Saving Silverman (2001)
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Two best friends attempt to rescue their childhood friend from a controlling and emotionally abusive girlfriend.
The story
Darren Silverman, Wayne LeFessier, and J.D. McNugent are best friends and members of a Neil Diamond tribute band. After Darren meets Judith Fessbeggler, a domineering psychologist, she begins to isolate him from his friends and demands he quit the band. Concerned by her emotionally abusive behavior, Wayne and J.D. decide to intervene. They attempt various schemes to save Darren, including bribery and faked photographs, as they strive to protect their friend from a marriage that threatens their group's dynamic and Darren's chance at happiness with his lifelong true love.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Darren Silverman, Wayne LeFessier, and J.D. McNugent are best friends who form a Neil Diamond tribute band. Darren meets Judith Fessbeggler, a domineering psychologist who isolates him and demands he quit the band. Wayne and J.D. try to save him through bribery and faked cheating photos. They also try to reunite Darren with his high school sweetheart, Sandy Perkus, who is about to become a nun. When Darren announces his engagement to Judith, Wayne and J.D. kidnap Sandy, but she discovers them. They then stage Judith's fake death using a car and a cadaver. They consult Coach Norton, who is in jail for killing a referee, and he suggests they kill Judith. They decide against it. Sandy's feelings are reawakened, but a date is ruined by Darren's preoccupation with Judith. Sandy returns to the convent. Judith, chained to an engine block in Wayne's garage, helps J.D. come to terms with being gay before escaping and being tranquilized by Wayne. Coach Norton is paroled and tries to kill Judith, but she escapes again. She shames Darren into confessing his engagement to Sandy. Darren has Wayne and J.D. arrested. They escape with Coach Norton's help and rush to the convent to convince Sandy that Darren loves her. They kidnap Neil Diamond to help. At the wedding, Neil stalls the proceedings with a song, leading Darren to reunite with Sandy. Wayne and Judith make out, and J.D. arrives with Coach, who reveals he is also gay. All three couples wed onstage at Neil Diamond's concert.
- Original title
- Evil Woman
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 90
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Dennis Dugan
- Writers
- Hank Nelken · writer; Greg DePaul · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jason Biggs · Darren Silverman; Steve Zahn · Wayne LeFessier; Jack Black · J.D. McNugent; Amanda Peet · Sandy Perkus; R. Lee Ermey · Coach Norton; Amanda Detmer · Judith Fessbeggler; Neil Diamond · himself
- Genres
- romantic; black comedy; buddy comedy
- Themes
- controlling relationships; friendship; identity
- Tone and mood
- crude; mean-spirited; black comedy
- Premise and plot tags
- buddy comedy; romantic comedy; LGBTQ-related
- Reception
- The film was panned by critics and was a box office disappointment, grossing only $26.1 million worldwide against its $22 million budget.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 18% · scale: percentage · review count: 102; Metacritic · score: 22% · scale: percentage · review count: 29
- Production trivia
- The film was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia.; Neil Diamond was 'dragged into this project kicking and screaming.'; The film was released in two versions: a PG-13 theatrical version and an original R-rated cut.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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