Fantastic!

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

SMILING FISH AND GOAT ON FIRE (2000) *** Derick Martini, Steven Martini, Christa Miller, Amy Hathaway, Bill Henderson, Rosemarie Addeo, Heather Jae Marie, Wesley Thompson. (Dir: Kevin Jordan) Independent filmmaking has always never failed in churning out a pleasant feeling little gem and continues that tradition in this funny and warm-spirited sleeper.Chris and Tony Remi (played by real-life brothers Derick and Steven Martini) are very close brothers who share their family's house in Los Angeles and their Native American nicknames from their grandmother (Tony is the happy Fish and Chris the moody Goat) while trying to come to terms with their relationships between the women in their lives and themselves.Tony is an actor who is having trouble maintaining commitment with his high-strung girlfriend Nicole (Marie) while Chris, a responsible accountant, is trying to find out why his gal Alison (Hathaway) is always crying in bed. After both brothers wind up without their ladies for reasons beyond their control they wind up at a Christmas party and the wound-licking Chris winds up chatting with an incredibly beautiful Italian woman named Anna (Addeo) and forgets about Nicole.Meanwhile Tony has struck up a friendship with their mail carrier, Kathy (Miller from TV's 'The Drew Carey Show') who is a single mother whose daughter Natalie (Thompson) is a budding child actress who bonds with Tony at a shared audition. The three soon become inseparable and Tony realizes just how special they are to him.To add to the equation, Chris caters to his stand-offish boss' elderly uncle, Clive Winter (Henderson) a retired film soundman who pioneered black cinema with the likes of Paul Robeson and teaches Chris some life lessons in love by telling him about meeting his wife, an assistant director, on the set of a film where they found love at first sight to be an overpowering lifeforce until her sad demise. Clive can see Chris clearly falling head over heels for the exotic Anna and plays matchmaker.The film works primarily on the natural at ease the real-life brothers imbue for their characters and the easy going pacing by Jordan (who co-wrote with the Martinis; the threesome are best friends in real life) allows character development to glide effortlessly from scene to scene.The Martinis are ably supported by the giddily charming Miller and the drop dead gorgeous Addeo as their perfect matches that you can't not help rooting for these four to stay together. Henderson also adds some magic as the voice of reason from the heart that doesn't ring false in what could easily have been a too cloying plot device.A perfect date movie and a near perfect debut by three very talented guys.

Terrible title for a very good, modest and charming movie. Great cast, good story, good dialogue. The beginning is a bit slow but it grows on you. Both funny and moving. I cried a little at the end. But it's not a drama. It's just about love and real life, complicated, messy and rewarding. It's a 'feel good' movie but it's not with the usual Hollywood crap. I recommend it without any restriction, except to those who liked Richard Gere in "Autumn in New York". If you liked that, the "Goat/Fish" is not for you. We are talking about cinema here.

I have seen this movie a few times at several showings. Toronto was huge, Los Angeles rocked, New York was mint! I can't believe the success of this fine film. It's like the little engine that could. I loved Derick and Steven very professional.Their friend Phillip was hysterical, that part with the santa hat, I was laughing my ass off. I can a big future for all of these fine actors/producers. I am even more excited to see what the future holds in store for these film makers. IT'S A GO SEE SEVERAL TIMES.

I saw this film at the Toronto International Film Festival after watching a bunch of Hollywood galas all week, and "Goat on Fire and Smiling Fish" was by far the best of the bunch. An intriguing storyline, engaging characters, and a phenomenal performance by Bill Henderson made this one movie I will be recommending to all of my friends. The director, Kevin Jordan, and many of his cast members were there, and he said the movie was made for about $40,000: you certainly can't tell that at all. This is a film about two brothers who are very different (played by real-life brothers) who both find love, but their love lives are complicated by outside circumstances. Bill Henderson plays the sentimental and lovable Uncle Clive (whom Jordan described as the "Yoda of Love" at the screening) whose memories of his own true love help Chris make decisions about his own life. This is a wonderful movie, but don't take my word for it: go see it for yourself.