Renaissance Man (1994)

I recently saw Renaissance Man for the first time and loved it! I am a big fan of Penny Marshall's films and wish she would direct more often. She has a wonderful vision that can only come from a woman, yet the films are not specifically feminist. She just seems to direct from her heart and let the chips fall where they may. Her movies make me laugh, cry and cheer like a modern day Frank Capra, with a more realistic eye. Renaissance Man casts Danny DeVito as a curmudgeonly "Mary Poppins" who shows up at a military base, and changes lives with a "Spoonful of Shakespeare." Danny DeVito gives a wonderful performance as an unemployed advertising executive who winds up teaching army recruits English. He soon discovers they can relate to Shakespeare through Hamlet, and eventually takes them to see a performance of Henry V. A very moving moment takes place when a recruit recites the "Band of Brothers/Saint Crispin's Day speech to his Sargent. I recommend this film to both men and women, even if they usually don't care for military films.

While trite in some ways, this is still a very enjoyable movie. The relationship between the teacher and the drill sergeant is wonderful, and Danny DeVito is great. While the ending is predictable, the misfits DeVito is tasked with teaching are a terrific mix of characters. I can watch this movie over and over for one scene, the speech by the kind of nerdy soldier who gives the sergeant the "We few, we band of brothers" speech. His movement during the speech as he switches from a "soldier in the rain" to an actor reciting Shakespeare is hilarious. And Danny Devito climbing the tower is priceless. Watch the movie.

The older I get the more I realize how this movie is a little cheesy, But if you really like a feel good movie you can't go wrong with this one. Danny Devito did a wonderful job playing a teacher in the army.(a job he didn't ask for and is not looking forward to)He is brought in to teach these kids that everyone thinks are stupid. Every one of the characters left an impression in my mind. They all did a wonderful job at playing their roles.Each one of the student's are different and everyone knows someone in real life like each one of them. It is a little like dead poet's society but with more comedy and a more "happy good feeling" I am always in a GREAT mood at the end of this movie!

This is a push button movie with a cookie cutter plot. There is only one thing in this movie that stands out and that is the actors I had grown used to seeing Danny Devito as a comedian in silly movies and I kinda put him in the category of actor who has one character he plays well and nothing else. I was so wrong. Devito proves he can act, giving life to what could have been a very lack luster role.All the supporting actors that made up the DDs gave a dignity to their characters, giving each one their own talents and weaknesses.This is the kind of feel good movie that you want to see when you've had a bad day and just want to feel better about the world.