Teddy Bears' Picnic (2002)

0% of critics liked it
(19 reviews)
43% of users liked it
(1,116 ratings)

Actor and comedian Harry Shearer makes his directorial debut with this mock documentary about the slightly sordid pastimes of some of America's wealthiest and most powerful men. Zambesi Glen is a private resort in Northern California whose highly exclusive membership rolls includes high-echelon… More Actor and comedian Harry Shearer makes his directorial debut with this mock documentary about the slightly sordid pastimes of some of America's wealthiest and most powerful men. Zambesi Glen is a private resort in Northern California whose highly exclusive membership rolls includes high-echelon politicians, leaders of America's military, owners of the nation's biggest corporations, renowned and respected political thinkers, and a handful of celebrity guests; the club's membership is overwhelmingly white and exclusively male. Once a year, Zambesi Glen holds a week-long retreat for its members, and while this gathering features the occasional group discussion of political and economic issues, most of the week is devoted to swilling booze, staging comic skits, performing odd rituals not out of place at a Boy Scout camp, doing business with the prostitutes imported for the festivities, and generally carousing like frat boys on a bender. However, not all is well in this playground for the power elite; feminist groups are protesting Zambesi Glen's "men only" membership policy, and far more embarrassing, a television reporter has found a way to smuggle cameras into the well-guarded resort, giving the world a less than flattering look at what America's leadership likes to do for a good time. The revelers at Zambesi Glen are played by a top-shelf comic cast, including Michael McKean, George Wendt, Henry Gibson, Kenneth Mars, Fred Willard, Howard Hessman, and Bob Einstein; among the female interlopers are Morgan Fairchild, Joyce Hyser, and Ming-Na. Teddy Bears' Picnic was inspired by Harry Shearer's visit as a guest to Bohemian Grove, the real-life men's-only retreat whose members are said to include George W. Bush, Henry Kissinger, Dick Cheney, Malcolm Forbes, David Rockefeller, Casper W. Weinberger, and William F. Buckley, though the film's opening credits humorously disavows any resemblance between Zambesi Glen and Bohemian Grove. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: Harry Shearer
Written By: Harry Shearer
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 29, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Feb 24, 2004
Studio: Visionbox Media

Critic Reviews

Scott Foundas, Variety
Pic lacks the development needed for a full-length feature and, following a hilarious opening sequence, it becomes tiresomely one-note.
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
Most of the film feels conceived and shot on the fly -- like between lunch breaks for Shearer's radio show and his Simpson voice-overs.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
The satire is unfocused, while the story goes nowhere.
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
It is supremely unfunny and unentertaining to watch middle-age and older men drink to excess, piss on trees, b.s. one another and put on a show in drag.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
A beyond-lame satire, Teddy Bears' Picnic ranks among the most pitiful directing debuts by an esteemed writer-actor.
Dave Kehr, New York Times
Too much of it feels unfocused and underdeveloped.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Low fidelity comedy all around.
Joshua Tanzer, Offoffoff
Doesn't quite work as a comedy but a buried level of satire makes a good target out of the news media.
Edward Havens, FilmJerk.com
When one hears Harry Shearer is going to make his debut as a film director, one would hope for the best
Prairie Miller, WBAI Web Radio
Very much like its title, the movie is too cuddly and frolicking to get a satirical grip on its rich and powerful characters, or their real life targets.
Emily Blunt, Blunt Review
Hardy har har.
Pam Grady, Reel.com
The real shame is that such a talented ensemble cast is so badly wasted in this lame attempt at political discourse.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, San Francisco Examiner
An ugly, pointless, stupid movie.
Robert Wilonsky, New Times
What could and should have been biting and droll is instead a tepid waste of time and talent.
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher
The satire is just too easy to be genuinely satisfying.
Shirley Sealy, Film Journal International
There are just too many characters saying too many clever things and getting into too many pointless situations. Where's the movie here?
, E! Online
Despite a who's-who cast of comedians, virtually all the characters are uninteresting, unappealing and, worse, unfunny.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The film has the thrown-together feel of a summer-camp talent show: hastily written, underrehearsed, arbitrarily plotted and filled with crude humor and vulgar innuendo.
Harvey S. Karten, Compuserve
Dignified CEO's meet at a rustic retreat and pee against a tree. Can you bear the laughter?