NOW FEATURING...RESCUE FROM GILLLIGAN'S ISLAND

[lm]

Yes...we've finished looking back at the episodes, but there are a few more original GI works after the fact. Please add your comments and reactions to these versions of GI.

"Rescue" is interesting to look at. As a piece of entertainment it is really
very clever and works well. It is divided into different parts, each of which
makes use of our interest in one of our GI favorite characters and has
has a little bit of the island we remember, a little bit of the rescue we
all have been awaiting and even a little intrigue with the "guest star"
types. So, it keeps our interest and is a fun bit of entertainment for
90 min.

Probably the most disappointing thing for me is the portrayal of Gilligan who,
with a few exceptions in the film, truly seems mentally "challenged." I
believe Schwartz's concerns about what the older Gilligan might come
across as were well-founded (I think I recall that in his book?). The
Skipper seems like his adult guardian or even "keeper" rather than an
equally zany part of a comedy duo. Tell me, I bet all the "Gilligan girls"
out there could pass up on this Gilligan (older looks notwithstanding).

I know Judith Baldwin gets a bad rap because she is not the "real" Ginger
and they are playing her pretty ditzy here. Still, she is a lovely actress
who does an admirable job with what she was probably told to do. Also,
fashion awards to her blue gown and to Lovey's red outfit in the
Christmas cruise scene! It's a nice touch how they begin, with no
explanation, with the "Tony" scene and then we find out it is merely an
acting scene.

The Professor segment is hysterical--probably the funniest--but now he is
a university Professor? Wasn't he a high school teacher. My favorite
jokes are Miss Ainsworth, the idiot inventing something that's already
been invented and one of the most brilliant men in the country. A
little sloppy, though, forgetting that "Watubi" was a god and now using
it for the name of a straw.

Hey, who the { } is this Maryann's fiance? Please don't say it's Horace
Higgenbotham--it's Herbert!!! And even in "Postman Cometh," Maryann
never mentioned him. Come on MAGs--say something here!!! All I saw
on GI was Maryann go after Gilligan, Duke and the Mosquitoes. Was she
on vacation then? I know the scene works well with the rest of the film.
And I hate the scene where Gilligan is sitting at the wedding with that
dumb look on his face. Wow--could Cindy and Herbert get married like
that with no license or anything--didn't you even need a blood test
back then? I felt a little bad for the farmers in the watermelon scene--
falling and also having all their hard work wasted!

I love the Russians too--they are also hysterical with their various costume
and impersonation attempts!

The rescue and parade scenes are really exhilirating and give the film loads
of points on their own. Oh, also, fashion award to Maryann, who looks
great in the parade scene--actually, Ginger's gold dress is pretty nice too
(sorry, fashion nut!).

All in all, it's not exactly GI, but I think "Rescue" is not so bad as
entertainment and even some fun GI stuff is in it. But this is just one
fan's opinion--please give us yours--what did you like, hate, question,
etc.

[caladon]

When the movie first came out I enjoyed watching it; in particular the first part where they make it back to civilization. However, I did have problems with the lack of continuity from that point on. Some may consider it nitpicking but when you consider that all those who are credited with penning the script also wrote for the original series, then there really isn't any excuse for such glaring errors.

My guess is that once they got them off the island, they seem to be hard pressed to come up with a logcial / valid reason for Gilligan and The Skipper to re-enter the lives of their fellow former castaways so the viewers can see how they're re-adjusting to being back in civilization.

I was almost expecting for the castaways to have similar reactions to returning to civilization that Wrongway did, where they actually begin to miss the island. They gather for the planned Christmas reunion on the Minnow II and after sharing their various experiences they all agree to return to the island; of course not without certain luxuries which are provided by The Howells. Some of which would include a transmitter and boat for emergencies, plenty of food, water and comfort items.

[lm]

I was thinking afterwards, also, that Maryann's "fiance" could have been believable perhaps if she just had not mentioned her getting back to a fiance in the parade scene. There could have been some guy back home that she had liked and with whom she would re-connect once back home (this would have to negate MAG having worked out on the island or at least just after the rescue) but the whole from the get-go thing and the waiting 15 years seems to contradict the Maryann on the series. Even if we allow that Maryann could have left a fiance back home ("Postman" definitely an inconsistency then), her anxiousness to get back to him at the parade seems to contradict her behavior in the 3 years of the series.

[Teebs]

Originally Posted by lm

Probably the most disappointing thing for me is the portrayal of Gilligan who, with a few exceptions in the film, truly seems mentally "challenged." I believe Schwartz's concerns about what the older Gilligan might come across as were well-founded (I think I recall that in his book?). The Skipper seems like his adult guardian or even "keeper" rather than an equally zany part of a comedy duo. Tell me, I bet all the "Gilligan girls" out there could pass up on this Gilligan (older looks notwithstanding).

I couldn't pass up the chance to comment on this. You are spot on, lm. In the TV series, Gilligan was a young man in his 20s and the gangly, bumbling, hat-wearing persona fitted him like a glove. Fast forward 15 years and you'd expect him to have grown up a little bit- after all, he wasn't mentally challenged, just emotionally immature, and clumsy through his eagerness to please. He was basically, a big kid. But by the time he'd reached his mid to late 30s, he really ought to have matured a little.

There are ways of retaining someone's childlike innocence without making them look like a dumba**, and there were times in the Rescue movie where Gilligan acted like a dumba**. However, there were bits here and there which reminded me of the Gilligan of old, and that's prbably due to Bob Denver knowing the character better than maybe the director or the writers.

They were probably told just to play everything for laughs, make Gilligan the goofball regardless of his age. This was the 70s after all, and TV had already dumbed down considerably from the 60s. And for anyone who still thinks Gilligan's Island itself was 'dumb', it isn't dumb at all, it's clever and consistently funny- those people knew what they were doing.

Gilligan should have grown up a little, but I guess all of them were pretty much stereotyped in the movies. It's as if nothing had changed in all those 15 years. None of them had even formed relationships or had children. I was disappointed at that.

Saying that, I wouldn't pass up on Gilligan even if he did suffer from arrested development