Guilty Pleasures: Encino Man
By Felix Quinonez Jr.
July 26, 2012
BoxOfficeProphets.com
But even so, we all have our guilty pleasures. I’m talking about that song you stop humming when someone walks into the room. Or maybe it’s that movie you claim your significant other dragged you to. Whatever the case, we all have guilty pleasures and that includes me, of course. With this column I’m going to try to encourage people to stop being embarrassed for liking things they normally wouldn’t or that aren’t considered cool. I’m going to do this by celebrating movies that are my personal guilty pleasures.
Fame is a weird creature. Sometimes you see someone famous and it’s almost like they were born to be a star. Other times you can’t help but wonder, “how the hell did that happen?” A perfect example of someone who fits into the latter category is Pauly Shore. He rose to fame in the early ‘90s - or maybe it was the late ‘80s - but quickly faded into obscurity as people came to their senses, or maybe just sobered up. Not even people who used to be his fans can explain the mystery of Pauly Shore’s rise to fame, so I can only imagine what future generations will think about us.
Unfortunately I can’t say that I was one of the sane ones who didn’t think Pauly Shore was cool.
No, I was in fact a Pauly Shore fan, there I said it. That’s why in this column, I will be looking at the weasel’s first movie, and my favorite, Encino Man. (1992) I have the urge to point out that when this movie came out I was about seven-years-old. Not only that, but I had just moved to this country so I was still new to American culture. But if I’m being fully honest, I still kind of think he was cool. I mean the guy was weird but he’d rather be himself and an outcast than pretend to be someone he wasn’t. He was a bit out of his time and I’m sure I’m not the only one who can relate to that.
Encino Man was directed by Les Mayfield, who also directed Flubber, among other cinematic classics. Besides Pauly Shore, the movie also stars Sean Astin, Brendan Fraser, and Megan Ward.
The opening scene is set during the ice age as we see a caveman and his cavewoman. They are trying to start a fire to keep warm but because of an earthquake the two of them are buried by a cave-in. The movie then flashes forward a couple of years to present day California. Dave (Astin) is just getting out of bed to go to school. The movie does its best to show how modern day men, especially teenagers, aren’t all that different from cavemen. It’s not hilarious or particularly clever but it’s worth a chuckle. Pretty soon his best friend Stoney (Shore) shows up and they are off to school.
It quickly becomes clear that the two are best friends with a strong history together. Unfortunately they do not have many other friends. The two actors have a great chemistry together and are very believable as best friends. The stark differences in their personalities are entertaining as Astin plays the straight man to Shore’s screwball persona.
Of course it wouldn’t be a good high school movie if at least one of the main characters wasn’t on a quest to obtain the teenage Holy Grail; sex. And that’s where Dave comes in. He’s in love with Robyn, one of the popular girls in school. The two of them used to be friends until she reached “babehood.” Unfortunately, because of cruel high school rules, she ditched him but he’s still holding on to the hope of romance. And typical of high school movies, our heroes need someone to make their lives miserable. That’s where Matt, Robyn’s boyfriend, steps in. (Michael DeLuise) The boys are already unpopular but Dave makes things worse by unabashedly, and repeatedly, going after Robyn. Of course Matt doesn’t take kindly to this and does what bullies do; he beats them up.
But like most of us fellow nerds, Dave sees another side of himself and he’s desperate to make other people see it too. He hopes to achieve high school immortality by hosting the senior prom after party. Dave’s plan is to build a pool in a backyard to lure all of his classmates there for the party because once Robyn sees his pool she’ll undoubtedly fall in love with him. (Hey, we’ve all had crazy plans right?)
Okay, to be fair he really thinks that she is in love with him and that the only reason she doesn’t date him is because he’s unpopular. So his plan is show to show Robyn that he’s popular too. He thinks this way she’ll stop being embarrassed to be in a relationship with him. So in a weird way, Encino Man can be seen as an adaptation of Great Expectations…right?
But one day, as Dave and Stoney are digging a hole that is supposed to be the pool in Dave’s back yard they find a giant block of ice underground. In that giant block of ice is a frozen caveman. (Fraser) They put him in the garage and head to school. By the time they return, the ice block has melted and the caveman is set loose upon Dave’s house. Naturally some fish out of water misunderstandings play out but Dave and Stoney manage to calm the caveman down pretty quickly. (A lighter does the trick) They decide to clean the caveman up and rename him Link. Yes, like the missing link.
It doesn’t take long for the trio to learn how to communicate with one another. And they not only manage to convince Dave’s parents that Link is an Estonian exchange student, but they also get him enrolled in their high school. Link’s behavior and nonchalant attitude make him a big hit at the school and Dave and Stoney ride his popularity coattails. Things go smoothly for a while and Dave even manages to get closer to Robyn. But as is expected, it’s only a matter of time before things go sour.
The first problem is that Dave thinks Link is acting too much like Stoney. Dave doesn’t like this because he sees Link as his ticket to popularity and Stoney is not popular. This begins to form a rift between the two best friends. Another problem is that Robyn becomes interested in Link. When this happens, Dave tries to get rid of Link but this angers Stoney who accuses Dave of only being interested in using Link.
Meanwhile Matt is trying to find out what he can about Link’s mysterious past. He breaks into Dave’s room and finds pictures of Link in the ice block. At the prom he hopes to expose Link but this just makes him even more popular. Afterwards everybody actually does go to Dave’s party. Once they get there, Stoney and Link are shocked to find Link’s cavewoman in Dave’s room. So in the end Link gets his girl, Dave gets his and Pauly Shore gets a couple of more years of fame.
I’ll be the first to admit that this movie is the definition of playing it safe. If you’re surprised by anything in this movie, this might be the first movie you’ve ever seen. But it’s still enjoyable. The performances are the movie’s biggest assets. But if you find Pauly Shore annoying, this movie won’t change your mind. Fortunately the movie doesn’t rest completely on his shoulders.
This was his first starring role but he’s actually a part of the ensemble rather than the movie’s main star. Just how much “acting” he’s really doing is up for debate but he’s entertaining without being overpowering. Plus there is something to be said about someone who not only doesn’t care that other people think he’s a loser, but he embraces it with a smile.
This is the second movie I’ve written about for this site that stars Astin. (The first one was Rudy.) I hadn’t ever really given it much thought before but he’s a very likable actor. Even though he does some things that aren’t so nice - to set up the movie’s main conflict - you can’t help but root for this guy.
But the breakout star from this movie was definitely Fraser. His performance as Link is understated and great. He’s basically the embodiment of what Dave wishes he was; mysterious, athletic, and most importantly popular. Fraser immerses himself in the role and he wins you over without ever saying much.
It’s easy to forget but this movie is actually quite funny. The jokes aren’t the greatest but it’s the way they’re delivered that makes them enjoyable. The actors really do have great chemistry and it feels like you’re tagging along with some friends. The teachers that are seen are also quite funny and believable.
Encino Man is not quite a classic but it does have its charm. And if anything it’s worth watching just to laugh at some of the early 90s fashion and music that has not stood the test of time. The movie actually plays “I’m too sexy for my shirt” in a non ironic way. Even though the movie came out 20 years ago, some things never change and there will always be people who can relate to being tortured in high school. And aside from offering some good laughs the movie it encourages people to be themselves, which is an idea we can all support.