Pittsburgh (2006) User Reviews

Felt like it didn't go "all the way" with the mockumentary

[KUAlum26 · 5/10 · 22 August 2010]

Played VERY tightly to reality,with not a single "cast" member playing anything besides themselves,this wryly intended parody of show business is played like a mockumentary,and while I certainly wasn't completely turned-off by it(Jeff Goldblum is so likable playing nearly anything that in playing himself as a subtle mocking of himself,he's actually EVEN MORE engaging than usual),I still felt like this show seemed to be so dry and minimalist that it lacks much in the way of "meat" and siphons away from the comedy.

Because of his romance with a fellow actress Catherine Wreford,and her need of a work visa to stay working the stage in the United States(she's from Canada),Mr.Goldblum interrupts his film career to take part in a civic theater production of "The Music Man" back in his home town of Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania. Along the way,with plenty of skeptical outsiders(ranging from his oft-ignored agent to Conan O'Brien and Craig Kilborn),and his own personal doubts about the wisdom of going from reliable big screen presence to local theater,even for just a two-week limited engagement. Along the way,he manages to swing a co-starring support for the show from good friends Illeana Douglass and Ed Begley Jr.(who in turn enlists,quid pro quo,Jeff to help him do infomercials for his own patented environmentally friendly gadgets)and seems to re-connect with his old stomping grounds,though one doubts it'll be of any really lasting impression or emotional depth. Directors Chris Bradley and Kyle LaBranch don't seem to be sure if they are going for a Christopher Guest-like mockumentary(which,by using all players as themselves would suggest they weren't)or more of a meta-mocking of the biz(which they seem to not have the heart to really do by show's end),therefore making this film at best a mild curiosity with some laughs and at worst a sort of Luke-warm "inside" comedy that is going to leave plenty of viewers bored and/or displeased,even angry.

A rental curiosity really. The quick run of the show and the generally light treatment here make this not a total waste. One might be better served to not expect too much of it,though.

It's all about show business

[Petrushka · 7/10 · 16 December 2008]

Contrary to most, I must say I did like this movie. At first I thought I wouldn't as it seemed just a documentary, but after a while it became engrossing. Maybe because I started out in show biz myself and in these regional type of productions too, so it all came back as realistic to me. I wouldn't have thought Jeff Goldblum could pull it off as a song and dance man, after seeing him in The Fly and Jurassic Park, but he did rather well, I thought. Maybe a bit too much mugging off stage as well as on, but on the whole, viewable and he worked very hard on this. I wondered what is it with the gum chewing all the way through? The movie gave a true sense of theater life on the amateur, regional level, and I suppose, other than Jeff and Ed Begley, none were Union and so were not paid, certainly not the children. I noticed the choreographer, who also acted a bit, is uncredited, yet every child no matter how insignificant is sure to be named. That's Civic Theater for you! Oh, he is listed on the movie credits at end of film but not on this site, but they often don't give the choreographer credit and if they do it's listed even below the location driver! Not fair at all! I well remember the film of Music Man with Robert Preston but could never figure out how 76 trombones would fit on any stage! But with a bit of stagecraft they did. I saw Music Man back during the 70s in the London West End with Van Johnson (sadly now (December 2008) gone at age 92) in the lead role.

Lighthearted and fun, in the end.

[FiendishDramaturgy · 7/10 · 27 April 2008]

Filmed in the style of Christopher Guest...kinda...this is a mock documentary (known as a "mocumentary" or "mockumentary") wherein Jeff Goldblum puts his film career (and his manager) on hold for a few months so that he can star in a live stage performance in Pittsburgh, his home town. Added into the mix are his "girlfriend," who needs a green card and thinks Jeff's presence on stage with her will guarantee her for the job and therein guarantee her green card, and Ed Begley, Jr. who seems to need small (but regular) pletoratic doses of anti-psychotics.

It is not funny, but it is witty, and actually pretends to attempt to document an actual event, at least insofar as Jeff Goldblum DID do a live stage play in Pittsburgh with the girl mentioned, and Pittsburgh IS his home town. It is not genius on film, but it does entertain and amuse. Not bad for what it is, but like Goldblum, it is an acquired taste.

It rates a 6.6/10 from...

the Fiend :.

Oh, We Got Trouble

[Rogue-32 · 6/10 · 21 January 2008]

Pittsburgh comes off like a wannabe Christopher Guest mockumentary - Guest is even mentioned in the film - but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. It does start out kind of weird, to where you're not sure if you're going to stay with it (saw it on cable) but the vibe is edgy enough to suck you in, plus Illeana Douglas is supremely charming and when Moby shows up, it becomes downright eerie-in-a-most-excellent-spoofy-kinda-way. Not sure if they were actually dating or not; in fact it's tricky to know which parts of the film are genuine and which are made up, and this of course adds to the fun.

The film centers around Goldblum's decision to audition for the part of Harold Hill in his hometown's 2-week run of the play The Music Man in order for his Canadian girlfriend to get to stay in the United States. Can Goldblum pull off the part? Put it this way: he ain't no Robert Preston. His attempts to perform the songs from the play are hilarious - his version of Trouble makes him appear like he's about to have a conniption fit, as he waves his arms around maniacally, sputtering out the lyrics.

It's all good clean fun in the end, and I was left with a feeling of lightheadedness, which surprised me. Ultimately, Pittsburgh is a very charming and clever little piece of film making.

