Jamie Kennedy makes Scream’s horror expert funny without stopping to congratulate himself on the joke. We rate him as a sharp supporting comic; the case for building an entire film around him is less convincing.
Fi1m perspective
In Scream (1996), Jamie Kennedy’s Randy explains the rules of horror films with the eagerness of someone who knows his subject. He keeps Kevin Williamson’s knowing dialogue quick and conversational, without pausing to congratulate himself on getting the joke. We laughed at Randy’s eagerness to explain the genre, because Kennedy lets us recognise the enthusiast as well as hear the joke. This is the Kennedy we rate: alert to the writing and able to keep a conversation moving.
Wes Craven allows the jokes without making the danger seem trivial. Neve Campbell’s seriousness as Sidney steadies the film, while Kennedy helps the younger ensemble keep up with Williamson’s writing. The script can still delay a fright while it explains how horror works. Kennedy is good at delivering that material, but we sometimes want less of it.
Kennedy returned as Randy in Scream 2 (1997), then played Walter Wogaman in David O. Russell’s Three Kings (1999). The latter is a film we recommend for its performances and angry humour, with reservations about its eagerness to forgive. It is another ensemble setting, rather than a test of whether Kennedy can hold a film together on his own.
The move towards being the main attraction came with his hidden-camera sketch series The Jamie Kennedy Experiment (2002–2004) and Malibu’s Most Wanted (2003), which he starred in and co-wrote. That comedy was built around his sketch character. His lead performance in Son of the Mask (2005) drew strongly negative notices, which gives us reason to be cautious about that move. Supporting film parts, voice work and occasional leads have remained part of his work since.
We would not choose a Kennedy film simply because he has the largest part. His appeal in Scream lies partly in keeping pace with other actors, and Campbell gives us someone to worry about between the jokes. Start there, particularly if a horror enthusiast explaining the genre sounds like welcome company.
Biography
Jamie Kennedy is an American actor and comedian. Born James Harvey Kennedy on 25 May 1970 in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, he first gained prominence for his role as Randy Meeks in the Scream film series.
He appeared as Randy Meeks in Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997) and Scream 3 (2000). Other film roles include William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996), Enemy of the State (1998), Bowfinger (1999) and Malibu's Most Wanted (2003). On television, he hosted the sketch comedy series The Jamie Kennedy Experiment (2002–2004) and played Professor Eli James in Ghost Whisperer (2008–2010). He has also worked as a stand-up comedian.
