# Wirey Spindell > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wirey_Spindell > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wirey_Spindell.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirey_Spindell > Source revision: 1340506741 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{No plot|date=December 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = Wirey Spindell | image = | alt = | caption = | writer = Eric Schaeffer | starring = {{plainlist| * Eric Schaeffer * [Eric Mabius](/source/Eric_Mabius) * Devin Matthews * Zane Adlum * [Callie Thorne](/source/Callie_Thorne) * [Samantha Buck](/source/Samantha_Buck_and_Marie_Schlingmann) * [John Doman](/source/John_Doman) }} | music = Amanda Kravat | cinematography = [Kramer Morgenthau](/source/Kramer_Morgenthau) | editing = Mitchel Stanley | studio = Five Minutes Before the Miracle | director = [Eric Schaeffer](/source/Eric_Schaeffer) | producer = [Dolly Hall](/source/Dolly_Hall)
Terence Michael
[Lloyd Segan](/source/Lloyd_Segan) | distributor = WinStar Cinema | released = {{Film date|1999|09|08|Boston Film Festival|2000|01|21|US|df=y}} | runtime = 101 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''Wirey Spindell''''' is a 1999 American comedy film directed by [Eric Schaeffer](/source/Eric_Schaeffer). The film stars Schaeffer, [Eric Mabius](/source/Eric_Mabius), Devin Matthews, Zane Adlum, [Callie Thorne](/source/Callie_Thorne), [Samantha Buck](/source/Samantha_Buck_and_Marie_Schlingmann) and [John Doman](/source/John_Doman). ''Wirey Spindall'' premiered at the [Boston Film Festival](/source/Boston_Film_Festival) on September 8, 1999, and was released in the US on January 21, 2000. It received negative reviews from critics. ==Cast== * Schaeffer as Wirey Spindell * [Eric Mabius](/source/Eric_Mabius) as Wirey, age 17 * Devin Matthews as Wirey, Junior High * Zane Adlum as Wirey, age 8 * [Callie Thorne](/source/Callie_Thorne) as Tabitha * [Samantha Buck](/source/Samantha_Buck_and_Marie_Schlingmann) as Samantha * [John Doman](/source/John_Doman) as Mr. Spindell * [Peggy Gormley](/source/Peggy_Gormley) as Mrs. Spindell, Mature * Jennifer Wiltsie as Mrs. Spindell, Young * Caroline Strong as Judy * [Don Creech](/source/Don_Creech) as Mean Teacher * John Deyle as Principal Dickens * [Bryan Callen](/source/Bryan_Callen) as Robby * [Mel Rodriguez](/source/Mel_Rodriguez) as Ernesto * Stefan Niemczyk as Lapper * [Gerry Rosenthal](/source/Gerry_Rosenthal) as Mike Johnson * [Bill Weeden](/source/Bill_Weeden) as Bill * [Jim Gaffigan](/source/Jim_Gaffigan) as Announcer #2 * [Jenna Stern](/source/Jenna_Stern) as Roxanne * Leanne Whitney as Beth * Greg Haberny as Niles * [Michelle Hurst](/source/Michelle_Hurst) as Arlene * David Healy as Yuppie * [Rutanya Alda](/source/Rutanya_Alda) as Coach's Wife * [Keri Lynn Pratt](/source/Keri_Lynn_Pratt) as First Date * [Irma St. Paule](/source/Irma_St._Paule) as Angel Lady ==Release== The film premiered at the Boston Film Festival on 8 September 1999. ==Reception== On review aggregator [Rotten Tomatoes](/source/Rotten_Tomatoes), ''Wirey Spindell'' holds an approval rating of 24%, based on 17 reviews.{{cite web |title=Wirey Spindell |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wirey_spindell|website=[Rotten Tomatoes](/source/Rotten_Tomatoes) |publisher= [Fandango](/source/Fandango_Media)|access-date= 20 December 2022}} ''[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))'' wrote that it is the "mix of sex and Schaeffer’s decidedly quirky view of life that sells the pic", and that the scenes where Mabius portrays Wirey are "among the best in the film."{{cite web |url= https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/wirey-spindell-1200459784/|title= Wirey Spindell|last= |first= |date= 7 November 1999|website= [Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))|publisher= |access-date= 20 December 2022|quote=}} [Kevin Thomas](/source/Kevin_Thomas_(film_critic)) of the ''[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)'' wrote that Schaeffer is "discreet and funny" and "inspires his actors to risk everything, as he does on both sides of the camera", with Morgenthau being "as venturesome as Schaeffer himself", and Kravat's score being "equally potent". He concluded that while the film "may be too heady for some tastes", it "can stir you deeply, if you’re open to it."{{cite web |url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-feb-04-ca-60884-story.html|title= With Marriage Looming, 'Spindell' Looks Back|last= Thomas|first= Kevin|date= 4 February 2000|website= [Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times)|publisher= |access-date= 20 December 2022|quote=}} [A. O. Scott](/source/A._O._Scott) of ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'' called the film "banal, boring and confusing."{{cite web |url= https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/012100wirey-film-review.html|title= 'Wirey Spindell': Problems, Problems; and He's a Creep, Too|last= Scott|first= A. O.|date= 21 January 2000|website= [The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)|publisher= |access-date= 20 December 2022|quote=}} Marjorie Baumgarten of ''[The Austin Chronicle](/source/The_Austin_Chronicle)'' wrote that Schaeffer "needs to realize that there are few universals in his stories and way too many specifics, and it takes more than a weird name like Wirey Spindell to make a person really distinctive."{{cite web |url= https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/2000-03-17/wirey-spindell/|title= Wirey Spindell|last= Baumgarten|first= Marjorie|date= 17 March 2000|website= [The Austin Chronicle](/source/The_Austin_Chronicle)|publisher= |access-date= 20 December 2022|quote=}} ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * {{IMDb title|0153866|Wirey Spindell}} * {{rotten-tomatoes|wirey_spindell|Wirey Spindell}} Category:American comedy films Category:1999 comedy films Category:English-language comedy films Category:1999 English-language films Category:1999 American films Category:1999 films --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wirey Spindell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirey_Spindell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirey_Spindell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.