One among John Belushi’s Last Roles Was This Underrated Rom-Com on Prime

There are few packages in American historical past that had been as foundational within the improvement of contemporary comedy movies as Saturday Night Live, which, in its first iteration, noticed the emergence of stars like Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, and Jim Henson. Nonetheless, there isn’t one other performer that encapsulated the tone and spirit of the Saturday Evening Stay era likeJohn Belushi, who briefly turned one of many largest stars on the earth due to his hilarious performances in Caddyshack and The Blues Brothers. Whereas he appeared poised to have a profession that would final a long time, Belushi tragically died of a drug overdose in 1982. Nonetheless, one in every of Belushi’s final roles was the charming romantic comedy Continental Divide.

Continental Divide could have appeared like an odd alternative for Belushi to tackle after showing in two of essentially the most signature “gross- out” comedy classics of all time, however the movie had a surprisingly fascinating inventive crew hooked up. Screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan was on the peak of his powers due to the success of Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, and Physique Warmth and director Michael Apted had earned acclaim for guiding a number of profitable dramas, together with the Finest Image nominated biopic Coal Miner’s Daughter. In consequence, Continental Divide turned a honest examination of environmentalism that was match for a mainstream viewers due to Belushi’s star energy.

What Is ‘Continental Divide’ About?

Belushi stars in Continental Divide because the Chicago newspaper reporter Ernie Souchak, whose broadly circulated column is likely one of the metropolis’s hottest. Though Ernie appears to get pleasure from the truth that he can get acknowledged on the streets, his fame comes again to hang-out him when he oversees two corrupt cops performing an unlawful scheme and is pressured to depart town to avoid getting caught up in a conspiracy. Ernie is dispatched to the Rocky Mountains to interview the bald eagle researcher Dr. Nell Porter (Blair Brown), who lives off the land with none information of the skin world. Whereas being caught in the midst of the woods initially looks like hell for Ernie, he ultimately discovers that he and Porter have way more in widespread than they might have ever realized in any other case.

The wacky hijinks in Continental Divide come from the “fish-out-of-water” nature of the story, as Ernie has been raised within the metropolis his complete life, and is aware of little about tenting, cooking, or climbing. Whereas this actually results in some humorous moments, Belushi by no means turns Ernie right into a caricature. The time spent away from the perils of metropolis life pressure him to replicate on what he actually values, as his day job had been fraught with hazard. Turning into extra susceptible and prepared to place within the work to develop into a survivalist makes Ernie extra engaging in Porter’s eyes. Anybody who had seen the premise or poster for Continental Divide most likely could have guessed that the two characters would end up falling in love with each other, however Belushi and Porter are in a position to make the event really feel pure inside the development of the story.

‘Continental Divide’ Is a Completely different Kind of Romantic Comedy

Continental Divide is a singular romantic comedy as a result of it’s concerning the merging of two worlds. Initially, Porter has to save Ernie from some of the dangers of the wilderness, together with the wildlife and native hunters. Though Ernie initially looks like he has develop into a burden to her, he discovers that Porter chooses to guard this space of the pure world as a result of nobody else will. Equally, Porter begins to develop extra respect for Ernie when she realizes how a lot significance his writing has on Chicago’s infrastructure, and even its criminal underbelly. The movie’s closing act turns into surprisingly thrilling, as Continental Divide briefly turns into a criminal offense thriller when Ernie’s enemies react disfavorably to his newest article and try to capture Porter. Such a large change in tone may have been a disastrous determination that strayed too far-off from the movie’s core premise, nonetheless, the fluctuating environments aren’t distracting due to the consistency of characterization that Belushi dropped at the position.

Continental Divide could have been Belushi’s most difficult half, as he was not given the chance to carry out wacky bodily gags, and didn’t have veteran co-stars like Murray or Aykroyd whose energies he could bounce off of. Since a lot of the movie takes place within the remoted wilderness the place Ernie and Porter are the one two characters on display, Belushi was in a position to present a degree of charisma and vulnerability that made him a great romantic lead. Even so, scenes wherein Ernie talks concerning the significance of fine journalism really feel utterly honest due to Belushi’s earnest depiction of the character. Though Continental Divide does make some deviations from the usual “opposites entice” method of 1980s romantic comedies due to the brilliance of Kasdan’s script, it’s simple to think about that the movie would have been considerably much less fascinating had a extra conventional main man been solid in Belushi’s place.

What May John Belushi Have Executed Subsequent?

Belushi’s dying is likely one of the best tragedies in American cinema, because it was clear that he had a few years forward of him wherein he may have taken on extra subversive elements. Contemplating that Murray and Aykroyd would go on to obtain Academy Award nominations for giving extra critical performances, it’s protected to imagine that Belushi may have executed the identical below the best circumstances. If the hype and reward surrounding Matt Wood’s performance in Saturday Night is a sign of something, it’s that audiences are nonetheless engrossed within the enigma that’s Belushi all these years later.

Continental Divide is streaming on Prime Video in the US.

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