Delirious (1991)

John Candy, Mariel Hemingway, Emma Samms, Raymond Burr, Dylan Baker, Charles Rocket, Andrea Thompson and David Rasche star in this 1991 comedy. The late, great, Candy plays Jack Gable, a writer who gets into an accident and dreams he's on his soap opera, "Beyond Our Dreams." He plays along as wealthy tycoon, Jack Gates and begins writing his way through town trying to impress rich woman, Rachel Hedison (Samms). Jack also meets, Janet Dubois (Hemingway), a botanist whom he finds romance with. Jack eventually comes back to reality and tries to better the show. The late, Burr (Perry Mason) plays Rachel's father and industrialist, Carter, Baker (Spider-Man 2) plays Carter's son, Blake who begins having side effects from an experimental drug, the late, Rocket (Dumb and Dumber) plays Carter's other son, Ty who has one eye, Thompson (NYPD Blue) plays nurse, Helen Caldwell who tries to win the affections of doctor, Paul Kirkwood (Rasche) whom is engaged to Rachel and Robert Wagner (Hart to Hart) also appears as the actual, Jack Gates. This is a good comedy I've always enjoyed, Candy & the cast are great and I recommend it.

This John Candy movie had potential to be a really funny comedy, perhaps one of his best movies where he is the lead star and there is not a Steve Martin or Dan Aykroyd to back him up. However, the film just is not funny enough in areas of this film and it can not seem to build up any steam so I have to say this one pales to another purely John Candy film "Who's Harry Crumb" as that one may have been sort of a "Fletch" copycat still maintained the laughs all the way through the film while this one just loses its luster by having one to many unfunny scenes. The story is about a writer on a soap opera who is obsessed a bit with one of the star attractions going on a trip with said star. She is basically playing him because at this point he is the only real reason she is still on the show as the makers of the soap wanted her killed off long ago for being so difficult. Well an accident happens and when Candy's character comes to he is actually in the soap opera he writes for which makes for some funny stuff. Unfortunately, the character he yearns for is seemingly headed for death, but Candy's character quickly realizes that with a typewriter he can make things happen to his liking in this strange world he has entered. Like I said at times this movie is really funny and it is nice to watch Raymond Burr in one of his final roles, but to many times this film is just not all that funny.

That's John Candy's dilemma in Delirious. Candy's a writer for a popular television day time soap which seems to bear more resemblance to the night time big budget soaps so popular in the Eighties. Anyway after some creative differences with fellow writers Jerry Orbach and Renee Taylor, Candy gets into a nasty car wreck and when he wakes up finds himself in the hospital of his own show being treated by a couple of the characters of same, doctor David Rasche and nurse Andrea Thompson. After seeing this, I see where the creators of Pleasantville got their idea. Pleasantville of course was a bit more serious in its subject matter. Delirious was a good idea that didn't quite come off although the players do give it a good try.Part of the problem is that even in the fantasy Candy's thinking with his hormones. He's got it bad for his show's star Emma Sammes who is doing a nice Joan Collins impersonation. There's good girl Mariel Hemingway who is auditioning in real life for a part on Candy's soap opera and she shows up in the fantasy as well. I have to give special kudos to Raymond Burr who plays the family patriarch of this soap opera with tongue firmly in cheek. Burr's occasionally flashes a twinkle which you have to be sure to catch just to let you know how much he's enjoying this. Nice he took time off from Perry Mason here.Sammes and Burr are the real treats of Delirious. It could have been a lot funnier, but I think someone like Mel Brooks should have directed it.

Flimsy comedy carried by the likability of John Candy as Jack Gable a third rate script writer on a failing daytime soap opera. After an accident Jack awakens in Ashford Falls the town he created in the TV show with all his characters brought to life. He soon realises his typewriter gives him the ability to write his own destiny and go from Jack Gable the bumbling writer to Jack Gates the wolf of Wall Street. The film has some neat ideas the comedy is a tad hit and misses but John Candy is as reliable as ever pulling this movie from the depths it would have gone without him. Other characters are broad soap archetypes and exist solely as props in the John Candy show. The film is passable and raises a few laughs Raymond Burr and Robert Wagner make funny guest appearances and supporting characters Ty, Dr Kirkwood and Blake all have their moments. An enjoyable bit of comedy fluff 7/10