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A Slice of Life
by Francine Brokaw
Wild Hogs
When a group of middle age men start reminiscing about the days when they were adventurous and full of energy, they take a second look at their lives. They call their little group of motorcycle riders the “Wild Hogs,” but as one of them says, they’re “more like wild lambs.” So, to spice up their lives and get some freedom, feel the wind in their face and the bugs in their teeth, they take off on a little adventure from middle America to the Pacific ocean, which they call their “trip to nowhere.” No cell phones, no itineraries, no boundaries. Just four guys enjoying their time together. Get your motor running. Head out on the highway. These guys are looking for adventure. And they get more than they bargained for.
Doug (Tim Allen) is a dentist who doesn’t feel his wife and son respect him. Woody (John Travolta) had the perfect wife and life, but she left him three months ago and his life is in the toilet. Bobby (Martin Lawrence) is a milquetoast guy with a dominating wife. And Dudley (William H. Macy) is a computer geek with no self esteem. Together they make a group of suburban males who are facing middle age and looking back at the good times in their lives - the time when they didn’t have to go to the bathroom every few minutes.
The four men make a funny ensemble and the film is hysterical. Along the way they meet some very different people and have some experiences that will make the audience laugh and the Wild Hogs embarrassed.
Travolta says, “I couldn’t believe someone hadn’t already done this story because motorcycles have become one of the most common hobbies in the U.S.” Even before Easy Rider, motorcycles have been a big part of the American cinema, brought to the forefront by Marlon Brando and James Dean, not to mention Eric Von Zipper in the famous Annette Funicello/Frankie Avalon Beach movies of the 1960s. Then along came Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper in Easy Rider, and that sealed America’s fascination with motorcycles.
Wild Hogs is different. It is a real American story. It will appeal to motorcycle riders as well as those who have never sat on a bike. The four characters are appealing and delightful in every way, and even heroic. As they continue their journey they regain some of the confidence that they have lost through the years. Aging is something we all face, but it’s how we face it that counts.
As they say in the film, “Ride hard or stay home.” Well, these guys rode hard. Wild Hogs is wildly funny and wildly entertaining.
© 2007 Francine Brokaw
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