Domestic Disturbance (PG-13)

“Domestic Disturbance” is an unfortunate movie. It does many things right, but the effort comes off somehow lacking, somehow an exercise by the numbers, while it had so much more to offer. It features good performances from its two main leads, and a good appearance from Matthew O’Leary, who would star in 2002’s wonderful “Frailty.” “Domestic Disturbance” isn’t as dark as that movie, has an eerie tone, and a rather interesting plot. Unfortunately, the film asks a bit too much suspension of disbelief from the audience, and is bogged down by a weak script and a set of somewhat implausible scenarios its protagonists find themselves in that renders it merely mediocre.

The film stars John Travolta as Frank Morrison, an overly nice divorcé, now single dad, who only wants the best for his son, Danny (O’Leary). Coming between them is Rick Barnes, a rich businessman who is engaged to his ex-wife and up for a Chamber of Commerce award for bringing business to the town. He’s also connected to a life of crime – a fact he keeps hidden from his fiancée and her son until a “business associate” (the indelible Steve Buscemi) shows up at his wedding, demanding his part of a payday that landed him and two others in jail. However, when Danny witnesses Rick attempt to cover up his past, we see a side to the Barnes that becomes more and more dangerous as the film progresses.

The title for this film is a bit of a misnomer, as it’s less about spousal abuse or neighborly fights as it is a suspense thriller that in places also wants to be an actioner. It also borders on tedious at times, as it repeats a single plot device ad nauseum; Danny is, of course, the only one who saw Rick engaging in his violent deed, and all others in town – a police sergeant, his mother, and, for much of the film, his father – simply do not believe him. He’s ‘acting out’ in lieu of his mother’s remarrying, they say. And it’s a role that O’Leary, (who played a similar role in “Frailty,”) seems unable to get away from. Of course, in time, Rick’s monstrous intentions are discovered, but the film drags on far too long without a real reason for disbelieving Danny – that is aside from the script’s need to.

The film does offer an interesting setting for its occurrences, namely coastal Baltimore, which is presented here drearily and morosely. Frank is a small-time shipbuilder, and his harbor front warehouse makes for a creepy setting the film uses multiple times for foreshadowing and showdowns. Likewise, out-of-the-way motels are used to host Buscemi’s character, as well as act as backdrop for Frank’s private police mission to uncover the truth about Rick’s character when he starts to believe his son. The score is both creepy and authentic, creating a chilling atmosphere to underscore the terror young Danny feels throughout.

Likewise, the actors all turn in decent performances here. I’ve always liked Travolta. He can play both good and bad with the greatest of ease, and here he fills the shoes of the caring father and ex-husband well, channeling more kindhearted efforts such as “Phenomenon” rather than his evil character from “Broken Arrow.” O’Leary, Teri Polo (who plays Frank’s ex-wife), and Ruben Santiago-Hudson (as the disbelieving sergeant) round out the cast.

Of the players, however, I was most astonished with Vaughn’s performance, who completely sheds his comic laurels here. He’s vicious, manipulative, and just plain mean. Watching Vaughn through a host of comedies such as “Swingers,” “Wedding Crashers,” and “Dodgeball: An Underdog Story” does not prepare one for what we find here – that we are genuinely afraid of him. His performance is solid, coming across as intimidating and sinister in a number of chilling scenes, shot amidst shadow-covered rooms and threatening whispers. And it’s a shame, really, that despite his performance, the script paints him so incredibly thin that we never see his actions as anything other than filler, as necessary plot rather than purposeful action. There’s simply no discernable motivation for his actions, no background story that gives us a reason for his behaviors. What little screen time Buscemi gets with Vaughn helps…but not enough.

All-in-all, “Domestic Disturbance” is not awful, just slightly uninspired, slightly sluggish, and, despite its 89-minute run-time, overlong. Too much time passes with inaction, and there’s just enough postponement and ill character development that its actors get constrained by the script. With a tighter effort, this could have been a real winner. It will probably provide decent enough entertainment for those willing to muddle through – but don’t expect to be blown away.

– by Mark Ziobro