Mannequin Review

MPAA Rating: PG
Released: 1987

Mannequin is a romantic comedy that stars Andrew McCarthy, one of the 80's premiere heartthrobs, as an affable yet aimless artist that finds his muse in the form of a mannequin he lovingly created. But one evening when the mannequin comes to life before his (and only his) very eyes, the artist's world takes a sudden and odd change in direction, providing for moments of true hilarity.

Jonathan Switcher (Andrew McCarthy) is an incompetent young artist that seems to go through jobs faster than most people go through underwear. One of his failed ventures was a stint as a mannequin creator; although he created what he considered to be his most beautiful artistic accomplishment in the form of a blonde mannequin, he was canned for spending days on the mannequin rather than hours.

One day the jobless artist is walking along a busy sidewalk when he notices an all too familiar mannequin in the window of Prince and Company, an ailing department store: the one he created! When fate intervenes and he saves the life of Claire Prince Timkin (Estelle Getty), the old woman who happens to be a senior partner in the store gives him a job as a stock boy in appreciation for his selfless act.

While restocking the shelves of the massive store one evening he takes a moment to appreciate his mannequin, at which time to his shock she comes to life! Apparently the mannequin was imbued with the spirit of an ancient Egyptian princess named Ema Hesire (Kim Cattrall), and through his love she is able to become a human. But nothing is ever as easy as it seems, for the mannequin can only show her human form to Jonathan; if anyone else is within eyesight she instantly reverts back to her wooden form.

With the aid of Emmy, Jonathan is able to create outstanding window displays that quickly become the talk of the city, bringing an influx of customers and cash to a department store that was one step away from being acquisitioned from a rival store: Illustra. He quickly receives a promotion for his outstanding work, but not everyone is happy about his success.

B.J. Wert (Steve Vinovich) is determined to see Prince and Company fail so he can acquire it for a tenth of its value, and he will do whatever it takes to either hire Jonathan away from the family department store or destroy his credibility and career. Assisting him is Jonathan's ex-girlfriend, Roxie Shield (Carole Davis), as well as two disloyal Prince and Company employees: Mr. Richards (James Spader) and security captain Felix Maxwell (G.W. Bailey).

Mannequin is a charming romantic comedy that by its very nature will not appeal to all crowds. Its fashion, soundtrack and attitude simply scream of the 1980's, and its story is a simple escapist fantasy that provides some mindless fun. If you try to take this film too seriously then you have missed the point and probably will not enjoy it.

Andrew McCarthy was a great choice for Jonathan Switcher; while he wasn't one of the 80's best actors by any means he does possess a definite screen presence and charisma that really suited these types of roles. If you have watched Police Academy then you will know what to expect from G.W. Bailey since his portrayal of Felix Maxwell closely mimics that of Lt. Harris in that film. Nonetheless, few can play a rabid and equally bumbling enforcer as well as Bailey, so watching his performance in Mannequin was a joy.

Two of the actors in this film are better known for their starring roles in extremely two popular 80's sitcoms: Estelle Getty (Golden Girls) and Meshach Taylor (Designing Women). In Mannequin Getty really wasn't able to display her comedic talents since her role was relatively straightforward; nevertheless she was still fun to watch. Taylor, on the other hand, put out an absolutely outrageous performance as the flamboyantly gay designer, Hollywood Montrose. His character is so zany that when he catches Jonathan repeatedly "putting on the moves" with a wooden mannequin he barely raises an eyebrow; to him every artist has their quirky muses, and if Jonathan loves an inanimate mannequin then so be it.

Kim Cattrall was a struggling actress during the earlier parts of her career; it was her infamous role in HBO's Sex and the City that brought her to the forefront of public attention. While I wouldn't say her depiction of the human form of Emmy was spectacular, she was cute enough not to hurt the movie.

The other thing of note for this movie is its most popular soundtrack song: Starship's Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now, the Oscar-nominated smash hit that soared up the charts and scored the band another number one hit.

Mannequin has some hilarious moments, a quirky cast of characters and a unique plotline. Although the film isn't a laughfest through and through, it has enough harmless fun and heart to make it an entertaining way to spend 90 minutes.

Movie rating: 8 stars

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