Danielle Solzman
Eat Wheaties!, starring Tony Hale, is a cringe-comedy and has all the necessary ingredients to become a new comedy classic.
I cringed throughout this entire film. True, it’s a cringe-comedy but it’s not an anxiety-inducing comedy. The gist of the film is that Sid Straw (Tony Hale) is asked to co-chair the University of Pennsylvania west coast college reunion. Unfortunately for him, he also gets recruited to join Facebook. All the reunion planning is taking place through social media and this certainly becomes bad news. Once Sid learns a former college friend, Elizabeth Banks, is a famous celebrity, he starts writing social media postings on her wall. As if this isn’t bad enough, he contacts her agent to ask for an autographed photo. Unfortunately, the photo has a smudge and he contacts them again.
There are way too moments in this film where I wanted to slap Sid in the face. Too many of them, really. One, he’s new to social media so he probably doesn’t realize that these wall postings are being seen by everyone. Two, the messages come off as stalkerish. Things also reach the point where the agency takes out a restraining order. Is it necessary? That’s the question. He’s certainly not a danger to Elizabeth Banks.
Anyway, Sid tries to convince people he isn’t a stalker. It doesn’t matter what he does because he fails each and every time. He loses his job. Another job offer comes his way but it’s quickly withdrawn AFTER the background check. Like, really?!? What employer would run a background check after making a job offer? Eventually, Sid hires a lawyer, James Fisk (Paul Walter Hauser), to help clear his name. Well, there’s just one minor problem: he is practicing without a license.
The film wisely updates Michael Kun’s book, The Locklear Letters, for this social media era. Heather Locklear was coming off of the Melrose Place run in the late 1990s. Using her wouldn’t quite have the same impact in 2020-2021. Moreover, Locklear has also been having both legal and health issues of late. Elizabeth Banks lends the film a stronger and more relevant name for the film. Does the actress make an appearance? Well, I’ll just led you watch the film and find out!
Comedy fans should certainly have an interest in this film. I mean, look at this cast! Place the cringe aside, how can you say no to a film with this cast? I’ll wait. Sure, some are in the film more than others. Tony Hale, especially. What’s impressive is that this is an indie film rather than a studio feature. I could imagine a studio releasing this sort of film. During a pandemic, it is hard for any film to find an audience. This film is worth checking out! You could say you’re one of the first people to see Eat Wheaties! Ten years from now, you don’t want to be looking back with any regrets, do you? Is this film cringe-worthy? Yes. Is this film cringe-worthy and funny? Double yes!
DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Scott Abramovitch
CAST: Tony Hale, Paul Walter Hauser, Lamorne Morris, Robbie Amell, David Walton, Sarah Burns, Elisha Cuthbert, Sarah Chalke, Sarah Goldberg, with Alan Tudyk and Danielle Brooks
