Daily Movie Rec 7/14/2023
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
"Toon killed his brother. Dropped a piano on his head."
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Cinematography by: Dean Cundey
Country: United States
Plot:
A human PI with a tragic past involving toons works to clear the name of toon superstar Roger Rabbit after he's implicated in the murder of Marvin Acme, the head of ACME corporation and owner of Toontown. Adapted from the novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf.
Reasons to watch:
With its raunchy humor and disturbing sequences, Who Framed Roger Rabbit has got to be up there with Jaws (1975) and Poltergeist (1982) as one of the most adult PG-rated movies ever released. The story's hyper-imaginative blend of animation and live-action, placing beloved cartoon characters from Disney and Warner Bros. in a classic Hollywood noir framework, also makes this film easily the most unique neo-noir ever made (with endless references, the filmmakers' knowledge of and love for noir and golden-age animation is crystal clear). And its world-building is as bizarre as it is brilliant. The movie is galaxies away from realism, but it follows a consistent type of absurd logic that makes it all the more immersive. Between Jessica Rabbit's iconic line - "I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way." - and Roger's explanation that he always has to do what's funniest in any given situation, no matter the consequences (be it pain, punishment, or even death), it gives a fascinating insight into the lore of toons where each character is infinitely defined by their nature - always having to do what would be most subjectively entertaining (regarding themselves) for an expecting audience. It lends the toons a highly compelling sense of self-awareness where their entire existence centers on a type of perpetual performance, with the conflict of each scene amplified by how the much more mortal human characters and their grounded reality interact with the absurd reality of toons. [And it looks stressful as fuck, I'm not going to lie. Even with the film's message being the importance of making people laugh, this is not a fantasy world that looks even slightly appealing to me. Amazing movie though.]
It's also telling of Who Framed Roger Rabbit's influence that ever since its release, the highest compliment a red-haired woman can receive is being compared to Jessica Rabbit, a literal cartoon character (admittedly a very sexy one). The absurdity of that is very funny to me.
Where to watch:
Tubi
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