Say It Isn't So Information

Say It Isn't So is a 2001 American comedy film starring Chris Klein and Heather Graham as two young lovers who come to believe that they are actually siblings. The film is directed by J. B. Rogers and written by Peter Gaulke and Gerry Swallow.

Plot

Gilbert Noble (Chris Klein) takes a stray cat named "Ringo" to the animal pound where he works. Gilbert gets his haircut by a beautiful young hairdresser named Josephine "Jo" Wingfield (Heather Graham). As Jo cuts Gilbert's hair, she mentions that she lost a tail-less cat named Ringo a while ago, leading Gilbert to tell her that Ringo is at the pound. Immediately after this revelation, Jo accidentally cuts off a part of Gilbert's ear, and he is rushed to the hospital. To make up for the incident, Jo invites Gilbert to her house for lunch the next day, where Gilbert meets Jo's self-centered mother, Valdine (Sally Field), and stroke-suffering father, Walter (Richard Jenkins). After lunch, Gilbert and Jo start dating, and fall in love. Gilbert and Jo eventually have sex for the first time. Just as Gilbert prepares to propose to Jo, he receives a call from a detective (Brent Briscoe) who has been searching for Gilbert's long-lost mother. Apparently, the detective has come up with the news that Gilbert's mother is really Valdine Wingfield, which shocks everyone. Jo leaves the Wingfield home, and Gilbert stays there while the news spreads that they had sex as siblings.

16 months later, a surprise comes to the Wingfield doorstep in the form of a young man named Leon Pitofsky (Jack Plotnick) who claims to be Valdine and Walter's son, and presents his birth certificate as proof. Valdine and Walter feel better for a few moments before angrily lashing out at Gilbert and forcing him to leave. Gilbert runs for his life and flees Indiana to tell Jo, who now lives in Oregon, the news. Valdine phones the police station in the county where Jo lives, and reports Gilbert as a sexual predator in order to stop Gilbert from telling Jo. She tells the police to keep the whole thing quiet, but the police prove to be just as corrupt as the criminals they capture and hang "Wanted" posters all over Gilbert's destination town, depicting Gilbert as a "sexual predator". On his way to the town, Gilbert hits a legless middle-aged African-American named Dig McCaffrey (Orlando Jones). After stopping to help Dig, Gilbert offers Dig a ride. When they part, Dig tells Gilbert that he is one eighth Chippewa, (or Cherokee or Navaho), and that Gilbert saved his life, and therefore Dig is in debt to Gilbert. He offers Gilbert directions and hands him a business card should he ever need him. Gilbert is soon spotted by people who saw the posters, and is immediately shunned by the society as a "pervert".

Meanwhile, Josephine becomes engaged to Jack Mitchelson (Eddie Cibrian), a rich and powerful young man who secretly deals in cocaine and marijuana, and controls over half the county by paying off numerous politicians. Valdine keeps on pushing Josephine to marry Jack, although Josephine still loves Gilbert. Gilbert tries to hide from the authorities, and Dig frequently aids him in his escape from muggers and killers. Ultimately, after many escapades with fellow patient, Mr. Campisi (C. Ernst Harth), Gilbert manages to find Leon, Valdine's real son. To win Josephine back, Gilbert and Dig make a plan to change Josephine's mind before the impending wedding. The plan backfires when Leon gets away from Dig. Gilbert finds himself with his hand inside a cow's rectum, and Josephine sees him. In another attempt, he displays a sign with the message "JO! I'M NOT YOUR BROTHER! MARRY ME!" across the sky from a plane before Gilbert is arrested and sent to an asylum"?after the word "NOT" is ripped off by a nearby tree as they take off in Dig's plane.

Ultimately, Gilbert is not able to stop Josephine from marrying Mitchelson. Police arrive at the marriage scene to inform that Gilbert died in car accident, which was actually an act of sabotage by Leon. But unknown to everyone, Gilbert was not driving the car at the time of the accident. One of Mitchelson's goons had taken the car from Gilbert and the ashes are his. Walter makes a good recovery and reveals to Josephine that Valdine conspired to destroy their relationship and force Josephine into marrying Mitchelson. Also, the news that Valdine is Gilbert's mother was fed to the detective by Mitchelson. Josephine defies Valdine for the first time which proves to be too much for Valdine to handle, and Valdine has a stroke and falls unconscious while attacking Leon, who also participated in interrupting the wedding. Thinking that Gilbert is dead, Josephine goes back to the roof of the animal shelter where they used to hang out to disperse Gilbert's ashes and to give him the one gun salute that Gilbert used to give dogs who were about to be put to sleep. Gilbert, who has just begun working at his old job, sees her and mistakenly believes that she wants to commit suicide. They are finally reunited on the roof of the same animal shelter which was a catalyst for their coming together.

A few months later, Gilbert and Josephine are married, and Walter, Valdine, Leon, Dig and many other people attend, with Walter on his feet and Valdine in a wheelchair after her stroke. Also, as a surprise wedding present, Gilbert's mother agent turns up and tells Gilbert that he has truly found his mother. In an ironic twist, Gilbert's mother turns out to be Suzanne Somers, a famous actress/sex symbol about whom Gilbert used to fantasize while masturbating.

Alternative ending

The DVD includes an extended ending where, after Gilly discovers his mother's identity, we cut to him and Jo on the roof to his vet office - Gilly got his vet - and he says that there is are only lonely people, then they kiss and live happily ever after.

Cast

• Chris Klein as Gilbert "Gilly" Noble
• Heather Graham as Josephine "Jo" Wingfield
• Orlando Jones as Dig McCaffrey
• Sally Field as Valdine Wingfield
• Richard Jenkins as Walter Wingfield
• John Rothman as Larry Falwell
• Jack Plotnick as Leon Pitofsky
• Eddie Cibrian as Jack Mitchelson
• Mark Pellegrino as Jimmy Mitchelson
• Richard Riehle as Sheriff Merle Hobbs
• Brent Briscoe as Detective Vic Vetter
• Ezra Buzzington as Stewart
• Julie White as Ruthie Falwell
• Courtney Peldon as Cher Falwell
• Matthew Peters as Buddy Falwell
• Lin Shaye as Nurse Bautista
• C. Ernst Harth as Mr. Campisi
• Sarah Silverman as Officer Gina
• Suzanne Somers (uncredited) as Suzanne

Reception

The film received an overwhelmingly negative response from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 9% based on 103 reviews, the consensus being that; "those that haven't tired of Farrelly brothers' brand of comedy may still find some laughs here. Otherwise, the slow pacing and unimaginative shock gags will start to wear on the viewer."

Box office

The film opened at #10 at the North American box office making $2,861,903 in its opening weekend.

Home media

Say It Isn't So was released on VHS and DVD on August 21, 2001. The DVD features six deleted and extended scenes including an extended ending.