Destiny Turns on the Radio

(Romantic comedy-drama -- Color)

A Savoy Pictures release of a Rysher Entertainment presentation. Produced by Gloria Zimmerman. Executive producers, Keith Samples, Peter Martin Nelson. Co-producers, Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone, Raquel Carreras. Line producer, Michael D. Pariser. Directed by Jack Baran. Screenplay, Robert Ramsey, Matthew Stone.

Harry Thoreau - James LeGros
Julian Goddard - Dylan McDermott
Johnny Destiny - Quentin Tarantino
Lucille - Nancy Travis
Tuerto - James Belushi
Escabel - Janet Carroll
Ralph Dellaposa - David Cross
Gage - Richard Edson
Mr. Smith - Bobcat Goldthwait
Dravec - Barry "Shabaka" Henley
Katrina - Lisa Jane Persky
Francine - Sarah Trigger
Pappy - Tracey Walter
Vinnie Vidivici - Allen Garfield

"Destiny Turns On the Radio" is a hopeless and hapless attempt at cool. Apparently aiming at some sort of fable about winning and losing in American culture, filmmakers flail about trying to establish a tone that never materializes, and an array of good actors is left with nothing coherent to play. Some Quentin Tarantino fans may turn out to see him in what amounts to an extended cameo, but the few unfortunate souls who wander into this one will tune out fast.

Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone's bewilderingly thin screenplay was developed at the Sundance Institute, but it's a sure bet that this won't be prominently mentioned in the institute's future newsletters. Perhaps there was something on paper to attract the talent that climbed on board, but first-time director Jack Baran, exec producer of "Single White Female" and "Kiss of Death," has obscured it to the point that it's impossible to find any merit in the picture whatsoever.

Opening scene has a parched Julian Goddard (Dylan McDermott) rescued in the desert by the mysterious Johnny Destiny (Tarantino), who cruises him into Las Vegas and drops him at the rundown Marilyn Motel, operated by Harry Thoreau (James LeGros). Turns out Julian and Harry partnered on a botched bank robbery three years before, Julian's just escaped from the pen and now intends to retrieve both his share of the loot and his girl, Lucille (Nancy Travis), who's now a lounge singer at the casino owner by her new b.f. Tuerto (James Belushi).

Remainder of the action painfully charts Julian's boorish attempts to win back Lucille and to locate the stash, which has disappeared. Johnny Destiny periodically saunters through as a sort of god of gambling who makes limp pronouncements about fate and guides people through a mystifying maze of mystical occurrences marked by flashing lights and bolts of electricity.

With the way he impulsively pops off at everything that happens without thinking, McDermott makes for a lead who's much more off-putting than necessary, creating absolutely no rooting interest in seeing Lucille trade in her wealthy big shot for this small timer. LeGros, like the entire production, aims for the offbeat with his ill-defined characterization but ends up in no man's land. Travis gives it the college try to little effect.

In general terms, pic falls into the bulging category of modern films that depict criminals who are meant to be quirky and sympathetic. Intention may have been to apply a romantic, fabulist spin to such material, but pic fizzles out definitively before it ever gets started.

Camera (CFI color), James L. Carter; editor, Raul Davalos; music, Steve Soles; production design, Jean-Philippe Carp; art direction, Easton Michael Smith, Dominic Wymark; set decoration, Lisa R. Deutsch; costume design, Beverly Klein; sound (Dolby SR), Steuart P. Pierce; assistant director, David H. Venghaus Jr.; casting, Nicole Arbusto, Joy Dickson. Reviewed at Sunset Screening Room, L.A., April 24, 1995. MPAA rating: R. Running time: 101 min.

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