The biggest mistake Tamara Jenkins makes with her first film, the coming-of-age comedy "Slums of Beverly Hills," is simply trying too hard.
Despite showing that she has a talent for writing clever dialogue, Jenkins quickly loses control over the story's direction. And as a consequence, the whole thing eventually collapses under the weight of tasteless sexual humor and overwrought drama.
However, the most irritating thing about this at-times amusing but more often annoying film is that it has all the ingredients to be better — including an appealing cast and an equally amusing premise.
Set in the '70s, the movie follows the Abramowitzes, a family of "nomadic" Jewish-Americans living in Beverly Hills.
Though teenager Vivian (Natasha Lyonne) would like to settle into a normal existence, her financially strapped father Murray (Alan Arkin) is busy moving the family from cheap apartment to even-cheaper apartment in Beverly Hills — just to keep her and her brothers (David Krumholtz and Eli Marienthal) in "good schools."
But they get a chance to move to bigger and better digs when their wild-child cousin Rita (Marisa Tomei) comes to live with them. Rita's father, Murray's wealthy brother (Carl Reiner), agrees to pay the bills in exchange for them keeping Rita in line.
Of course, things don't go quite as planned. Rita quickly gets into trouble, and she even encourages the blossoming Vivian to explore her sexuality with Eliot (Kevin Corrigan), her Charles Manson-obsessed neighbor.
As mentioned, it is a promising idea. But Jenkins treats the material in a less-than-subtle manner, going for cheap laughs wherever possible (particularly the sex-toy gag that seems to go on forever). And she has a disturbing tendency to introduce and drop subplots far too quickly.
The movie does have a few good moments, thanks in large part to Lyonne and Arkin. And Corrigan is so likable that you almost wish the movie was about his character. (Tomei and Reiner's performances are far too broad.)
"Slums of Beverly Hills" is rated R for vulgar gags and use of vulgar slang, profanity, female nudity, simulated sex, violent stabbing (involving silverware), simulated drug use and use of racial epithets.