“”Saving Silverman”” pairs a trio of proven comedic actors (Jack Black, Steve Zahn, Amanda Peet) with a proven comedic director (Dennis Dugan, “”Big Daddy””) and tosses in a celebrity cameo by the great Neil Diamond for good measure. Why, then, can’t this film buy a laugh?
Could it have something to do with the thin plot? The overbearing toilet humor? The ham-fisted delivery of the endlessly dull jokes? Yes, yes and certainly yes. Despite some flourishes provided by Zahn and Peet, who both deserve better, it’s this film, and not Silverman, that needs saving.Black and Zahn play Wayne and J.D., childhood friends who live to regret the night they encourage their friend Darren Silverman (Jason Biggs) to pick up the beautiful Judith (Peet) in a bar. Despite their obvious differences, the two start dating – or, at least, Darren starts doing whatever the domineering Judith tells him to do. From day one, Judith monopolizes all of Darren’s time, forbidding him from hanging out with his boorish buds and breaking up the trio’s prized Neil Diamond cover band, “”Diamonds in the Rough.””Sick of seeing their friend trapped under Judith’s thumb, the hapless heroes hatch a plan to kidnap Judith and force their friend to forget about her. But the self-sufficient Judith turns out to be a handful, and Wayne and J.D., even with the help of the almighty Diamond, realize they’re in over their heads.””Silverman”” bursts out of the gate with some original ideas, and its giddy pace keeps the jokes (crude and otherwise) flying. But then it falters, for no greater reason than the fact that it’s impossible to believe the straight-edged, boring Darren (as played by Biggs) would be caught dead with pigs like Wayne and J.D. Nor could you believe that these two self-centered slobs would ever care enough about anyone, including Darren, to go to the great lengths they go to. With the film’s prime directive so full of holes, there’s only one place “”Silverman”” can go: straight down the toilet. And in this aspect, it doesn’t disappoint. The low point comes when the guys’ old football coach (R. Lee Emery) stops by to kill the kidnapped Judith and ends up relieveing himself on the front lawn. No toilet paper? No problem. He just reaches into the mailbox. I kid you not. After a few of these instances – and there are plenty – you begin to realize that not even a humorous cameo from Neil Diamond himself is enough to save “”Silverman.””GRADE: DTHE EXTRAS: “”Silverman”” the film might not add up to much, but “”Silverman”” the DVD delivers. Columbia TriStar has packed the disc with the regulars: a director’s commentary, filmographies, production notes and the film’s trailer. The disc’s standout is an outtake reel, which showcases Zahn and Black’s chemistry, as well as their ability to improvise. Unfortunately, very little of the magic makes it into the film (which is presented in both a widescreen and a full screen format).GRADE: COVERALL EXPERIENCE:””Silverman”” could have been saved by Zahn and Peet’s performances. After crisp, clever turns in both this and “”The Whole Nine Yards,”” we now know for sure that Peet is a gifted comedian who someday will convert the right script into a star-making vehicle. This, though, is not that script. And what happened to Jack Black? So funny in John Cusack’s “”High Fidelity,”” he plays J.D. as a brainless, unlikeable clod. The only thinh he successfully does is alienate himself from the audience. Moviegoers who thought “”There’s Something About Mary”” just wasn’t gross enough may flock to save “”Silverman.”” The rest of us should just save our cash.FINAL GRADE: D+