Alright, fellow tapeheads, let’s rewind to 1997. The Spice Girls were zig-a-zig-ah-ing, Titanic was sailing towards box office domination, and post-Clueless superstar Alicia Silverstone was trying something ambitious. Fresh off becoming a teen icon and armed with a reported $10 million production deal via her own company, First Kiss Productions (at just 20 years old!), she didn't just star in Excess Baggage – she helped bring it to life. Remember seeing that box on the shelf? Silverstone front and center, maybe a brooding Benicio del Toro lurking nearby? It promised a certain kind of quirky crime-comedy energy, and boy, did it deliver... sort of.
A Kidnapping Gone Sideways
The setup is pure high-concept 90s: neglected rich girl Emily Hope (Alicia Silverstone) stages her own kidnapping to wrench some attention from her aloof tycoon father. Her plan involves dramatically locking herself in the trunk of her BMW 850i (a seriously cool car for the era, by the way). Simple, right? Wrong. Before daddy can get the message, smooth car thief Vincent Roche (Benicio del Toro) steals the Beemer, completely unaware of the human cargo rattling around in the back. What follows is an increasingly frantic road trip across the Pacific Northwest, with the mismatched pair dodging cops and, more pressingly, Emily's menacing 'Uncle' Ray (Christopher Walken), who might know more about her disappearance than he lets on.
Filmed largely on location in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, the movie has that tangible, slightly damp look that feels very specific to the region and the time. Director Marco Brambilla, hot off the surprisingly fun sci-fi spectacle Demolition Man (1993), certainly knew how to frame a shot, but here he’s wrangling a much trickier beast – a script (credited to Max D. Adams, with polishing by UK screenwriting legends Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais) that wants to be a romance, a thriller, and a comedy, sometimes all in the same scene. Does it always work? Honestly, no. The tone wobbles like a worn-out tracking head, but that imbalance is part of its weird, undeniable charm today.
Stars Aligning (and Colliding)
Silverstone, carrying the weight of massive expectations, leans into Emily’s bratty, entitled nature. It was a risky move away from the beloved Cher Horowitz, and maybe one reason the film didn't quite land with everyone back then – Emily isn't immediately likable. But watching it now, there’s a vulnerability beneath the spoiled exterior that Silverstone finds, especially as her character is forced to rely on the initially baffled, then intrigued, Vincent.
And speaking of Vincent, this was Benicio del Toro just before he became the Benicio del Toro – still radiating that quirky, smoldering intensity he showcased in The Usual Suspects (1995), but here channeling it into a more conventionally romantic (albeit criminal) lead. The chemistry between him and Silverstone is... interesting. There were whispers of an off-screen romance, and you can almost see sparks fly, but sometimes they feel like they’re acting in slightly different movies. It’s compelling in its own awkward way.
Then there’s Christopher Walken. What can you say? He strolls in as Uncle Ray, oozing that patented Walken menace laced with bizarre charm. Even in a somewhat underwritten role, he elevates every scene he’s in. Just his line delivery is worth the rental fee back in the day. He’s the unpredictable element that gives the thriller plotline its necessary edge.
That 90s Action Feel
While not an explosive action-fest, Excess Baggage has its moments. Remember those car chases? They weren't slick, physics-defying CGI spectacles. They felt grounded, a little messy. You saw real cars driving on real roads, maybe fishtailing a bit too much, bumping into things with a satisfying crunch. There's a practical, almost tangible feel to the action, like Vincent hotwiring the car or the pair scrambling through warehouses. It lacks the polish of today, sure, but there's an authenticity there, a sense that things could actually go wrong, which adds a layer of low-key tension you don't always get now. Brambilla brought a touch of style, but the constraints – a roughly $20 million budget that sadly only pulled in about $14.5 million domestically – likely kept things more earthbound than, say, Demolition Man's futuristic mayhem.
Why It Lingers
Excess Baggage wasn't a hit. Critics were largely unkind, and audiences didn't flock to it. It came amidst a couple of other Silverstone projects (Batman & Robin, anyone?) that didn't quite capture the magic of Clueless. Yet, there’s something endearing about it now. It feels like such a product of its time – the fashion, the soundtrack (featuring acts like Bran Van 3000 and Pigeonhed), the specific brand of slightly off-kilter romantic comedy mixed with crime elements.
I vividly remember grabbing this one from the 'New Releases' wall, probably lured in by the cast, hoping for another Clueless-level rush. It wasn't that, but it was... memorable. It’s a fascinating snapshot of its stars at a particular moment, trying to navigate fame and find the right vehicle. Silverstone’s bold move into producing, even on a film that underperformed, was a significant step.
VHS Heaven Rating: 6/10
The Justification: The film earns points for its killer cast (Silverstone's ambition, del Toro's charisma, Walken's sheer Walken-ness), the interesting premise, and its strong sense of late-90s atmosphere. The Canadian scenery looks great, and there are genuinely charming moments between the leads. However, it loses points for its inconsistent tone, a script that feels underdeveloped in places, and a central character who can be hard to root for initially. The mix of genres doesn't always gel smoothly.
Final Take: Excess Baggage is like finding a slightly worn cassette single in an old shoebox – maybe not a chart-topper, but a curious and nostalgic artifact from a specific moment. It’s uneven, sure, but it’s got personality, a great cast doing interesting things, and that unmistakable feel of a movie made before digital gloss smoothed everything out. Worth digging out of the bargain bin for a glimpse back at 90s ambition and awkward charm.