March 2–9, 2000

movie shorts

What Planet Are You From?

Garry Shandling comes from a planet populated by men without emotions or penises. In order to ensure their survival, fearless leader (Ben Kingsley) sends an emissary to earth, with careful training in the ways of human women and mechanical penis attached, which hums when aroused. Shandling pops into an Arizona-bound jet, gets a bank job and meets recovering alcoholic Annette Bening, who refuses to have sex with him unless they marry. A relationship develops, and Shandling discovers the joys of human feelings. Directed by Mike Nichols, written by Michael Leeson, and based on a story by Shandling, the movie features Greg Kinnear as Shandling’s fellow loan officer and woman-hunter, Linda Fiorentino as Kinnear’s neglected wife and John Goodman as the investigator who determines that Shandling is from another planet. The humor is saucy, the pace is perky (as always, Nichols handles situational comedy with polish) and the moral is predictable: Men, who are predatory and cold, must learn a few things from women, who want to be loved and nurturing. In a word, being human is hard but worth it.

—Cindy Fuchs