I’d never heard of this lesser known indie from 2008 until I stumbled upon it on the telly while bored out of my mind in my hotel room on vacation some years ago. What a lovely little pill of wisdom it turned out to be.
“The Great Howard Buck” is the simple tale of an aging mentalist named Buck Howard (John Malkovich) who is trying to bounce back into the entertainment industry with the help of his road manager Troy Gable (Colin Hanks). Troy himself is trying to bounce back after a bad experience at law school leaves him rethinking career paths, much to the dismay of his strict father who himself is a successful lawyer (played by Hanks’ real-life father Tom Hanks). Joining the resilient and stubborn Troy—and the equally resilient and stubborn Buck—on their journey of successes, failures and tricks gone wrong is publicist Valerie Brennan (Emily Blunt).
While the plot follows a linear path peppered with light humour, it is the themes and message behind the movie that are its beating heart. “The Great Buck Howard” makes viewers believe in the power of not giving up, the magic in following one’s dreams, but also provides a glimpse into the sense of disillusionment that may follow when that dream tends to go nowhere. It’s also a lesson in learning to resurrect those broken, unfulfilled dreams.
John Malkovich is a delight as usual and he gets into the skin of the Buck Howard character marvelously, as if this character was tailor-made for him and his quirky mannerisms. Emily Blunt too is great, although her character doesn’t add that much to the proceedings and is merely the love interest. However, the revelation here is the underrated Colin Hanks. As a young man who struggles to emerge from his successful father’s shadow and tries to carve his own path, Colin threatens to steal the show with his versatility. The scenes he shares with his father add depth to this movie and is a true testament of how overlooked he is as an actor. The supporting cast—such as Steve Zahn and Debra Monk as the crazed fans—are also in top form, and the cameos from talk show hosts like Conan O’Brien, Jon Stewart, and many more add not only star power, but are just a hoot and a half to watch.
In short, “The Great Buck Howard” is an underrated gem and a must watch with some surprising, unpredictable scenes that doesn’t play tricks on your mind, but leaves you with a lot of food for thought. Don’t miss out on this film.
