Cast your ballot for big laughs when Gene Hackman and Ray Romano find themselves in a hilariously heated race for mayor of Mooseport, Maine. A local plumber (Romano) is plunged into the national spotlight when he takes on ... more »the former President of the United States (Hackman), who can't believe he's running against the man installing his toilets! To make matters worse, the ex-prez is trying to steal the election -- and the affection of the handyman's girlfriend (Maura Tierney). Whoever wins, one thing's for sure: this town isn't small enough for the both of them!« less
Sharon F. (Shar) from AVON PARK, FL Reviewed on 1/13/2022...
One of my all-time favorite movies to watch again and again. Lots of laughs and funny lines. I would highly recommend it if you haven't already seen it.
Michel D. (michelann) from WALNUT GROVE, MO Reviewed on 1/29/2018...
Light hilarious film with a top of the line cast! Running for mayor has never been so much fun and Gene Hackman along with Ray Romano make this an absolute fun filled contest!
Sandra S. (ratracesandra) from CUMMING, GA Reviewed on 8/10/2008...
Loved this movie. Light & funny....
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
A LIMP OVERDRAWN SITCOM THAT'S JUST NOT FUNNY
Shashank Tripathi | Gadabout | 06/20/2004
(1 out of 5 stars)
"The comic firepower of "Welcome to Mooseport" sounds more like a whimper than a bang, thanks in no small measure to an instantly forgettable performance by the eternally nagging Romano. The girl-friend squabble (how novel) between Gene Hackman and Romano's characters is too dragged out and unbelievably phony. A faulty sitcom stretched into nearly two excruciating hours, almost, but that doesn't really matter as every twist and turn can be seen from a mile away. Which is sad because most of the cast has done quite well elsewhere and was just tragically frittered away on this wet noodle."
Ray, you ruined this movie.
J. Kenary | Millbury, MA USA | 12/30/2004
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Simply put, Mooseport is a bad movie. Far fetched, not funny, slow-paced and boring. A waste of 90 minutes of my life. This is why this movie went straight from the theaters to DVD and HBO. Ray Romano's poor acting (as "Handy" the plumber) in particular ruined the movie. Romano was dull, lifeless and easy to root against. If it was not for Gene Hackman, who as usual, does a great job, I would have quit after the first 30 minutes. If you want to check this out, I would wait until the DVD hits the 5 dollar rack at your local Wal-mart/Target."
Welcome to Mooseport (2004)
The Tweeder | Indianapolis, Indiana | 05/31/2004
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Director: Donald Petrie
Cast: Gene Hackman, Ray Romano, Marcia Gay Harden, Maura Tierney, Christine Baranski, Fred Savage, Rip Torn.
Running Time: 115 minutes.
Rated PG-13 for some language and gross elderly nudity (just an old man's behind)."Welcome to Mooseport" has enough charm and some quirky moments to make those who are fans of Ray Romano's "Everybody Loves Raymond" television show giggle somewhat, but ultimately it is caught trying to be a comedy that does not have much scripted humor and relies too much on Romano to get laughs just because of his fame. Gene Hackman is well-casted as Monroe "Eagle" Cole, one of the most famed former Presidents of the United States of America, who has moved to the small Maine town of Mooseport due to a sloppy divorce that left him without his Baltimore home. Ray Romano stars as Handy Harrison (who happens to be a handy man-go figure), a goofball that knows the ins-and-outs of the town, but does not know when to commit to his long-time girlfriend Sally (Maura Tierney).When Mooseport's mayor suddenly passes away, "Eagle" Cole is asked to take on the assignment. He accepts, but only because of the good public press he would receive. Handy Harrison names himself a candidate as well when Cole asks Sally out for a date, leading both men into a sequence of idiosyncratic campaign stunts that involve televised mayoral debates (?) and golf matches to win over women. "Welcome to Mooseport" is a film that is enjoyable for younger teenagers and adults that grew up watching Hackman during his prime, but ultimately it is an unfunny attempt to draw on the success of "Everybody Loves Raymond". Romano is actually the weaker of the two lead stars, either because he was not given the ability to shine in a somewhat limited role, or because in reality his television show is a triumph because of his overwhelmingly talented supporting cast in the first place. An average film and that is being generous."
More Like, "Welcome to DULLSVILLE"
Yendor | Gilroy, CA United States | 01/04/2005
(2 out of 5 stars)
"This is what one might call a "work movie" or an excercise in filmmaking. WELCOME TO MOOSEPORT has an impressive cast from Ray Romano, Gene Hackman, Marcia Gay Harden, Maura Tierney, Rip Torn, and Fred Savage. However, the plot is predictable and the characters are one-dimensional. Hackman plays ex-President of the United States, Monroe Cole. He has retired to Mooseport, Maine and is asked by the local citizenry to run for a vacated Mayor's position. Then, he finds himself running against the local hardware store/plumber owner Handy Harrison played by Ray Romano. Then, the writers throw in a lame side-plot of Cole trying to win the heart of Handy's fiance (Tierney). Handy/Romano is so likeable and low-key in the movie that he gets lost amongst the townspeople and his co-workers at his hardware store during most of the movie. Hackman as ex-President Cole has the proverbial phoned-in performance. The real stand-out comedic performance is that of Fred Savage (tv's THE WONDER YEARS) as Coles's aid, Bullard. The most striking thing about the film is that there is no bite in the script and the dialogue is very bland as is the interaction of the characters. The production values and location shots are great in capturing the small town atmosphere, but that's all. Overall, a comedy/romance film that is just a vehicle to cash in on Ray Romano's tv persona. Therefore, it plays like a made-for-tv movie, it plays it too safe, and thus is a very forgettable tax write-off 20th Century Fox."
Trite!
C Brunner | Ashburn, VA | 08/21/2004
(1 out of 5 stars)
"The premise is juvenile, the story line is absurd, and the characters make no sense. Any atempt at humor falls flat. A naked man jogging thorugh town every morning, an almost deaf man proposing the president but voting for the protagonist, an ex-wife who shows up out of the blue, a love-starved presidential assistant, saccharine wholsomeness . . . a waste of 2 hours."