Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 9780788822582 Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC ISBN: 0788822586 Label: Walt Disney Video Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Walt Disney Video Release Date: November 07, 2000 Running Time: 96 minutes Studio: Walt Disney Video Theatrical Release Date: September 01, 1999 Sales Rank: 8859
Amazon.com: Outside Providence was written by the Farrelly Brothers, known for the outrageous comedies Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, and There's Something About Mary. On the surface, Outside Providence seems to be of the same ilk--there's a three-legged, one-eyed dog, physical humor with a kid in a wheelchair, and a character nicknamed Jiz, among other things. But despite all that, the movie is an almost-gentle coming-of-age comedy, something like a suburban New England Amarcord with a lot of unrepentant drug humor. The plot doesn't sound promising: pothead Tim Dunphy (Shawn Hatosy) gets sent to prep school by his father (Alec Baldwin), who wants to keep him out of trouble. But a fair amount of smoking and boozing goes on at that school, too, despite the watchful eye of the administrators. Dunphy also falls for Jane (Amy Smart), a richer and smarter girl whom he wins over. All this could just as easily be the plot of some mediocre Porky's rip-off, but the Farrelly Brothers' script has the grit of real experience, while the direction (by Michael Corrente) and acting carefully avoid smirks and easy gags; the movie is funnier for it. Baldwin initially seems miscast, but over the course of the film delivers a solid performance; Hatosy and Smart are sincere and unaffected. The result is a low-key, modest, but genuinely affecting movie about surmounting class differences and coping with loss--that also has a lot of jokes that push the boundaries of political correctness. Quite a balancing act. --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Superior Coming of Age Flick
For gosh sakes, why is this out of print? This is one of the better coming of age films I have ever seen -- sweet, funny, poignant, with a bravura performance from Alec Baldwin as the damaged, working ... Read More
Rating: - please re-release this!
I have this movie, and think it should be worthy of a re-release. Being OOP makes it a contender for a reissue. Don't even know why it's OOP to begin with.
Rating: - HOW MANY FRIENDS NAMED DRUGS DO YOU HAVE?
Out of all the movies put out by the Farrelly Brothers, I would have to believe that this was the most inspired. Based on a book that was written by one of them, and based on their childhood experiences.. ... Read More
Rating: - Deja vue
The best part of this movie for me was the dialog between Dumph (Shaun Hatosy) and his dad (Alec Baldwin) it reminds me of my relationship with my dad during my teenage days. I found Baldwins performance to ... Read More
Rating: - Underneath the movie's pot jokes lies a sweet thoughtfulness
In 1974, pot-smoking teenager Tim Dunphy (Dunph, to his friends) is sent to a superior prep school after getting in trouble with the law for a reefer-induced mishap. There, he tangles with strict administrators, ... Read More
- Superior Coming of Age Flick
- Deja vue