the universe as blanket

thumbs up to i 'heart' huckabees (2004). this chaotic existential whimsy by david o. russell stars jason schwartzman (angst-ridden environmentalist poet), jude law (corporate climber extraordinaire, but suffering deep deep inside), mark wahlberg (explosive anti-petrol activist), and naomi watts (a model who is sick of being beautiful), all as confused individuals. along come the doctors in the form of existential detectives, played by dustin hoffman (everything is connected), isabelle huppert (nothing is connected), and the ever-so-charming-at-65 lily tomlin (expert investigator). the movie is effective because relentless farce prevents the personal dilemmas from descending into self-congratulatory pseudo-psychology. russell knows not to take himself too seriously, and encourages us to do the same.