Funny pseudo mockumentary

[jill-557-784505 · 7/10 · 16 October 2009]

I had to look up this movie, just to make sure it wasn't a documentary. As one description said, it really tightropes the line between mockumentary and movie. At some points, you think the stars are being very self absorbed, as opposed to being self-effacing. And you start to wonder if it is funny or sad, in a Hollywood "out of touch with reality" sort of way. All you have to do is pay attention to the Ed Begley Jr. segments to see that this is at once, a vehicle for the actors to promote their true feelings, and a way to promote them in a mockumentary format.

It is very much is the improv style of "Curb Your Enthusiasm". As a viewer, if you put yourself in this mode, I think you will find this movie very funny,.

I have an idea--let's make a mockumentary and cut out all the funny stuff! BRILLIANT!

[curtis-8 · 1/10 · 5 March 2008]

This was a huge misfire--and the outtakes on the DVD show that it could have easily been a lot better! Pittsburg is a mockumentary in the Christopher Guest mold--and that's not a compliment these days. Though Guest's early mocks, like "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best in Show" were classics, his more recent forays into the form have been virtually laughless exercises. Guest's excuse for cutting out the more absurd funny stuff in his later films was that the material didn't fit the reality he'd created--in other words, he fell in love with mediocrity. Well, this Guest-wannabe falls into the latter-day Guestomentary category. The concept is mildly clever--what would happen if the singularly weird, very ethnic Jeff Goldblum was convinced to play the very whitebread lead in a community theater production of the happyface 50s musical, The Music Man? Well, the filmmakers take that promising concept and suck all the humor and life right out of it. There is simply NOTHING funny OR interesting here! The film wouldn't even be interesting if it were actually a true documentary! But--and here's the weird part--if you watch the deleted scenes on the DVD, you get to see all kinds of stuff that was actually kind of funny, and was purposely cut out! It's incredible! You listen to the directors' commentary during the deleted scenes and every time something funny happens they say they had to cut it out either because (1) it didn't fit the "tone" of the piece or (2) it didn't advance the story. I have news for them about the film as it was released: (1) the "tone" they achieved in the film was one of torpor, repetition, and boredom and (2) there is no story being advanced. The stuff they cut out wasn't brilliant--but it was at least SOMETHING. As it is, Pittsburg, the film, is as close to NOTHING as you can get.

A pleasant surprise!

[garypage · 8/10 · 12 November 2007]

It helps if you know the play or the film "The Music Man" to appreciate this film and how terribly miscast Jeff Goldblum is in the lead role. Trying to shoehorn his personality (or "acting choices") into the part of Professor Harold Hill gives this movie its wonderful comedy edge.

Given Jeff Goldblum's persona as an actor, he isn't the ideal candidate to star in "The Music Man", but he is a professional actor so you figure that he can pull off the role. Unfortunately (or fortunately), he can't which makes for a very funny film.

This "behind the scenes/pseudo-documentary/improvisational" film places loose with some of the facts which helps it to achieve its off-the-wall humor. Ed Begley Jr. gives a terrific, naturalistic performance which would fit easily into any of Robert Altman's best films. His spoofing of his environmentally-concerned self is a brilliant piece of comedy. Also, very good is Richard Sabellico who is directing "The Music Man." (Part of the credit should go to the filmmakers for getting just the right moments and shots of Richard as he "suffers" working with Jeff on the actual play production.) The whole film moves quickly and is a brief eight-four minutes, but the DVD has many deleted scenes which are also enjoyable. Maybe we'll see an extended Director's Cut someday. (Probably not--those extended director's cut films are usually made for the bloated blockbusters.)

Forget it

[jehrsam · 2/10 · 23 April 2008]

When watching this movie, I kept clicking on the DVD menu to see if I was stuck in a "Making of this movie" extra on the disc. It soon becomes quite tiresome watching the "how to" rather than the "real" movie. It is certainly a shame that this film takes the avenue it does because the premise contains the promise of what could be an entertainingly funny experience. I suppose the acting is good, yet one cannot sit through it constantly anticipating the movie to begin. Laborious is the one word that describes this movie. We see nothing of the city of Pittsburgh. The movie's location could have been Needles CA for all the reference it gives its title. I admit that I fully expected to watch a movie that was entertaining in the way it portrayed the relationships involved when a well known Hollywood personality joined a cast of characters in a community theater production of a well known musical. The promise that the synopsis of this movie makes leaves one frustrated when the reality of the actual plot is realized. Save yourself some disappointment and skip this one.

Fun movie as in tongue in cheek.

[buddhist-06426 · 8/10 · 22 June 2019]

This movie reminds me of a Chris Guest production. Excellent cast moves the story of Jeff trying to play the lead in "The Music Man." Robert Preston he is not, but he gives it his all. I enjoyed it and if you like satire with nuance, you will too.

A fake, scripted documentary that manages to be less funny and interesting than if played straight

[remurmur · 2/10 · 3 February 2012]

The premise is that Jeff Goldblum is miscast as the lead a hometown production of The Music Man, but he takes it so seriously it doesn't feel like a joke. Not to mention that he's not even that bad. It sets itself up like it's going to be a great prank, but the whole thing might as well be real. Nobody ends up more than mildly flustered with Goldblum's performance, and the production itself ends up getting a standing ovation. Who is the joke supposed to be on? The whole affair ends up being too real. It's truly as boring as watching a bonus feature documentary on a Hollywood actor doing a small production musical.

The 2 is for a handful of lines that made me chuckle, but even Goldblum fans should skip this. I recommend it to no one.