A Hitchhiker's Guide

Making love on Delaware Avenue this morning


While I was hanging out with freakystyle's partner, Skippy, on Monday evening we decided to see A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

The original narrative consists of one impossible, hilarious catastrophe after another. In fact it's all about the improbability of life. So no matter how you slice and dice the plot, all you have to do is remain true to the spirit of Douglas Adams' humour and it comes out indistinguishable from what should have happened. Actually, the movie follows the book pretty well, with the addition of a few peculiar devices.

Most intriguing of these is the point-of-view gun. Fire it at someone and he sees your perspective perfectly. It brings some amusing plot twists until Zaphod Beebelbrox attempts to turn it on Trillian.

( minor plot spoiler: just a gag line )

Zooey Deschanel brings unexpected vulnerability to Trillian's character. As a boy, I tended to get crushes on graceful brunette stars like Carrie Fisher. The scene I remember most from this movie is Deschanel's lovely eyes brimming with tears on hearing her own secrets revealed.

Hmm! What is this girl thing about?

My only criticism: I would have liked to hear more from Marvin.