A not neat union of Capra sentiment and Preston Sturges satire, the prime targets of which are the media and the fame game. A petty crook, on the eve of his incarceration, foot-draggingly saves fifty-four passengers trapped in a downed airplane, and then skulks off into the night. An imposter -- a homeless man with saintly tendencies -- steps forward to accept the credit and the million-dollar reward. The overobvious point-making (the anointed "hero" studies the menu at Chicago's ritziest restaurant as the rightful hero gets a dish of slop in the hoosegow) takes precedence over laugh-getting: that's the closest Capra connection. And for all its ostensible cynicism about celebritism, the movie is above all an indulgent and adulatory showcase for Dustin Hoffman and, less so, Geena Davis and Andy Garcia -- far cry from a democratic ensemble piece by Sturges. With Chevy Chase, Joan Cusack; directed by Stephen Frears. (1992) — Duncan Shepherd
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