Give director Frank Oz a talented physical comedian to work with and he's bound to come up with some memorable sight gags.
Whatever the flaws of Oz's past films - which include "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," "What About Bob?" and "Little Shop of Horrors" - each boasts some hilarious moments of slapstick shtick.And with the fabulous Kevin Kline heading the cast of "In & Out," how could it not be funny? This is the best showcase for his comic talents since "A Fish Called Wanda," and before that, "The Pirates of Penzance."
Sadly, however, like most of Oz's movies, "In & Out" runs out of steam and becomes overly contrived before the fade-out. Ultimately, it feels like a skit padded out to feature length.
Still, there are those hysterical moments - chiefly a scene that has Kline acting out to a self-improvement audio tape (titled "Be a Man"), in an effort to learn how to be more masculine. That sequence dominates the film's trailers and is easily the chief highlight.
The plot is based loosely on the acceptance speech given by Tom Hanks at the Oscars when he won his first acting award for "Philadelphia." You may recall that he shared the win with his gay high school drama teacher.
"In & Out" has a hack star (Matt Dillon) winning the best-actor Oscar and then thanking his small-town high school drama teacher (Kline). Dillon finishes by declaring that Kline's character is gay!
Naturally, Kline and the woman he is to marry in a couple of days (Joan Cusack) are devastated.
He insists he's not gay and goes about trying to prove it to his students, the school administrators (led by frightened homophobe Bob Newhart), his friends and neighbors and his supportive but confused parents (Debbie Reynolds and Wilford Brimley).
All of this is given away in the film's previews, of course - both in theaters and on television. But what is not revealed in those spots is that Kline's character actually is gay. He just doesn't know it.
The bulk of the movie is a voyage of self-discovery as Kline, while trying to project a macho image, instead simply proves to himself that he is indeed a homo-sexual. The turning point seems to be when he is approached by a gay TV tabloid reporter (Tom Selleck), who gives him a lengthy kiss, full on the mouth.
There are two controversial themes at work here. First, that gay people are born gay, that they can't fight it. And second, that any man who does not have sex with his fiance before they marry must be a homosexual. And there is no attempt at balance.
The cast is perfect, with Kline dominating in a charming and funny performance. But Cusack also stands out, making her humiliated character funny, sweet and a bit loopy.
The final third of the film gets a bit preachy and serious as it runs out of steam. But much of the way, Oz's interpretation of the script by Paul Rudnick ("Jeffrey," "Addams Family Values") is funny and warm, with a number of enjoyable characterizations.
Except for some profanity - including Hollywood's favorite expletive, spoken once - and a few vulgar gags (including one that is surprisingly harsh), "In & Out" would be a relatively tame Hollywood farce. It's rated PG-13.