Review: ‘Finding Amanda’

Writer/Director Peter Tolan (Rescue Me) make a leap to the big screen with his directorial debut “Finding Amanda”   This is one of those films I label a Dramedy (drama with some humor thrown in). The Film stars Matthew Broderick as Taylor Peters a writer for a TV sitcom that is falling faster in the ratings than the Titanic. Taylor is a recovering….everything. He has more vices than Miami! He’s an addict with Gambling, drinking, drugs and as a result lying. All of this soon cost him his job and his marriage to Lorraine (Maura Tierney from ER).

Taylor and Lorraine learn that their niece Amanda (Brittney Snow) has moved to Vegas and is now a prostitute. The family decides to go get her and put her into rehab. My question..what about Taylor? They chose to send him to get her and take her to the clinic, that like sending a kid to the Hershey Chocolate factory and saying its free! Taylor seeing this is the only way to restore stability in his life hits the strip and inside of an hour is down 15,000 and kicking back the bourbon! Taylor is able to track down his niece at her new line of work, only to find out she is captivated by the lights of Vegas…and the dollar signs. Taylor attempts to convince her she is better than this, and I knew it was coming, she says “What about you?” This is a sarcastic look at a very dysfunctional family.

I went into this thinking it was going to be a comic rebound for Broderick, but it fell flat. The movie drags on and doesn’t ever deliver the laughs it sells in the trailer. My advice if you have to “Find Amanda” look for her in the discount bin at your local video store.