Alrighty, here's another look at OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE, this time from a fella who's been in touch with me for quite some time now, so I have no doubt at all that he's a studio schill... Wait... strike that, reverse that... Let's move on. Anyways, the trailer looked fun, and so did Alec Baldwin who seemed to be eating his role up. We'll see, eh folks...
Since I saw another reaction posted to Ain’t It Cool News, I didn’t think I’d bother sending in my opinion, but after reading that last negative review from "Evan Teschmacher" I though I’d chime in.
I have no idea why he thinks the humor was stagnant. I was laughing through a big part of the film, particularly to all of the pot-smoking references. The kids in this movie are big time stoners. Practically every scene has someone smoking pot; from a joint, from a bong, or even from a keg. At one point Shawn Hatosy’s character drops a hooka from his jacket and his dad asks him what it is and he pretends it’s a wind instrument, blowing in to it and making a horrendous noise.
There’s also a scene with a letter read in a v-o while compeletly baked that defies description, but it is hysterical.
The acting’s really good too. Shawn Hatosy grew on me as the movie went along. He has this smug smirk that has bothered me sometimes, in the past (in the faculty, and in and out) but he’s a lot more subtle in this film and carries it well. Actually walked out of there being charmed by him. I also liked the girl who played the "cool preppie girlfriend" a lot. The role is slightly similar to the ‘Mary’ role in There’s Something About Mary in the sense that she’s in to everything a guy is in to and she’s beautiful. She actually looks like a normal person too, dressed in winter hats and ripped jackets, not like a movie star masquerading as a boarding school granola girl.
Shawn Hatosy’s roommate was very funny and perfectly cast (wish I knew his name), as was Jonathan Brandis (he’s grown up to be quite a hottie, thought it was Jared Leto half the film!), Alec Baldwin, and the wheelchair-bound little brother and three-legged dog. Yes, the dog was good.
A note on the soundtrack and clothing. Just like Dazed and Confused, The music and costumes are from the seventies, but I kept on getting distracted by the thought that people dress the same and listen to the same music in the present. Same thing happens whenever I watch dazed and Confused.
Well Harry, that’s my honest opinion. Hopefully I won’t be accused of being a "studio schill" too because I actually had something positive to say.
Swankster.
