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Crappy film

As Good As It Gets

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

A woman (Jane Fonda) seeking revenge for her murdered father hires a famous gunman, but he is very different from what she expects.I think most people would say the essential comedy western (or western comedy?) is "Blazing Saddles". But with all due respect to Mel Brooks, that was never one of my favorite films of his. And I think the humor in "Cat Ballou", while not as biting, is just right to be enjoyed by a wide range of audiences. Both adults and kids can find amusement.This may also be the best role that Jane Fonda ever had. I would be hard-pressed to think of one that even comes close. Although, today (2016), she is better remembered for her political actions than for her film roles. Maybe it is time to re-evaluate that? "Cat Ballou" is the favorite film of comedy directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly, as stated in The AFI 100 Years, 100 Laughs television special. The Balladeers from their film, "There's Something About Mary", are inspired by similar characters in "Cat Ballou". That's an interesting fact to know.

Two things saved "Cat Balou" from being a washout and box office flop. The ballad-singing duo of Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye, narrate the movie with catchy ballad verses. And Lee Marvin gives a hilarious and frightening Oscar-winning double performance as Kid Shelleen and his bad brother, Strawn. The rest of the cast are fair, but nothing stands out. Jane Fonda is OK as Cat Balou, although she's not very convincing in her serious parts. Michael Callan and Dwayne Hickman are young guys, real tenderfeet and out of place in the West. But, their roles as Clay and Jed don't deliver many laughs.This film may reach a sort of cult following for Marvin's portrayal of the drunken Shelleen. Two scenes will always come to mind from this movie. The first is Marvin's socking and knocking a standing horse to the ground. The second is his and his horse's snoozing as they lean against a building. That and the singing duo raise this film above the level of boredom or ho-hum.

One of the reasons I gave this a 1 is because zero isn't an option. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Lee Marvin and Nat King Cole, but this was clearly the lowest point in their careers. The opening song pretty much warns you that what you're about to witness is going to be total cheese. Along with the total disbelief that's actually Nat King Cole singing it as a duet with some unknown ugly fat guy.But it gets worse. The first step down is during the opening credits, when you see somebody actually thought it would be a good idea to cast Jane Fonda in a Western, even worse, a Western "Comedy" (and I use that term loosely in this case). Seriously, Jane Fonda in a Western Comedy???After a few minutes of poor acting, unbelievably bad dialog, out of no where, Nat and the unknown ugly fat guy suddenly appear and lay the same painfully long opening theme song on you again. Why? Maybe in case some people were out getting popcorn during the first time they played it?I guess the best way to describe this "comedy" is that it seems like it was written and directed by the same people that plagued the earth with the Monkees TV show back in the 60's. Same poor script, cheesy acting, lame sight gags, sound effects and twangy background music... that apparently is supposed to make the "funny" antics and double-takes seem funnier. But it greatly fails.Finally, if you loved the Monkees, found that style of "comedy" enjoyable, can suspend disbelief long enough to actually buy Jane Fonda as a comedian in a Western, you'll love this film. Otherwise I advise having a barf bag available.

Jane Fonda plays the heroine in director Elliot Silverstein's "Cat Ballou," a hilarious western comedy about young, beautiful school teacher who becomes a train robber to avenge her father's murder. Lee Marvin co-starred with her in a dual role as the ruthless killer Tim Strawn and the alcoholic gunslinger Kid Shelleen whose life has been immortalized in dime novels. Cat's father Frankie (John Marley) owns land that the Wolf City Development Company wants. When conventional methods such as stuffing manure down his well doesn't work to force Frankie to sell, the Wolf City bunch dispatches Tim Strawn. Strawn is an evil looking gunman who wears a tin nose over his nose that was bitten off in a fight. Before Frankie dies, Cat summons Kid Shelleen for $50 to help them. Frankie is astonished to learn that Shelleen is an alcoholic. As it turns out, Shelleen shoots well when he is boozed up. He can strike a tin can flying through the air with a single shot. After Frankie dies, Shelleen takes the outcast Cat and her companions, Clay Boone (Michael Callen) and Jed (Dwayne Hickman), and her Native American pal Jackson Two-Bears (Tom Nardini) to the infamous Hole-in-the-Wall hideout. Our heroine plans to rob a train. As it turns out, the man who owns the train is an Englishman, Sir Harry Percival (the ever dependable Reginald Denny), who is the man behind the Wolf City dastards. Our heroine kills Sir Harry by accident when she brandishes a pistol and they struggle over it. During their scuffle, the gun discharges and kills Sir Harry. Cat is imprisoned in the Wolf City jail and sentenced to hang on the gallows. Naturally, our heroes arrange to rescue our heroine. The scene when the drunken Shelleen is sitting astraddle his horse that is leaning against the wall of a store with its fore hoofs crossed is very funny. Lee Marvin won an Academy Award for her performance. Stubby Kaye and Nate King Cole play a charismatic pair of balladeers who appear at intervals to warble and strum the ballad of Cat Ballou. This film bears striking resemblance to "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" in certain parts. Jane Fonda is gorgeous as usual and endearing as the heroine.