short takes (2)

All that kept me awake during The Incredible Shrinking Woman were the colors, which are unpredictable even when they aren't vivid. Everything else is a bore. Lily Tomlin play two major roles, including the heroine, who begins to shrink after her body is bombarded by too many household chemicals. The movie intends to be a satire on consumerism, but the comedy and the commentary undercut each other. I suggest we all check our TV listings for the next showing of the real thing -- "The Incredible Shrinking Man" by Richard Matheson and Jack Arnold. It's a classic of 1950s science fiction and towers above this daffy new rehash.