The Wrong Guy (1997)

I’ll not spoil anything here, but this film was supposed to be Dave Foley’s ticket to stardom. For some reason, it got shelved. Then, in the early 2000s, Comedy Central aired it, and it was given a new lease on life. It’s legitimately one of my favorites, and a film I show my students when discussing postmodern comedy, absurdist comedy, or an exercise in perspective and subverting expectations (for my creative writing students). I’ve legitimately made lifelong friends based only upon having seen this film. Sure, the other people at the party didn’t want to talk to us, but few things are better than bonding over an obscure shared experience.

If you ever hear someone saying, “Zero shooter theory... Kennedy’s head just did that,” they are in the elite club of comedy nerds who revere this film.

If you’re interested in the odd studio politics behind its shelving, as well as a lot of interesting other stuff surrounding the film, the cast, and Dave Foley’s sad story, check out this excerpt from Nathan Rabin’s book My Year of Flops.

IMBD Plot Summary:

After his boss is murdered, Nelson is on the run for fear of prosecution. He hides out in a small town to avoid the police, which should be easy because they know he didn’t do it and they aren’t looking for him.

Search Youtube on your Smart TV/APP for:

The Wrong Guy (1997)

For those of you watching on your computer, use this link.

Click play at precisely 8pm CT.

Don’t worry, I will remind you in the comments.

p.s. If you want to hang out after the film, I could easily be talked into watching Mark Normand’s recent comedy special Out to Lunch again.