In case you missed it … ‘So I Married an Axe Murderer’

For some of you … heck, many of you, this is old hat. With all the talk lately, both good and bad, about Mike Myers, I wanted to return to Myers’ first breakout role (post-Waynes World). In my opinion, his most successful film. His other films, namely Wayne’s World and the Austin Powers movies, were financially successful and lots of fun [for the most part], but I prefer movies that tell a story rather than just splicing jokes and gags together. With recent Love Guru flop, I would advise Myers to return to scripts like this and get far away from the Austin Powers shtick.

So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) is a romantic comedy that’s funny and dark and still has its romantic side attached. Myers is able to be Myers, but on a more subdued scale that works well. Myers plays Charlie, the Bohemian poet who longs for Harriet, sweet Harriet (Nancy Travis) the deli girl. He successfully woos her, but mistakenly concludes that she may be a serial husband-killing axe murderer. Now, Charlie must stay alive while attempting to hide what he knows and keep Harriet thinking he’s not aware of her true identity. But, does he really know who the killer is?

The supporting cast also plays a significant role in the film’s success. Anthony LaPaglia plays Charlie’s friend Tony, Amanda Plummer is great as Harriet’s mysterious sister and there are cameo roles by Phil Hartman, Charles Grodin and Steven Wright. Some of my favorite bits in the movie include Myers playing Charlie’s father Stuart. In an early rendering of his Scottish accent, Myers is hilarious as his loud-mouthed and rude father who mercilessly picks on Charlie’s little brother, whose head is “like an orange on a toothpick … a virtual planetoid.” Stuart also has a way with the ladies and a deep-seeded hatred of Colonel Sanders. In addition, Charlie’s poems are classic, cool and ridiculous.