“Jim,” as the Pitts surrogate shall be known, is driving Spanky to an appointment, but it is clearly not one he is eager to reach. Business has been rough and his wife has apparently made a deal he regrets. Perhaps that is why he ill-advisedly offers a ride to “Bobby,” as the Ranes character has been renamed (while Spanky is still Spanky.)
At their first stop at a motel, Bobby shows his violent nature. Yet, somehow Jim talks him into sparing his life, probably thanks to the hitchhiker’s weird affection for Spanky. Somehow, Jim convinces the stone-cold killer that he will drop him off at his stated destination, as per their “agreement,” even though Bobby’s supposed plan to reconcile with an old girlfriend is obviously bogus.
It is relatively easy to understand why Darling and screenwriter Evan M. Wiener made certain decisions, but they turned out to be mistakes. The combination of ice-skating chimp and serial killer sounds very tabloid, in a Weekly World News kind of way. Instead, they opted for a dreamy, artsy sort of approach, but the execution results in a logy, listless vibe.
The “Jim” character is also an awkward departure from reports of the athletic real-life Pitts (who gets a chance to tell speak for himself over the closing credits). Zachary Quinto’s portrayal is so socially awkward and self-sabotaging, it is a minor miracle Spanky doesn’t kill him, let alone the unstable and impulsive Bobby.
A film about an ice-skating chimp and serial killer should never be this boring. Perhaps the incident just was not meant for a dramatic treatment. Instead, Spanky’s encounter with Ranes should be the subject of a true crime documentary. The heavy-handed references to Vietnam also add a further layer of annoying pretentiousness. It just does not work. Not recommended, He Went that Way (a rather inapt title) is now playing (in very limited screenings) at the Kent Theater in Brooklyn.
