The Wrong Guy (1997)

Wow! Such a good movie.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

In the Wrong Guy, Dave Foley finds a body and, following a tradition established in many Hitchcock movies, grabs the knife, gets covered in blood, and goes on the run. Only in this case, he doesn't realize that the police have identified the real killer and Foley is not wanted by anyone.Foley is wonderful as a dim-witted protagonist who bumbles from one seeming disaster to the next without ever realizing the real situation. While he seems to be a rather lucky idiot, the real killer is skilled but wildly unlucky, as his path keeps crossing with Foley's chaotic one.The script is clearly a Hitchcock take-off, but while the score and opening credits make this explicit, director David Steinberg shows little interest in turning the film into an out-and-out Hitchcock parody. Primarily a TV director, he is very good at effectively presenting jokes, but he's not a stylist, and he never does anything specifically Hitchcockian unless the joke requires it.That's okay, though, because the movie is very funny, with plenty of solid gags, like a noble banker being run out of business by an unscrupulous farmer and a fence in need of repair, and there are solid performances by Tilly as the addled love interest and David Anthony Higgins as a lazy cop.I came across this movie accidentally, and I feel it should be better known. I only know Foley from that sitcom about the radio that was pretty good and an episode of Kids in the Hall that didn't excite me, but he's a really talented guy who can quickly establish a character and make him both convincing and ridiculous. Even if you're not a fan of KITH or Hitchock, check this out.

OK...I've worked with Dave Foley and in person, he is just hilarious.For the most part, this movie just drags barely along...but there is something truly fantastic about this film...and I can't put the exact fact of what reason that is.It's not the ending...it's not the beginning and it's not the middle...so where does it lay? Well it's gingerly sprinkled throughout the movie - between the silly cop antics, the narcoleptic farm girl. It's the little pieces that make this movie funny...not the overall story - because it just doesn't have the glue for it.However this is far better than any Tom Hanks - Meg Ryan romantic comedy ever was or will be. This has heart...Of course it could have been written a bit better. The ending could have been more tight and some of the dialogue could have been more tight. There could have been more action and some really awesome stunts...but even without all that needed input, this film still manages to entertain.

Funny. Not a-laugh-a-minute funny. Not, OMG that's so stupid it's funny funny, but funny. Dry, unrepentant, continual, situational funny. Enema bag Jones funny, really. We can't afford any ice funny. Rolling thru rolling train funny. Heh. Foley without the kids, well, he's good without. I love these dry comedies. Not everything is handed to you, in fact you have to make out the comedy for yourselves, and that makes it different... great, perhaps... and definitely Canadian. There ain't no laugh track here. Colm Feore is excellent, as is the inept detective. There is a subtle reference to Hitchcock, ending up with the hang from the Statue of Liberty. See, if you can, and damn the farmers trying to shut the bank down.

wow. who even knew this movie existed? well i was in virgin records and saw it on the shelf. suffice to say i rented it, and i LOVED it. i plan on buying it most likely. the beginning is a little slow but it's one of those comedies where you find yourself in tears by the middle. just terrific acting, especially by the investigator who loves to spend the gov't money on restaurants and theater - he really steals the show. seriously tho, if you enjoy great comedies with a silly edge - ex. The Naked Gun & Saving Silverman - you will enjoy this.by the way - the movie was fairly kid appropriate. i think ages 10+ should have no problems watching this.