Tune in Tomorrow... (1990)

Touches You

People are voting emotionally.

An Exercise In Nonsense

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This film as also from the book where it came from is a true masterpiece. Not only in its wording but the characters, the acting and the storyline and its tongue in cheek poke at radio writers of that era (i.e. the 1950's). If you don't have a writer background or have lived the era of radio plays you might not get the humour or the subtle below the belt jokes embedded in the play. But I strongly suggest you to watch and learn - this movie took a long time to make and is well worth seeing.

'The Year's Best Comedy!' it said on the box. A review from the Village Voice, no less, although perhaps on the day when the director's mother was the guest reviewer.'The Best Comedy of 1990'. This review on the box came from the Lake County News Herald, serving Northern Ohio. Note the lack of an exclamation point.I'm glad I only paid a dollar for this and that the money went to the Salvation Army. That's the only good thing to come out of this.Keanu Reeves and Barbara Hershey (woeful actors, the pair of them) fall in love simply because she's bored and he's horny. They are aunt and nephew (in name only, not by blood) and this tinge of incest is incorporated into the soap opera which plays on the radio station where Keanu's character works.This 'scandal' is milked by the shady scriptwriter played by Peter Falk who has survived a terrorist attack on his previous place of employment and risks the same at this other radio station because of his nonsensical, baseless hatred of Albanians that works its way into every insulting line of his scripts.I hope the above paragraphs make sense or sound halfway interesting, unlike the movie itself. It's a wildly uneven movie, with incomprehensible and disconnected scenes featuring an assemblage of low-rent talents you may half-recognise from cancelled TV shows.None of it makes any sense. Despite wanting to be a writer, Keanu's character is never seen with a pen in hand or sat at a typewriter. He neglects his character's Southern accent in several scenes. The incest storyline features in the soap opera well before the aunt and nephew actually begin their affair. Oddball characters (like the Sid/Sam radio boss) are just irritating, not funny.The only thing I enjoyed about the movie (aside from the closing credits) was the brilliant music from Wynton Marsalis.

Whenever I think of extremely underrated movies, Tune in Tomorrow always comes to mind. Barbara Hershey, Peter Falk and Keanu Reeves all shine in their leading roles. The luminous and hilarious supporting cast showcases Patricia Clarkson, Peter Gallagher, Elizabeth McGovern and John Larroquette like you've never seen them before. This ensemble is one of the best that I've encountered on screen and makes me wish they gave out awards for supporting casts.The movie might not be everyone's cup of sweet tea but it's a gem, nonetheless. Even if the story doesn't tickle your heart, the movie is definitely worth catching for the Wynton Marsalis score and the classic images of a pre-Katrina New Orleans.

This movie is so typical of Hollywood's treatment of New Orleans' language and culture. I am a native of New Orleans, and neither I nor anyone I've known down there has that extreme southern drawl that is depicted in this movie (and in many others, such as JFK). Keanu Reeves' accent was especially bad. I can't believe John Larroquette sold out and faked his accent as well. He's from New Orleans, and he didn't sound like that on Night Court. If anything, Barbara Hershey's character was closer to the New Orleans accent. Depending on the section of New Orleans, some residents sound much like New Yorkers. Watching this movie was like watching Gone With the Wind, without the same caliber.I am also offended by the plot itself. It presupposes that all New Orleanians or Louisianians are inbreeders (as depicted by Aunt Julia and Martin's love affair), furthering an unfair stereotype.I was disappointed by the deletion of a few scenes I saw filmed at my college, Loyola University. That was the main reason I wanted to see this movie.