Seven Chances
Buster Keaton’s films are pure joy for me. Rewatching “Seven Chances” for the first time in, say, 15-16 years helps me remember that. Here is material he wasn’t terribly interested in, optioned by his producing partner, Joseph M. Schenck, and he turns it into an utter delight. Granted, the second half, which is much more in line with what Keaton was capable of at his best, is superior to the first half, but all 57 minutes of this film is wonderful fun to watch, because at its core, it’s about a man who tries to stay true to himself, even if he fumbles along the way.
The film is based on a play by Roi Cooper Megrue, which screenwriters Clyde Bruckman, Jean C. Havez and
Joseph A. Mitchell have turned into a quintessentially Keaton story about Jimmy Shannon, a partner at a brokerage firm on the brink of financial ruin, and has a lawyer come to him with news. There is a provision in his late grandfather’s will which affords him a $7 million inheritance…so long as he is married by his 27th birthday at 7pm. The catch on top of the catch? That’s the day the lawyer comes to see him. When his love, Mary (Ruth Dwyer), turns him down, the situation gets even more complicated as the clock races towards 7pm.
The first half of “Seven Chances” is pretty basic comedic plotting, which will be familiar if you have seen “The Bachelor,” a 1999 vehicle starring Chris O’Donnell and Renee Zellweger that tells the same story, and it’s always amusing to watch Keaton’s characters fall, figuratively speaking, when they’re trying to accomplish something with their words rather than their actions. Seeing him try to approach women at a country club, and strike out, is amusing, partially because we don’t really empathize with his character the same way we do in, say, “Our Hospitality” or “The General.” I do like how Keaton does not always make his characters sympathetic- “College” is kind of the same way; the motivations here are more about the money than genuine love, and admittedly, that’s part of why this is mid-tier Keaton, at best- his best movies have him thrown into comedic situations and dilemmas in spite of his sweetness, and that sweetness makes him one of the most endearing movie stars in film history. When he plays against that, like he does here, it’s a bit jarring, and makes it difficult for us to enjoy the film he’s made.
It’s in the second half of “Second Chances” where that Keaton magic comes alive. His partner and the lawyer put ad in the newspaper about the situation, and wouldn’t you know it, hundreds of women come to the church. Keaton runs- he wants to try and make something work with Mary, who also wants to make something work. The chase includes streets, trolleys, and a steep slope and a rock slide which makes Indiana Jones’s escape at the start of “Raiders of the Lost Ark” look like child’s play. Keaton was so fearless as a physical performer, and the fear we have for him during that run is one of his most daring, hair raising set pieces, leading to a finale as sweet and earned as any he ever produced. I wasn’t a huge “Seven Chances” fan going into this watch; I kind of adore it now.
