A Fare to Remember (1999) Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Challen Cates, Max Alexander, Peter Birkenhead Movie Review

A Fare to Remember (1999)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Malcolm-Jamal Warner in A Fare to Remember (1999)

Congealed Christmas Comedy

It's Christmas Eve and Tamara Gault (Challen Cates) is meant to be getting ready for her forthcoming marriage but instead has to rush to Seattle for an emergency meeting with an unhappy customer who needs an ad for their Beef Jerky product. But things don't go well when the limo which should have picked Tamara up doesn't show and she ends up in a taxi driven by the quirky and talkative Winter Valen (Malcolm-Jamal Warner - Fool's Gold). With a curious sense of style and an opinion on everything they don't get on but after a series of mishaps Tamara and Winter end up on a road trip together at which point they discover that despite their many differences they actually share some things in common.

Do you enjoy over acting? Does forced comedy sound appealing? Does a derivative storyline float your boat? And do a series of cameo's make you sit up and pay attention? If you answered yes to all of those things then "A Fare to Remember" could quite possibly be your sort of movie especially if you dig Christmas movies. But if you answered no to any of those questions I suggest steering well clear of "A Fare to Remember" as it will quickly annoy you.

Challen Cates in A Fare to Remember (1999)

To break "A Fare to Remember" down we have another road trip movie where there is a series of mishaps which are meant to make us laugh but you need to suspend a lot of belief to accept what happens even for a comedy. We also have the forced comedy such as when Tamara is giving a presentation to the beef jerky company and comes up with a catch phrase about not being jerked around, it is painful and in truth uncomfortable. But of course on top of that we have the comedy of the straight laced, career minded Tamara and the quirky, laid back Winter winding each other up but then becoming friends the longer they spend together. Every bit of this is familiar and you not only have to be in the Christmas spirit but a forgiving mood as well to enjoy this.

But then there is the acting and whilst the character of Tamara is annoying it has to be said that Challen Cates plays the part well with a lot of snooty, cattiness which makes the character forced but still a little amusing. And then there is Malcolm-Jamal Warner who in truth makes the movie with one of the most over the top, quirky performances going and it is enjoyable even if it is ridiculously over the top.

What this all boils down to is that "A Fare to Remember" is one of those movies which you have to be in the right mood for as unless you are in the exact right mood it will be painful in so many ways with the only saving grace being a unique performance by Malcolm-Jamal Warner. And I say that as having watched it twice I both loved and hated it.

Tags: Christmas Movies


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