Short review:
It has been my experience that, when any film generates so much reaction and that reaction is so sharply polarized, you simply have to see it for yourself.
Longer review:
The details of this film have been covered elsewhere. But in examining this film, I feel there are still some areas upon which we might expand.
1) Free Enterprise is as much about Los Angeles and a particular culture as it is about Star Trek and its fans. LA is simply full of guys just like Mark and Robert -- lower-to-middle level in the film industry, always hoping to get the chance to make the film they've always wanted to. They love film, but are struggling to maintain that affection in the face of the hard realities of the film biz (having seen far too many associates become jaded and bitter.) They hang out in cafes and all-night restaurants, and bars take the place of the living rooms they don't have because their apartments are too small. Most of them have unpublished manuscripts and screenplays, their conversation is dialogue, and they automatically pepper it with pop culture and film references new and old. In the case of Free Enterprise their focus is Star Trek and SF films, but it could just as easily be Hitchcock, James Bond or (for the coming generation) Kevin Smith. This film perfectly captures these guys, a dead-on representation of those living and working in the midst of The Dream Factory. Sure, the folks in the film are "prettier" than some might expect, but that's show biz -- movies are a glossed-up version of reality.
2) Speaking of expectations, much of the reaction to this film seems to orbit around not the film itself, but rather around how folks think the film addresses the stereotype of the Star Trek fan. Which shows that everyone needs to take another look at that stereotype as they hold it. So, Mark and Robert are not the fanboy extremists given such colorful treatment in "Trekkies" (which came out about the same time as FE, got much wider release, and actually kept some people away from FE because they assumed it was more of the same.) Our boys don't wear Star Fleet uniforms (well, not as adults), they aren't unusually shaped, they date... So some people label the characters as "unrealistic". I say, re-examine your own assumptions. Life is a continuum -- people do not always gravitate to extreme poles.
3) I have several times seen Robert Burnett and Mark Altman "perform" in person, and I can assure you that the "semi-autobiographical" characters in the film are in no way an exaggeration -- they are just as witty off-the-cuff as their characters are in the script, just as reference-saturated, just as opinionated. Think of the screenplay as excerpts drawn from a constantly-running tape recorder present when they are together with friends: the "greatest moments". Trust me, the characters in the film are dead on -- these guys talk like that.
4) Far from being the poor example of indie production some have labeled it, I feel FE *very* successfully overcomes low-budget considerations. Excellent use of practical lighting, imaginative usage of sets (and re-dressing of sets), and the LA-is-our-whole-world feel all add up to a veritable handbook for the low-budget director. (The excellent commentary track supports how carefully thought out these elements were, especially the discussion of overcoming lens restrictions.)
5) FE is also very successful for having overcome a very shaky release, to enjoy new life on DVD. Partly this is due to word-of-mouth, and partly it's due to the excellent usage the producers made of the DVD format. The alternate "reference" track is great fun, and the commentary track is one of the best out there. I think the longest break in the discussion is 8 seconds -- the rest of the time the guys are falling over each other to reveal details in the rich background they have created. It would be a crime to watch this film without also watching the commentary.
6) Many have pointed at the love story as the weakest element in PE, and I must say I agree with reservations. Right off, I'll say that I often feel that love stories are "spliced into" films -- you can almost hear someone say: "It won't sell unless there's a love story in it". And there's a bit of that here. But the love story does serve to help us examine the bonds between the guys; their group unity is challenged, their stability threatened.
-- POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD --
Some folks feel that Claire is "too pretty" to be a comic book fan -- again, with the stereotypes! -- and that her character is unrealistic. The only main problem I have with the Robert-Claire relationship is when she takes him back, saying, "I don't care about all your negatives, I love you because you will risk everything to achieve your dream!" (This is the point where my wife and I always turn to each other and chorus, 'Fantasy Alert'!) Well, actually, Robert does not risk everything to achieve his dream of making a movie -- he in fact screws off and gives up and relies on the charity of his friends to keep him afloat, and no sensible Claire would dream of putting up with him. So this bit must be chalked up to "Happy Hollywood Ending" and the fact that this is Mark & Robert's movie and if they want to indulge in a bit of wish fulfillment then they can do so.
My wife and I "discovered" this film for our friends, and have turned so many people on to it that we could fill a theater. Most folks have been *very* enthusiastic about it (their most common response: "Why haven't I seen this before?"). We have watched it going on 2 dozen times, and it just keeps getting better for us. Partly because we know these guys, these types, know the LA settings and atmosphere. But mostly just because it is a very well made, heartfelt, and entertaining production.
I have to say a word here about Shatner. Back to stereotypes, and assumptions... I have to admit that I, like much of the world, had come to believe that William Shatner was egocentric, vain, and condescending to his fans. And in my defense, a case can be made for each of those points. (See "Meeting of Minds" for some indication of how genuinely clueless he is regarding why his costars might resent him.) But Free Enterprise turned my (our) head around -- Shatner's willingness to lampoon himself shows a whole new side of the man. His admonition to "tear me down!" (view the commentary track) shows a sincere desire to examine the nature of hero worship and stardom (as does his appearance in the film in the first place), and his "it was then I realized that I'm not Captain Kirk" monologue is actually quite touching. One comes away with a new respect for the man as an actor, and as a man.
I can see why some people might not find Free Enterprise to their taste. But for those who do frequent this kind of restaurant, it is mighty tasty indeed.
