Breakfast Of Champions (1999)

The owner (Bruce Willis) of a huge car dealership and a local celebrity because of his TV commercials is having a midlife crisis. As his world falls apart around him, a relatively obscure writer (Albert Finney) hitchhikes his way to the same city where he is to be honored. The two men will eventually meet and precipitate a violent rampage due to a misunderstanding. Based on the Kurt Vonnegut novel and directed by the maverick Alan Rudolph (CHOOSE ME) who also did the screenplay, the film's first half hour or so is near incomprehensible until it gets its rhythm going and even then it takes the patience of Job to follow the narrative. I've not read the Vonnegut novel but I understand it's one of those novels whose unique writing style makes it difficult to translate to film and Rudolph isn't entirely successful in his efforts. The film's fragmented surrealism is often confusing and incoherent. Vonnegut himself (no surprise) wasn't pleased with the film. The film's ultimate message of "Until death, it's life so make the best of it" seems rather cliched and trite. Still, there are some minor pleasures to be had thanks principally to some of the actors. Notably Nick Nolte who I wouldn't have thought had a funny bone in his entire body but manages to steal the film with a marvelous performance as a paranoid cross dressing car salesman. Also in the cast: Barbara Hershey, Owen Wilson, Glenne Headly, Lukas Haas, Michael Clarke Duncan, Omar Epps, Buck Henry, Will Patton, Chip Zien, Shawnee Smith and Alison Eastwood.