"The Cottonwood" Steven Feder

Joanne Grant | October 17, 1996

U.S.A.

Thursday, 8:30 p.m., Saturday, 7 p.m.

"The Cottonwood," or "Woody's Dream," is a bright, witty, lightweight comedy, charmingly told by Steven Feder, a first-time director who also wrote the screenplay.

A bunch of would-bes (or perhaps Woody-bes) sit around in a diner and dream of making a hit movie, capturing our attention and our sympathy as they plot and plan to make the movie of the year. We learn to love them, and to yearn for their success.

The plot revolves around the lottery, which the group of has-beens or about-to-becomes participate in. They win. And then they must decide how to invest the spoils.

My favorite line is the one delivered by the black producer who comes to the rescue of the fumbling filmmakers. He says of his brother, "Hey, who can't make it in the bagel business?"

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