A Slice of Hollywood Pie

You know, when it comes to “Chump Change,” you’ve got to relax and sort of let the film do its quirky thing. This comedy, written and directed by Stephen Burrows, is not a blockbuster, nor does it pretend to be. It’s that kind of crazy little gem you’d find on a slow Tuesday night when you’re tired of scrolling through endless lists of films. It stars Stephen Burrows himself and the marvellous Tim Matheson. Remember him from “Animal House”? That rascal. And let’s not forget Traci Elizabeth Lords—her switch from, erm, her past roles to more mainstream stuff always makes me chuckle a bit.

The basic plot? Well, it’s about a struggling screenwriter in Hollywood—big shocker, eh? It’s partly autobiographical, as Burrows himself went through the same rollercoaster of chasing the Hollywood dream. Watching it reminded me of that one summer I fancied myself the next Ingmar Bergman and tried making a short film with an old Super 8 camera. Spoilers: It didn’t end up at Cannes.

Now, the humor’s kind of hit or miss. Some bits hit the funny bone, and other times you’re just staring at the screen thinking “does this make sense?”. But that’s charm, you see—it’s like it knows it’s rough around the edges and just rolls with it. Just like how we’d roll with Friday “fika” even when my kanelbullar burned—eh, it’s all good.

It throws in LA’s glitter and grit; the city’s sleazy backdrop plays its part without fuss. Seeing LA’s sun-bleached streets did make me miss Stockholm’s cold alleys just a bit.

I guess what I’m saying is, for someone who’s ever had a crazy dream (ahem, all of us), this movie’s for you. It’s not polished, but then again, what’s life without a few rough spots?

Check the trailer below