure 1941 Alfred Hitchcock ( “The 39 Steps” , “Strangers on a Train” , “Vertigo” ) comedy is quite divisive amongst the fandom, and I can understand why. The Master’s only screwball comedy, it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and the director was talked into doing the project by star Carole Lombard. Personally, I think it’s a solid film of its type and era, and better than some of Hitchcock’s more typical and high-profile films. Some will scoff at it for being a bit minor key and predicated on two people’s easily solvable communication issues. However,