It has been my experience that, when any film generates so much reaction and that reaction is so sharply polarized, you simply have to see it for yourself.
Longer review:
The details of this film have been covered elsewhere. But in examining this film, I feel there are still some areas upon which we might expand.
1) Free Enterprise is as much about Los Angeles and a particular culture as it is about Star Trek and its fans. LA is simply full of guys just like Mark and Robert -- lower-to-middle level in the film industry, always hoping to get the chance to make the film they've always wanted to. They love film, but are struggling to maintain that affection in the face of the hard realities of the film biz (having seen far too many associates become jaded and bitter.) They hang out in cafes and all-night restaurants, and bars take the place of the living rooms they don't have because their apartments are too small. Most of them have unpublished manuscripts and screenplays, their conversation is dialogue, and they automatically pepper it with pop culture and film references new and old. In the case of Free Enterprise their focus is Star Trek and SF films, but it could just as easily be Hitchcock, James Bond or (for the coming generation) Kevin Smith. This film perfectly captures these guys, a dead-on representation of those living and working in the midst of The Dream Factory. Sure, the folks in the film are "prettier" than some might expect, but that's show biz -- movies are a glossed-up version of reality.
2) Speaking of expectations, much of the reaction to this film seems to orbit around not the film itself, but rather around how folks think the film addresses the stereotype of the Star Trek fan. Which shows that everyone needs to take another look at that stereotype as they hold it. So, Mark and Robert are not the fanboy extremists given such colorful treatment in "Trekkies" (which came out about the same time as FE, got much wider release, and actually kept some people away from FE because they assumed it was more of the same.) Our boys don't wear Star Fleet uniforms (well, not as adults), they aren't unusually shaped, they date... So some people label the characters as "unrealistic". I say, re-examine your own assumptions. Life is a continuum -- people do not always gravitate to extreme poles.
3) I have several times seen Robert Burnett and Mark Altman "perform" in person, and I can assure you that the "semi-autobiographical" characters in the film are in no way an exaggeration -- they are just as witty off-the-cuff as their characters are in the script, just as reference-saturated, just as opinionated. Think of the screenplay as excerpts drawn from a constantly-running tape recorder present when they are together with friends: the "greatest moments". Trust me, the characters in the film are dead on -- these guys talk like that.
4) Far from being the poor example of indie production some have labeled it, I feel FE *very* successfully overcomes low-budget considerations. Excellent use of practical lighting, imaginative usage of sets (and re-dressing of sets), and the LA-is-our-whole-world feel all add up to a veritable handbook for the low-budget director. (The excellent commentary track supports how carefully thought out these elements were, especially the discussion of overcoming lens restrictions.)
5) FE is also very successful for having overcome a very shaky release, to enjoy new life on DVD. Partly this is due to word-of-mouth, and partly it's due to the excellent usage the producers made of the DVD format. The alternate "reference" track is great fun, and the commentary track is one of the best out there. I think the longest break in the discussion is 8 seconds -- the rest of the time the guys are falling over each other to reveal details in the rich background they have created. It would be a crime to watch this film without also watching the commentary.
6) Many have pointed at the love story as the weakest element in PE, and I must say I agree with reservations. Right off, I'll say that I often feel that love stories are "spliced into" films -- you can almost hear someone say: "It won't sell unless there's a love story in it". And there's a bit of that here. But the love story does serve to help us examine the bonds between the guys; their group unity is challenged, their stability threatened.
-- POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD --
Some folks feel that Claire is "too pretty" to be a comic book fan -- again, with the stereotypes! -- and that her character is unrealistic. The only main problem I have with the Robert-Claire relationship is when she takes him back, saying, "I don't care about all your negatives, I love you because you will risk everything to achieve your dream!" (This is the point where my wife and I always turn to each other and chorus, 'Fantasy Alert'!) Well, actually, Robert does not risk everything to achieve his dream of making a movie -- he in fact screws off and gives up and relies on the charity of his friends to keep him afloat, and no sensible Claire would dream of putting up with him. So this bit must be chalked up to "Happy Hollywood Ending" and the fact that this is Mark & Robert's movie and if they want to indulge in a bit of wish fulfillment then they can do so.
My wife and I "discovered" this film for our friends, and have turned so many people on to it that we could fill a theater. Most folks have been *very* enthusiastic about it (their most common response: "Why haven't I seen this before?"). We have watched it going on 2 dozen times, and it just keeps getting better for us. Partly because we know these guys, these types, know the LA settings and atmosphere. But mostly just because it is a very well made, heartfelt, and entertaining production.
I have to say a word here about Shatner. Back to stereotypes, and assumptions... I have to admit that I, like much of the world, had come to believe that William Shatner was egocentric, vain, and condescending to his fans. And in my defense, a case can be made for each of those points. (See "Meeting of Minds" for some indication of how genuinely clueless he is regarding why his costars might resent him.) But Free Enterprise turned my (our) head around -- Shatner's willingness to lampoon himself shows a whole new side of the man. His admonition to "tear me down!" (view the commentary track) shows a sincere desire to examine the nature of hero worship and stardom (as does his appearance in the film in the first place), and his "it was then I realized that I'm not Captain Kirk" monologue is actually quite touching. One comes away with a new respect for the man as an actor, and as a man.
I can see why some people might not find Free Enterprise to their taste. But for those who do frequent this kind of restaurant, it is mighty tasty indeed.