User reviews

This is a cute very low budget comedy that was produced (financed) by the leading actress' parents. It is surprising that they were able to hire stars including Art Hindle and Joathan Winters for this low budget film. The script, direction, and editing are very uneven, probably the result of a very low budget. Some changes in script and final film editing could have greatly improved this movie.

It appears that this movie was re-made in 1999 with script/plot revision, competent direction, major stars and a $21 million budget. The 1999 movie was "The Bachelor," staring Chris O'Donnell, Renee Zellwenger, Peter Ustinov (in the Jonathan Winter's roll), Mariah Carey, Brooke Shields, Hal Holbrook, James Cromwell, and others. If you watch both movies, the similarity in plot and situations is obvious.

My review was written in May 1986 after a Cannes Film Festival Market screening.

"Say Yes" is an old-fashioned comedy (have you heard the one about the guy who had to get married before midnight to qualify for a vast inheritance?) that just doesn't pack enough laughs.

Art Hindle portrays Luke, grandson of tycoon W. D. Westmoreland (Jonathan Winters), whose will bequeaths $250,000,000 to Luke if he marries before his 35th birthday. Grandpa has a fatal stroke, leaving Luke only half a day to get hitched.

What follows is an unconvincing string of circumstances to prevent Luke from tying the knot, including the interference by his venal father George (Logan Ramsey), who stands to get the dough if Luke remains single. Director Larry Yust extracts humour or=t of several well-staged set pieces (particularly a disruption of the workforce at an egg-breaking factory), but generally his writing is uninspired.

Though numerous ol girlfriends come out of the woodwork to try and snatch Luke and his impending boodle, for some unexplained reason he becomes infatuated with a homely country girl (Lissa Layng) who's left the farm to be free. Guess who ends up with Luke.

Acting is okay, although Jonathan Winters is only intermittently funny as he half improvises (with his patented use of handy props) his way through a corny role. Film was lensed over three years ago in New York City and San Diego and tech credits are fine; Cinetel released it domestically commencing last March.

Art Hinkle will lose his multimillion dollar inheritance if he doesn't get married soon (like, within days). Lissa Layng is the unlikely object of his urgent affections. Jonathan Winters is the dead guy. He obviously had his choice of roles here -- he disappears after ten or fifteen minutes of laugh-free film time. This movie is so bad it could be used to teach people how not to have fun. It fails on all levels: acting, writing, direction, cinematography. Probably the music stinks, too, but I can't remember for sure.

My father dragged me to see this one when in was in the theaters. I have forgiven him, since he paid for the tickets (full price!!). I hope his taste has improved.

Just Say No.

This is one of those movies you would have to be crazy to buy, if you actually could, unless it was at a dollar store. Then it would be worth it. Or to rent. But if you stumble on it on TV and there is nothing else on, and you have nothing else to do, go ahead. You might actually enjoy it. Heck, you can always turn it off. But the fast pace of the goof ball insanity might keep your trigger finger off the off button.

Being a goof ball comedy, the director seems to think most of the actors don't need to know how to actually act, at least the goof ball characters, and it appears they don't. The big exception is of course Jonathan Winters. Watching his facial expressions and animal mimicry is a delight, as always. They are toned down enough from his usual comic routines to be especially fascinating.

But for a goof ball comedy to work, you need some straight men and women. Art Hindle is OK, in a fluffy sort of way. He seems like a normal, decent sort of fellow, which is what the character calls for. And Lissa Layng does a commendable job as the one sane woman in his life, striking a good balance between shy and sensibility.

The plot is complete far fetched nonsense. But its kinda fun, in a distracting, escapist way. So the movie is watchable, in an emergency. Speaking of emergencies, I wouldn't recommend it for an in-flight movie.

Looking back on the film, I think it could have been better. Goofball comedies with absurd plots can be made to work. The problem is that most of the acting is bad, painfully bad, to be blunt, almost porno movie bad. Given that most of the enormous cast are actually professional actors, I have to assume the fault lies with bad directing. There's too much hamming it up.

With better comedic acting in the secondary roles and some improvements in the script, this movie might have reached a level of respectability.