Excess Baggage

The other day I had one of those moments that made me feel older. I saw the promo for the new Diary Of A Wimpy Kid movie and noticed that Alicia Silverstone was playing the mom. To me, she will always be that fresh faced teen from Clueless. Now she's playing an out of touch mom...where has the time gone? After Clueless, Ms. Silverstone had a hard time finding a vehicle that lived up to that star making performance. Playing Batgirl was definitely a step in the wrong direction. Not all of her choices were a total wash however. Case in point, 1997's Excess Baggage.

Ms. Silverstone plays a spoiled, little rich girl, kind of a tougher variation on the role she had in Clueless, who's trying to get her father's attention. To do this, she fakes a kidnapping. She duct tapes herself and hides out in the trunk of her car. Before her dad can come to the rescue however, a car thief, Benicio del Toro, steals her car. Now her dad and the cops think that he is the kidnapper. Unsure of how to get out of this predicament, del Toro reluctantly pretends to be the kidnapper at Silverstone's urging.

Silverstone, who was also an uncrediited producer, does an ok job. She was far more effective in Clueless and seems a bit miscast. Luckily she has assembled a great supporting cast that includes Christopher Walken and Harry Connick, Jr. del Toro is such an interesting actor that it's always fun to watch him work.

The film was directed by Marco Brambilla, who also did Demolition Man. He gives the film a sleek look and keeps the movie at a fast pace.

Excess Baggage isn't a great film, but it's a harmless, enjoyable enough ride.

It's available on dvd.