A jealous Tim Dingman (Ben Stiller), constantly reminded of his lost chance to share in the success of his neighbor’s invention, stares balefully at the aerosol that could have made him rich, in Envy.
What's wrong with this picture? Envy (PG-13) is directed by Academy Award winner Barry Levinson (Rain Man) and stars Jack Black and Ben Stiller, two of the most popular comic actors working today. Yet two major studios sharing the distribution deal, DreamWorks and Columbia Pictures, wouldn't arrange a local advance screening for opening-day reviews.
Don't tell me it's because the film wasn't ready. Envy was being promoted more than a year ago at the ShoWest convention of theater owners, so this isn't a last-minute deal. More than likely, the studios are trying to delay opinions and squeeze out a couple days of decent box office returns before bad news gets around.
Stiller plays Tim Dingman, an uptight suburbanite whose next-door neighbor Nick Vanderpark (Black) calls himself an inventor. One of his ideas is an aerosol that will make dog excrement disappear. (Fill in your own joke here.) Tim turns down a chance to invest in a project he's certain will fail. Of course, the spray becomes a phenomenal success, making Nick even more insufferable and Tim exceedingly jealous.
A full review of Envy will be published on Saturday's Page 2B. Holding your money until then is strongly recommended.
