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The Tao of Steve

Targeting Generation X, this charming little independent film is intellectual, clever and enjoyable to watch. Dex (Donal Logue) is a bright, overweight scoundrel living far below his potential with a group of equally unmotivated fellows in beautiful, artsy-fartsy Santa Fe. They play Frisbee golf, drink and talk ‘guy-talk’.

During one of these bullshit sessions, Dex takes a slow-witted young comrade under his wing and explains ‘The Tao of Steve’, a zen-like pick-up technique relying on the fictional personas of three famous really cool dudes -- Steve Austin (the Six Million Dollar Man), Steve McGarrett (Hawaii Five-O) and the Steve of all Steves, Steve McQueen. One can be a Steve or a Stu. You can take life by the horns, or sit back and let the world rush by you. The Tao for picking up girls boils down to three main maxims: Lose your desire, Be excellent in her presence, and Retreat from that which pursues you. By using these principles, Dex tells his buddy, you will be able to date any girl you want.

Donal Logue plays Dex with an innate sweetness -- as if being stuck in his current state of chubby underachievement is his karma for being an arrogant, good-looking jerk during his college years when all things seemed possible. Although he explains the Tao as though he’s a Steve, we all know the sad truth -- Dex is a Stu. Despite his seeming success with women, we see that he is merely standing on the sidelines watching others play. As per all romantic comedies, Dex has no trouble with women except for that one special one. Where lesser minds fall for his dating games, Syd (Greer Goodman) turns the tables on the Tao. By controlling her desire, being excellent and by leaving, Syd creates the very situation Dex described -- drawing him to her as he drew others to himself. There’s a funny camping scene played against a song, ‘I never said I was the out-door type’, where we see Dex’s vulnerability -- and a sweet love scene where Dex puts off the moment of nakedness for as long as possible. The movie ends on an unresolved note. Logue’s portrayal of hope, uncertainty, desire and shame, as Dex realizes that the road to enlightenment leads to internal growth, touches the audience. Surely, that moment is the reason Donal Logue won a special jury prize at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival for ‘Outstanding Performance’.

The widescreen version of the DVD includes English, French and Spanish subtitles, commentary by the cast and crew, theatrical trailers and a direct weblink featuring ‘The Steve Test’.

Written by: Joyce Faulkner

Reviewers Rating: 9
Reader's Rating: 9.00
Reader's Votes: 2

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