Private Parts

Starring: Howard Stern, Robin Quivers, Mary McCormack, Fred Norris, Paul Giamatti, Gary Dell'Abate, Richard Portnow, Allison Janney, Melanie Good, Jenna Jameson, John Stamos, Leslie Bibb, Mia Farrow (uncredited), Edie Falco (uncredited)
Directed by: Betty Thomas
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Comedy
1997

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Howard Stern rises from humble roots in radio to become the #1 DJ in New York City, albeit his rise is not without controversy.

Review:

Tim: I never sat down and watched Private Parts, mostly because I've never been a big Howard Stern guy. He certainly has achieved a lot of acclaim and I guess you can give him credit for pushing boundaries no one else was willing to push. I'm not sure I would certify him a "genius" or anything like that. And here, you have him making a movie about himself where he actually plays himself. This isn't an actor, he's a disc jockey. It sounds like a recipe for disaster. And yet, here's the thing. Betty Thomas doesn't direct a bad movie. I wasn't anticipating that. Sure, it's heavily flawed, but it's entertaining. It's funny. It's actually fairly solid. That truly surprised me.

Generally, having someone like Stern play himself in a movie isn't going to work. Either they'd approach it too seriously or not have the talent to bring their own story to life. Stern is actually really good in this film. It's obvious he's not a great actor, but he really puts a lot of effort into the performance. He has no qualms with poking fun at himself (which helps immensely), even narrating that you have to suspend disbelief for this movie to work. It's interesting to see him depict himself here, but it's a solid performance. The same can be said for Robin Quivers and Fred Norris- I didn't think it made sense for them to play themselves, but I was wrong- they're effective in those roles. You have to give Betty Thomas a good deal of credit- she helped create the environment to get these authentic performances from the cast.

Mary McCormack was gave a strong performance as Alison Stern. She brought a nice amount of detail to multiple layers that make up this woman. You identify with her and find yourself intrigued by this character. Paul Giamatti was fantastic. He steals every scene he's in. He has this ability to be so grating, you can't help but dislike his character (while simultaneously appreciating the actor and his talent). Giamatti greatly helped this movie by providing a foil to Stern. He makes the latter aspect of this movie truly entertaining. As a whole, the right cast was in place for this film.

There are some things that did bother me in this movie. Stern presents himself as someone who is always willing to make fun of himself, to put himself down, never to talk himself up. He does throw out several lines that surprise you, someone who is willing to laugh about himself. However, despite those few vocal moments, the rest of the movie is subtly working to tell you what a great guy Stern is- how's fiercely loyal, faithful, misunderstood, and while they never say he's a genius, the subtext is there. It's a bit disingenuous, but it never sinks the movie. The same thing can be said by many of the creative liberties the film takes. Robin Quivers was never fired, the big celebratory rally never took place, etc. These bother you a little because they're constructed to make Stern look good. However, it's also helpful to tell a good story, so you have to forgive the film some. That's ultimately how I looked at the movie- not necessarily an accurate story of Stern's life, but a distorted one. It's Stern telling his own story and he's comfortable playing fast and loose with the facts. Again, this could be damaging to the movie, but Stern's always presented himself this way- as a guy willing to bend the truth, to outright lie if needed, all in the pursuit of a good story, of entertainment. This might not be the "true" story of Howard Stern, but it's the version of Stern's life he wants you to believe. If you can approach it from that lens, you'll find the movie is entertaining.

I'm as surprised as anyone that I enjoyed this movie. It's controversial and extreme, as you'd expect a movie about Stern to be. However, it's careful to tell you how he's a family man and cares deeply for his friends. I have no way of knowing how realistic any of this is, but it gives you an interesting peak behind the curtain. This movie could have been a disaster (and probably should have been), but Thomas manages to direct a good movie. That's an impressive and unexpected feat.


Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



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