Anybody who thinks 'Fever Pitch' (1985, with Ryan O'Neal) was a lousy movie should try sitting through THIS one. 'FP' may not be Oscar-worthy, but it's great fun if you're in the right mood; It's tricky to be in the right mood for 'PTW,' since it changes moods so quickly...Meet teenage Dana, who's introduced by her compulsive and self-destructive new boyfriend Marshal (David Lascher) to the wonderful world of gambling. This costs her not only thousands of dollars but also her job-not to mention the trust of her family and friends-as she spirals down toward the Three D's: Despair, Disaster and Desperation.
Just as Lisa Dean Ryan ('Dana') has the opportunity to make all of this seem worthwhile by evolving into another Marshal, as it were Guess what happens? She takes the proverbial Easy Way Out!
FIRST: she jilts Marshal after he's already talked her into throwing the soccer finals at her high school, AND stealing $2,000 from her mother, AND pitching in with a clumsy attempt to rob his own father's country club!
SECOND: she DOES patch things up with just about everyone save her ex-boss, which seems Mucho Fake-o after a few confrontation scenes that made me wince. ('Thanks for being my mom,' she says with a smile, after she stole and pawned this woman's college-graduation ring.)
THIRD: in the film's closing scene, she enters Gamblers Anonymous the director of which gives one of those unconvincing everything-will-be-fine-just-take-our-word-for-it speeches. It makes you unsure whether the writers got lazy, or whether they were simply rushed by the producers and/or director (possibly a bit of both). Even worse, this serves to perpetuate a rather dangerous myth: that the ONLY people who should go to 'Gamblers Anonymous' are those who always LOSE.
Lascher does well at playing 'Marshal' as temptation/gambling addiction incarnate too well, if anything. If you don't believe me, just look at how quickly and easily he picks up a new girlfriend, after Ryan finally wises up and dumps him.
Just as Lisa Dean Ryan ('Dana') has the opportunity to make all of this seem worthwhile by evolving into another Marshal, as it were Guess what happens? She takes the proverbial Easy Way Out!
FIRST: she jilts Marshal after he's already talked her into throwing the soccer finals at her high school, AND stealing $2,000 from her mother, AND pitching in with a clumsy attempt to rob his own father's country club!
SECOND: she DOES patch things up with just about everyone save her ex-boss, which seems Mucho Fake-o after a few confrontation scenes that made me wince. ('Thanks for being my mom,' she says with a smile, after she stole and pawned this woman's college-graduation ring.)
THIRD: in the film's closing scene, she enters Gamblers Anonymous the director of which gives one of those unconvincing everything-will-be-fine-just-take-our-word-for-it speeches. It makes you unsure whether the writers got lazy, or whether they were simply rushed by the producers and/or director (possibly a bit of both). Even worse, this serves to perpetuate a rather dangerous myth: that the ONLY people who should go to 'Gamblers Anonymous' are those who always LOSE.
Lascher does well at playing 'Marshal' as temptation/gambling addiction incarnate too well, if anything. If you don't believe me, just look at how quickly and easily he picks up a new girlfriend, after Ryan finally wises up and dumps him.