Heavy (1995) Reviews

• He's a man so shy, he doesn't even think he deserves love...

  moonspinner552005-11-02

  Solemn, but vivid, lovely mood piece about a shy, chubby cook in a river town restaurant who fantasizes about getting to know the new waitress, a perky young thing with long brunette hair and a big charming smile. Graceful film never goes the commercial route, neither injecting shady characters into the mix nor throwing in blatant jokes to give the film comedic uplift. The picture is all on one level, which may drive some viewers batty with impatience, but I found it quietly invigorating. The lead character, Victor (Pruitt Taylor Vince), daydreams, watches airplanes, has secret hopes; he's a loner, and the filmmakers are careful not to flood the screen with potential conquests. There's Debbie Harry as a loose waitress with weary eyes and Liv Tyler, the new hire, who brings fantasy into Victor's life; but, as with all fantasies, the advent of reality diffuses the passionate tension. Director James Mangold is observant and aware, putting this character portrait on film with admirable eloquence. It's his "Marty". *** from ****

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• Pruitt Taylor Vince should have got an Academy Award nomination

  dewey222002-01-26

  This is a movie that I almost didn't watch because it was to be about a fat pizza cook. After watching for thirty minutes, it was obvious that the movie was about the very sensitive feelings of someone who is over weight. The performance by Pruitt Taylor Vince was very impressive, and I felt if not winning an Academy Award, should have at least been nominated. Few actors can express as much without saying a word, as he did in this very powerful and touching movie.

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• A wonderful, sad, compelling film.

  THOR-311999-05-16

  Heavy is a film about sad and desperate people, all of whom seem to have nothing to look forward to. At the center of the film is Victor, played magnificently by Pruitt Taylor Vince. He's the cook at his mother's restaurant. Victor goes about his job and life almost mechanically, he rarely say a word and his movement is limited. Until a couple of major event in his environment happens. One the hiring of a beautiful young waitress named Callie(Liv Tyler) which represent to Victor something wonderful and unattainable. Yet it gives him hope for his empty existence. The second major event is tragic, yet Victor hides it from everyone around him because he wants things to stay the same. He has no sense of what else is there for him. Yet this event might give him the opportunity to go out and see what's beyond the front door of his mom's restaurant. The final reel shows that whereas the other character's lives seem to be continuing the same pattern of sadness and despair. Victor might try to move on with his. Particularly his interaction with a convenience store female clerk with whom he's never spoken to before. It's not much but it's a start.

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• Watch this movie!

  moviegrl-92002-01-07

  As one of my boyfriends friends described this film "This is one of those movies where you don't really feel any better after you watch it." Reguardless, this is a film everyone needs to see. This film is about Victor, who is brutally shy. Victor has had everything a certain way, for a long time, and wants it to stay that way. His dream is to go to culinary school and become a chef, so his mom and dad open a resturant, so that he has a place to cook - sort of a greasy spoon - nothing all that special. During the film, Victors mom gets sick, and he takes her to the hospital. He sits with her for days. He goes to the cafeteria for lunch, and while he's gone for lunch, his mom dies. He doesn't tell anyone - not even the people that work at the resurant, because, as he puts it later, he "didn't want anything to change." I am unfamiliar with the man that played Victor in this film. However, I think he is one of the most amazing actors that I've seen in a long time. You feel all his emotions - his painful shyness, how alone he feels after his mom passes, how alone he is in the world. You actually FEEL all of that. Now, be forwarned - I cried for two days after watching this movie. This mans performance was just so heartbreaking, that I couldn't help it. Every time I thought about it, I teared up. If your wanting a feel-good movie, or a date movie, I wouldn't really recommend this. However, if your having one of those "depressed, lay around in your pajamas, and eat a whole tub of ice cream" sort of days, then I wouldn't miss this film at all.

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• A movie that understands the importance of subtle moments.

  Raptor Marmalade2003-12-15

  "Heavy" is not the type of movie I would watch when looking for action, thrills, horror, or adventure. It's not about a fat guy making goo-goo eyes at a pretty waitress where he makes pizzas, either... although that could be seen from an outsider's glance. The movie captures a period of time where our big hero, Victor, is experiencing a number of life-altering changes. From what we know, he has always led a sheltered life under the regime of his mother. When a new waitress, Callie (Liv Tyler), starts work at the bar, Victor's daily life is suddenly altered from a spark of curiosity. He's not a perverted horndog, but he is fascinated by this girl's kindness and beauty, watching her from afar and having visions of her as the drama grows. It's the quiet internal struggle Victor faces that really heightens the intensity of the movie. Those nervous eyes, the quiet voice, the big guy who won't fight back... he is a man trying to become a man. By the end of the film, we are at least given the hope that he is now on the right track. It's the subtle moments in "Heavy" that really make the film. From the airplanes soaring overhead, giving transition to new points in the lives of the characters, to the Boston Terrier noticing important details, this movie is one to sit back and ponder. The more I think about this movie, the more I like it. It's a lesson on how the quiet subtle moments in life can be the most important.

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