No, the title is most likely referring to the colour that best represents the script. Vanilla’s white, yes?
Granted,
any imperfections in the film’s script might have been overlooked had
the once-victorious Robin Williams (Robin, come back!) not been in the
film. When a star of such magnitude headlines something rather
middling, the weak spots seethe through like water in a leaky boat.
Even worse, it’s Williams’ first comedy in quite some time – so we all
want it to be good. It’s OK…. but just not to any great extreme.
A cross-between Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski – or, for that matter, any Coen Brothers film – The Big White
is a vivacious black comedy about a desperate middle-aged travel agent
(Williams) who tries to swindle an insurance firm. Convinced that his
brother is dead, even though they’ve never found a body, he tries to
cash in his life insurance policy. Unfortunately, he discovers that he
does have to have a body, if he wants to get the cash.
Presto.
He snags a body – from two crooks, no less, played rather amusingly by
Tim Blake Nelson and W.Earl Brown – and makes it look like it’s his
sibling. The Insurance agent on the case (Ribisi) is suss though, and
makes it his mission to expose the scam.
Throw in a wildly
funny turn from Holly Hunter as William’s Tourette’s-suffering (or is
she?) wife, as well as an adorable Alison Lohman, as Ribisi’s
long-suffering girlfriend and resident-town clairvoyant – and you’ve
got quite a mix. (Woody Harrelson also enters the picture, about
halfway through, playing…well; I’d be spoiling it, if I told you whom).
There are some genuinely funny moments in here – funnily
enough, not thanks to Williams – but an equal amount of misfire. A lot
of the moments just don’t ring true, and neither do the motivations of
the characters. As for plot holes – you might want to take another
route; it’s going to get bumpy here.
DVD
Extras No Extras. Conclusion:
Movie 60% Extras: N/A 
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