DANNY DECKCHAIR (2004)

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"Chock full of easy-going fun, this laid-back story will warm your heart, tickle your funny-bone and leave you with a smile on your face."

As a writer myself, I understand how films are always trying to top themselves. Bigger effects. Bigger budgets. More complicated stories. For the most part the results are good, chalking it up to healthy competition. But every now and then we just like to sit back and get swept away by a simple, heartfelt little tale. Nothing fancy. Nothing complicated. Well, for all of you who have felt the same at some point, the Aussie's were listening. The result: 'Danny Deckchair.'

Based on the true event of Australian Larry Walters, this little Australian film is exactly what it was meant to be. The little tale of a man who simply makes the best of the unfulfilled life he's made for himself. He doesn't complain, works hard and cares for his girlfriend. Yet all of us need a vacation, and no one has been looking forward to it more than Danny. But when his fragilely sustained world starts to crack, so does he. And like so many of us have wanted to do, he ties a bunch of balloons to a lawn chair and floats away. Secretly landing in a small rural town like an alien come to earth, Danny reinvents himself, charming the local residents and stealing the heart of Glenda, a beautiful traffic cop who's more pariah than prom queen.

Like any romantic comedy, the formula is tried and true - boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy looses girl, boy wins back girl, all while learning an important life lesson. But, since they say there are really only eight stories in the world (variations of a theme), the story is not as important as how it is told. Director Jeff Balsmeyer manages to keep you interested even though you know where you're going. But that's ok. The humanity is what drives the film while using middle-of-the-road humor that never strays into crassness, tastelessness or overt-sexuality.

Actor Rhys Ifans presents Danny Morgan with an every-man quality that is instantly engaging. Having spent most of his career playing heavies or goofballs, he shows that it doesn't take a Tom Cruise to be a leading man. It just takes sincerity and charm, and Rhys offers it up in spades. Playing off that charm is Miranda Otto who portrays the love interest Glenda with such down to earth vulnerability it's hard to believe this is the same woman who slayed Orcs and Naz Guls in 'The Lord of the Rings.' Bringing humor, sexuality and accessibility to her character, she has that certain golden-age quality that enthralls much like the Lauren Bacalls or Katherine Hepburns.

With a cast like this, it's little wonder that the movie places its hopes in the hands of its characters. And the risk pays off. The image of Danny lounging on a raft in his backyard pool is a perfect metaphor for this film - relax, take it easy and go with it. That's the real message here, one of going with the flow, but seizing opportunities as they arise. It's a simple and wholesome message that everyone can relate to.

The little story that could is a fresh dip into giddiness during a summer overflowing with drama, intensity and seriousness. Like Danny, we sometimes just need a vacation from it all - whether it's tying balloons to your deckchair or leaning back and watching someone who does. Chock full of fun, this is a story that can warm your heart, tickle your funny-bone and leave you with a smile on your face.