What happened to By KATHEY CLAREY Bee staff writer have a lot of laughs which say much for a film that stars an icon of American comedy Millions of people watch Bill Cosby's series every week and he has had a long career as a stand-up comedian So why this movie fumiier? One reason is the Cos himself He's mugging 90 percent of the time while those around him play their roles straight He should have watched Ian Bannen as the dotty old Englishman in charge of afterlife mix-ups Barmen's Sir Edith Moser is delightful whether playing with gadgets that somehow connect with the afterlife or arguing that his name is not a woman's It is Edith Bannen doesn't resort to contorted facial expressions His best feature is his mischievous smile His role however is all too brief Cdkbv is after all the star He pldys Elliot Hopper a workaholic single tether who has little time for his three kids He even tapes bedtime stories And unlike tV 'tether Cliff Huxtable Hopper actually goes to work and has to deal with a tyrant boss In a scene that borders on silly he is supposedly killed and becomes a ghost This enables him to walk-through walls sink into the carpet and disappear altogether Of course he want anyone know he's a ghost And this leads to some funny bits including MW involving his taking a physical He cart become visible if the lights are low but how does he get through an X-ray and deliver a brine sample? Arnold Stang a ner- i BILL COSBY Guilty of mugging Ghost Dad Starring Bill Cosby Kimberly Russell Denise Nicholas and Ian Bannen directed by Sidney Pettier 83 minutes Festival Sierra Vista PG dy little guy who seems to have been around for at least 50 years becomes one of Cosby's victims Credit must go to the special-effects team headed by Richard Yuri-cich and Richard Helmer It makes Cosby's disappearing act look simple If only the screenplay by Chris Reese Brent Maddock and SS Wilson was as good It veers all over the place from slapstick comedy to serious discussions to downright ickiness There is an underlying message about the family being more important than work but it takes a back seat to the convolutions in the plot And like TV ev- the jokes Cos? erything ends up happy with all the problems solved Fortunately only one of the youngsters in the film is overly cute Her name is Brooke Fontaine and she plays Amanda the youngest daughter with wide eyes and a dippy little voice Her siblings Danny (Salim Grant) and Diane (Kimberly Russell) are much easier to take Grant gives a nicely understated performance as a 12-year-old budding magician who really needs his dad around more often Russell FRESNOSUMMERJHEATRE FESTIVAL AT FRES'nOCITY COLLEGE PRESENTS' SAM EjTI EN EXTYE AR QP'ENSJONIGHTj Julyll 115 gEBCacBitflnron Hnrrmqrmraii threatens to steal every scene she shares with Cosby Her Diane is an independent 17-year-old who has had to assume a mother's responsibilities and is tired of it She is very good Watching this film I longed for the excellent work director Sidney Poitier and Cosby did in such films as Saturday Night" and Do It Those films made in the 1970s were genuinely funny pales by comparison $6 studentsseniors
