Trust me, this film has a pretty standard melodramatic plot, but presents it with a satirical twist that is off-putting and totally engaging. Maria Coughlin (Adrienne Shelly, THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH) is your typical early ‘90s high school student with her big hair and florescent clothing. She tells her parents that she is dropping out of school and that she’s pregnant.
Like I said it’s like a soap opera and it only gets more dramatic. As things develop, Maria ends up becoming a slave to her mother, Jean (Merritt Nelson, HENRY FOOL). Meanwhile, we meet Matthew Slaughter (Martin Donovan, SAVED!), a talented young engineer, who is slightly off and angry with the dishonesty and lack of depth of the modern world. He lives with his father Jim (John MacKay, KRUSH GROOVE), a gruff obsessive-compulsive, who is always on Matthew’s case. Soon Matthew and Maria meet, developing a strange bond.
The film combines deep, heart-felt dialogue with slapstick like humor and heavy-handed stabs at the modern world. The film is flawed for sure, but it is never boring and grabbed me like no film has in a long time. Part of this comes from the fact that you don’t know where it’s going and it isn’t afraid to be a bit random.
Both Shelly and Donovan give unusual performances that captivate and intrigue. I really liked them and cared about what was best for them, even if that meant not rooting for the most traditionally satisfying conclusion. THE SOPRANO’s Edie Falco even makes an appearance as Maria’s recently divorced sister. The performances, as with the overall film, have a tone that is hard to describe. It’s weird, but not in an obvious sort of way.
The film almost takes on a surreal nature like the work of David Lynch, which is refreshing and original. The film takes on topics of family, American culture and alienation sometimes making its point blatantly obvious and at other times obscuring its message to a maddening degree. Like its central characters, the film is searching for meaning and purpose. I don’t know if that’s really a good thing, but it’s never boring to watch. This film is smart and original, demanding that you see it more than once. I really liked this film a lot, but I really can’t tell you concretely why. If that statement makes you want to see the film then this is probably the film for you.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
