Roger Dodger

Roger Dodger

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DVD Cover Information

• DVD Details: Actors: Campbell Scott, Jesse Eisenberg, Isabella Rossellini, Elizabeth Berkley, Jennifer Beals
• Directors: Dylan Kidd
• Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1; Number of discs: 1; Studio: Lions Gate
• DVD Release Date: March 18, 2003; Run Time: 106 minutes

Movie Reviews of Roger Dodger

Movie Review: Well-Written, Superbly Executed, Impossible To Not Finish
Summary: 5 Stars

Roger Swanson, performed effortlessly by Campbell Scott, is a cynical thirty-something advertising exec who thinks that he has found the way into any woman's skirt. Scott belts out the script like the supreme bullsh*t artist that Roger is, every speech polished to perfection. Early in the film, his boss and secret lover (who is quite a bit older than he), played by Isabella Rossellini, tells him that she doesn't want to see him outside of work anymore- here is established a dent in Roger's ego that echoes throughout the movie. One day Roger's 16-year-old nephew Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) randomly shows up at the office, and Roger takes him out to dinner. When Nick, who comes from a divorced household and lacking male guidance, nervously expresses his youthful angst and curiosity about the opposite sex, Roger's narcissism sparks the desire to show Nick around the city, and coach him on the art of success with women. The night of conversation and debauchery that ensues is both hilarious and sobering.

Roger is essentially the only character in the film and Nick acts as an inflection point for the story. Roger sneaks Nick into a classy midtown bar and introduces Andrea and Sophie(Elizabeth Berkley and Jennifer Beals) to him. Nick, under Roger's pressure, thinking he will simply embarrass himself, makes the effort to win the ladies's affection; adversely, they are both intrigued by Nick's innocence, charmed by his naïve wit, and delighted by his honesty. The kid's naivete serves as a mirror for the others to examine their own attitudes, and Roger subliminally finds his nephew increasingly difficult to corrupt through sheer force of will. Although Roger's lectures for Nick are uproariously funny, they aren't always the best advice for a teenage virgin, and Nick's honesty and sense of decency are crucial to his resistance.

No one can say that this film is devoid of 'redeeming qualities'- for one because it is so goddamn entertaining to watch, but also because we do see a gradual transformation in Roger's character. For example, he tries to talk about college with Nick, and whether he enjoyed his visit to Columbia University. As far as establishment, throughout the film we are given little Freudian clues as to why Roger is who he is. In so many words, Roger admits to Nick his resentment towards his family- his deceased father, his mother, and his enstranged sister (Nick's mother). But at the end of the film, when Nick returns home from school one day, he finds his mother having coffee in the kitchen with Roger.

Does Roger dissappear and become a missionary? Certainly not. In the final scene we are thrust right back into the character of "Roger Dodger"- sitting with Nick and his buddies in their highschool cafeteria, the budding young virgins are utterly enamored with Roger's theatrical lecture about women and their ways. Some things never change.

Summary of Roger Dodger