Slingshot

Midnight Cowboy meets Drugstore Cowboy in this frowzy cruise through the underclass. Childhood buddies David Arquette and Balthazar Getty are scam artists roaming from place to place; they land in a ritzy Connecticut town where the housewives appear ripe for plucking. Getty makes the mistake of genuinely liking one target (Julianna Margulies) and then falling for her smart, rebellious daughter (Thora Birch)--all of which not only messes up their con-artist plans but also brings Arquette's homoerotic jealousies to the forefront. The laidback storytelling style appears to be a deliberate decision on the part of director Jay Alaimo, who somewhat miscalculates the appeal of such a strategy; he also overestimates the charisma of Getty and Arquette. They are easily topped by the offbeat collection of actresses in the film, including Margulies (who does tasty Mrs. Robinson-style work until the film eases her out), Joely Fisher (as Margulies' bored friend), and American Beauty's Birch, who brings a steady, sharp skepticism to her role. None of this can end well, but Slingshot can't find an original way to make its downward spiral compelling, and by that time the momentum implied by its title has fizzled away. --Robert Horton