Mark Wahlberg has always been something of a metronome when it comes to his acting choices, bouncing back and forth between serious and comedic roles over the course of a pretty impressive career. Lately, the former Funky Bunch leader has been in some high-profile comedies: The Other Guys, Seth MacFarlane’s Ted, a small part in Date Night, and some might even consider the M. Night Shyamalan film The Happening to be a comedy. In any case, Wahlberg is looking to keep audiences laughing with another comedy; this one’s called Avon Man and, if Deadline’s summary is correct, it sounds pretty ridiculous.
Here’s the plot synopsis:
A group of guys are laid off from an auto dealership, and one reluctantly becomes an Avon salesman. He survives the emasculation, relies on his charm and becomes a top seller. He then tries to save his town and help his struggling family by pulling in his macho unemployed pals to hawk beauty products so they can win a regional contest.
Wahlberg selling makeup door to door? I never thought I’d see the day. But that unexpected feeling from audiences is exactly what the filmmakers are going for, and there’s certainly the potential for a lot of embarrassing comedy in there somewhere. Originally this role was set for Hugh Jackman and director Kevin Lima, but both have moved on and now the movie is being rewritten by Michael McCullers (Austin Powers) and doesn’t have a director in place yet. Any suggestions from the crowd?
