“To the broccoli field, Jedidiah, and hurry!”

Justin’s rating: A murder, you say, eh?

Justin’s review: Imagine that you’re a ticked-off, passed-over employee who goes into his boss’ office for an epic showdown… only to find your boss very, very dead and you standing there with all of the motivation in the world. It’d be understandable if you decided to rabbit out of there with the police on the way. It’d also be quite foolish, as the security cameras already got the real killer on tape.

But you — who are now sprinting for another country — don’t know that. In your own mind, you’re the greatest fugitive who’s ever lived, even though nobody’s actually chasing you. Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?

Such are the travails of Nelson Hibbert (Newsradio’s David Foley), a rather emotional and impulsive lad who discovers that all of his boss butt-kissing isn’t enough to put him on the path to corporate presidency. Rather, in a fit of ill-advised panic, he flees a murder scene and makes for the Mexican border. Unbeknownst to him, the real (and much more suave) killer (Colm Feore) is also heading in the same direction with a lazy detective (David Anthony Higgins, who’d rather be slacking off on the taxpayer’s dime) not too far behind.

In most setups like this, it’s a case of a straight-laced guy who is undeservingly put-upon by forces beyond his control. The Wrong Guy subverts that to a degree by giving us a lead character who’s as inept as he is irrational, often making his own situation far worse than it has to be. Foley plays Nelson as a hilarious screeching dolt who never makes a good call, kind of like The Office’s Michael Scott except even less manly (if that was possible).

It’s a comedy of unexpected encounters, ridiculous coincidences, and outlandish stereotypes. If that sounds like something from a Kids in the Hall vet, well, it’s exactly what it is. Dave Foley cashed in all of his chips to get a starring role in this, a movie that effectively nobody remembers but absolutely should. At least he got the consolation prize of hitting it big in A Bug’s Life a year later.

The silly premise leads to a lot of satirical twists, such as a detective who really doesn’t want to be chasing murderers all the time, a nefarious farmer who’s trying to buy out banks to turn the land into fields, and a conspiracy theorist who figures that JFK’s head just exploded all by itself. There’s also a chuckle-worthy running gag that the killer thinks Nelson is a detective himself because they’re always bumping into each other at the same places. Another running gag sees Nelson’s department back at the company greatly succeeding despite his unnoticed absence.

Thanks to falling in love with Lynn (Jennifer Tilly), a helpful narcoleptic, Nelson finds a second chance at life… if he can be freed from the awful burden of assumed guilt. This and another half-dozen coincidences — all of which serve to frustrate and ultimately corner the real killer — brings him to a happy ending of a sort.

If you’re reading this and wondering why you never heard of it, be comforted — it’s not your fault. While The Wrong Guy did get a theatrical release in Canada (a country which made and deeply loves this movie), it barely got a direct-to-video release elsewhere. So this movie’s promotional wing is pretty much anyone who saw it, loved it, and made it their life’s mission to tell everyone that they need to see this slapstick masterpiece.

That’s now me, to you. If you have a silly bone in your body, The Wrong Guy is going to tickle it something major. Dave Foley is one of those underrated comedians who warrants a watch wherever he shows up, and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed by his passionate buffoonery here.

Intermission!

• In a YouTube comment, Dave Foley posted, “This movie is something I’m extremely proud of. I wish more people had seen it. I’m delighted that it has pleased some of you.”
• It’s the Barenaked Ladies as the police!
• Love those old-style silhouette titles
• Big day!
• “What kind of man has a favorite daughter? And if you do, you should label them ‘favorite’ and ‘not favorite!'”
• Don’t make a man wait too long if you don’t have new magazines to peruse
• Dude, don’t put the knife BACK IN
• Throwing the bloody murder weapon right on top of the police boat
• “And he knew he was being recorded?” “Oh yes, he wanted us to watch.”
• Cops love to do acapella around a flaming barrel in an alley at night
• What kind of guy keeps a goofy picture of just himself in a wallet?
• Nelson’s hilarious answering machine monologue “What’s that? he’d say…”
• He just fled into a proposed town that’s currently a cornfield
• Yes, just start picking and eating random berries and mushrooms, that’s going to end well
• Hey, it’s fellow Kids in the Hall alum Kevin McDonald as the motel clerk
• If you can’t pronounce your own overly complex last name, maybe it’s truly fake
• Toweling your head is a perfect disguise
• “Look behind you!”
• The motel clerk wraps himself up in Nelson’s towel as a defense against bullets
• Nelson sprinting across endless countrysides got a big laugh
• Diving through the train
• Don’t eat spoiled canned hams
• “He did this somersault thing onto my squad car while shooting!”
• If you get unlimited resources from the FBI, use it to charter a helicopter to see your sister in Cincinnati
• “You ate 10 tainted hams. We pumped your stomach.”
• “My name is Enema Bag Jones.”
• Those were the wrong clothes to steal if you wanted to remain inconspicuous
• Don’t put on a doctor’s outfit if you’re not ready to save lives
• “They’ll come after you with everything they’ve got, including man-made viruses!”
• The Water Machine delivers on its name
• The running gag where Nelson gives himself new names based on whatever he sees
• Lynn has horrible instincts
• “You’ll have to forgive me, I’m slightly narcoleptic.”
• “I can’t afford any ice!” [sobs]
• We never do see Constance, Nelson’s fiancee
• Nelson is the wrong guy for a handyman job
• Billy’s room is quite the room
• “My siren’s stuck again!”
• You can’t Elmer’s glue a fence
• “I will never forget these past four hours!”
• Wealthy farmers, always trying to shut down banks
• “Fred?” “No, it’s me, Lynn.”
• “Now if you could just pivot a little clockwise.” “Why?” “No reason!”
• The killer fighting with a dog over a dead rat
• “You won’t grow one ear of your filthy corn here!”
• “To the broccoli field, Jedidiah, and hurry!”
• Lynn falling asleep during Nelson’s grand confession
• The “It’s a Wonderful Life” speech doesn’t always work
• No matter what your disguise, there’s a bus for you
• “The Nelson I know isn’t capable of murder… not morally but physically.”
• “And I bought more condoms!”
• “You drive.” “Ohhh bad idea alert!”
• The detective rents quite the luxurious RV
• “You’re awake!” “For a while now!” “I’ve been carrying you!” “I thought you wanted to.”
• Nelson hides behind the girl
• You can legally hijack a scooter if you’re eating cotton candy
• Helicopters make for good bargaining chips
• The killer smiling at Nelson as he almost falls