Search - Bartleby

Herman Melville's short story -Bartleby the Scrivener gets a slightly surreal update in this offbeat comedy drama. The manager (David Paymer) of the city records department in a mid-sized California community decides that his staff of three -- flirty chatterbox Vivian (Glenne Headly), sloppy Vietnam vet Ernie (Maury Chaykin), and slick-suited, Don Juan wannabe Rocky (Joe Piscopo) -- could use some help, so he places an ad looking for a new employee. The boss ends up hiring the one and only applicant who wants the position, a quiet, pale young man named Bartleby (Crispin Glover). At first, Bartleby is a model of efficiency, but before long he loses enthusiasm for his job, much to the annoyance of his co-workers, and soon he's spending his days staring at an air conditioning vent. The Boss asks Bartleby to get back to work, but Bartleby's repeated reply to such requests is, "I prefer not to," and the Boss sees little recourse but to fire him. However, Bartleby refuses to leave his desk, and it soon becomes obvious that Bartleby has not only stopped doing his work -- he's stopped going home and has moved into the office. Bartleby was the first feature film for producer/director Jonathan Parker; he also wrote the screenplay, in collaboration with Catherine di Napoli. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

David Paymer - The Boss
Crispin Glover - Bartleby
Glenne Headly - Vivian
Joe Piscopo - Rocky
Maury Chaykin - Ernie

A quirky and somewhat downbeat retelling of one of famed author Herman Melville's most famous tales, director Jonathan Parker's Bartleby arrives on DVD courtesy of Wellspring. Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, the image is sharp and the putrid pea-greens and mustard-yellows of Bartleby's drab work environment are well represented. Likewise, the somewhat eerie and melancholy theremin score is carried well through the solid Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix. Although the film was only released in art house theaters in a limited run, the generous folks at Wellspring have seen fit to load this disc with some enticing extra features. In addition to a limited director's audio commentary track in which Parker discusses everything from the adaptation of the story to the sublimely hideous sets and costumes, in-character interviews with the cast offer an amusing chance for them to riff on their characters (even if stars Crispin Glover and Maury Chaykin use the opportunity to comment on the relevance of the story). In addition, a short featurette on the theremin offers an enticing look at the oddball instrument used to score the film. Filmographies, a trailer, and web links are also included. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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