Official Site
Rated R
***1/2 of ****
Length: 87 minutes
Directed by Jenniphr Goodman
Writing by:
Duncan North (original book)
Greer Goodman
Jenniphr Goodman (Jenniphr & Greer are sister's)
Cast:
Donal Logue: Dex
Greer Goodman: Syd
James 'Kimo' Wills: Dave
Ayelet Kaznelson: Beth
David Aaron Baker: Rick
Nina Jaroslaw: Maggie
John Hines: Ed
Selby Craig: Chris
Craig D. Lafayette: Matt
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Definition:
The word "Tao" has several meanings, one of which is "the art or skill of doing something in harmony with the essential nature of the thing."
Synopsis:
Rarely do we expect a romantic comedy to challenge us and our ideas about men, women and the conundrum of contemporary relationships. But the ante of this most benign of film genres is upped significantly in award-winning filmmaker Jenniphr Goodman's first feature, THE TAO OF STEVE, which has been selected for the 2000 Sundance Film Festival's Dramatic Competition.
The story begins with Dex, an unlikely hero living in Santa Fe who is at once endearing and exasperating. He and his friends have twisted the philosophies of Lao-tzu, Heidegger and Groucho Marx into a foolproof theory of dating -The Tao of Steve- which provides rule by rule guidelines for how to transform ordinary Joes into charismatic Steve McQueens.
Back in college, Dex was the big man on campus. But we meet Dex ten years after graduation as he endures one of life's great humbling experiences - the college reunion. Now an overweight kindergarten teacher, Dex is immune to the shocked stares of the young women who were once his conquests. While trying to pick up the young bartender, he is struck by another woman - the gorgeous Syd, who rides motorcycles and designs sets for the Santa Fe Opera. Through a series of circumstances, Syd and Dex are thrown together and he soon finds himself questioning his belief in all things Steve, even as he continues to be the ultimate Steve guru. As Dex falls in love with her, Syd appears immune to his charms....and with good reason. When the truth comes out, Dex is finally forced to confront the realities of his life: not in terms of conquests and image, but on the most fundamental emotional level.
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This is an excellent film, and a prime example of what Jenniphr Goodman meant when she stated that one of the biggest advantages of independent film is that you have the time to get it right. The only thing preventing a four star rating is that the film could have been longer, and there could have been more time spent developing the relationship between Dex and Syd. It is a somewhat unconventional comedy, so if you try and watch it hoping that it is a romance, you may get confused. Syd's transition of feelings about Dex was done smoothly and with sufficient depth, but could have been longer. The story was enjoyable, and made the characters feel personable. The application of combined philosophies may be of particular interest to those who have attended some college. It is not that there is much real depth here, but still far more than most movies have these days. This movie is well told and from a male point of view even though it is directed by a woman, and the screen adaptation is by women and a man. It rings far too true as to the absurdities present in romantic relationships and displays this in several ways throughout the film. The ending is too Hollywood, but I can't think of another way of doing it with out shifting from a comedy to a romance, and rewriting the last reel. There were apparently two other endings made, so it might be interesting if they are included on tapes or disks when they become available. The Sante Fe location is used well to set the mood. The acting is all good, but the nature of the film doesn't present them with much challenge because they are supposed to be normal people. In a way, the audience is the group that is challenged here through much of the film. It can often be difficult for people to rise above their limitations and just accept what is right in front of them. That is rare in a comedy. The audience where I enjoyed the film rose to the occasion and gave a huge round of applause at the end, and stayed for the entire credits. There was much laughter as the characters went about their quirky lives as post-college slackers and succeeders. The mix of personalities was well written to develop the story and to demonstrate the Tao of Steve. There is not a wasted scene in the film, and I wish it was longer so I could spend more time enjoying this work. The music and score was probably the best I have ever heard in a film. Every song was appropriate for the moment and contributed to the quality of the experience. Many of the songs were written or reworked specifically for this film, and the attention to detail paid off.
Go see this film! It is well worth while to wonder down the road of enlightenment.
Music:
Joe Delia
title song and more: Eytan Mirsky
Soundtrack:
1. The Tao of Steve (Isn't It Time?) - Eytan Mirsky
2. Opening Titles -
3. Nice Guy Eddie - Epperley
4. Be Desireless -
5. Superman - Lazlo Bane
6. Love Theme -
7. Down in the Traffic - Adventures in Stereo
8. Be Excellent -
9. Hawaii Five-O Theme - Originally Performed by The Ventures
10. Movie Star - Stereo Total
11. The Six Million Dollar Man Theme - Oliver Nelson
12. (I Just Wanna Be) Your Steve McQueen - Eytan Mirsky
13. Lesson Theme -
14. The Outdoor Type - The Lemonheads
15. Be Gone -
16. Peanut Butter - the Marathons
17. You're so 1988 - Epperley
18. Martini Five-O - The Blue Hawaiians