OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE RATING: 6.5 / 10 --> So-so
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Hard to market. That is what this movie is. Hard to market. I suppose that is why Miramax was trying to sell it as a "Farrelly brothers comedy", because it's a movie whose target audience is extremely hard to pinpoint. Is it a teen comedy? Sort of. Is it a father-son drama? Sort of. Is it for kids or for adults, funny or dramatic? Sort of. And I guess that's why Peter Farrelly has come out and said that it's basically just a coming of age story. And that's basically it. Not much more, and not much less.
PLOT: A young boy from the wrong side of the tracks gets busted for drugs and is sent to a prep school by his uneducated, vulgar, drunk of a father. While away, he discovers new friends, a girlfriend and more pot. Oh yeah...and he learns a few lessons too!
CRITIQUE: I originally wondered why they had translated this movie into "Cannabis 101" for the French posters around town here in Montreal, but I wonder no more. Lots of pot smoking going on in here, people. That aside, this is a passable teen comedy with little original inspiration, save for the over-the-top, gruffy performance from Mr. Chesthair himself, Alec Baldwin. It basically treads no new ground in respect to the genre that it inhibits (coming-of-age), and made me curious as to how it ever got made in the first place (Can anyone say "Farrelly brothers!"). Having said that, the movie does contain some humorous sequences, one or two touching moments, and a lot of scenes showing kids smoking drugs and drinking booze. I guess you should see the movie if the general premise appeals to you, but overall, I would say that it's a rental for sure.
Unfortunately, despite some of the comedic sequences actually coming through in this film, the same cannot be said for its dramatic element. In fact, there seemed to be no palpable tension or any real obstacles to overcome for anyone in this movie. It just sort of floated along in front of my eyes, and then suddenly disappeared, just as the credits popped up. The tete-a-tete stuff vs the school supervisor was the least effective, since the man was once more, composed of little less than one dimension, while the romance with the girl was easy and unexciting at best. I guess that could actually be said about the whole movie as well. Easy and unexciting. Nice enough for a date movie, a few laughs, or a video rental, but little else. Hatosy reminds me of a young Peter Berg. One thing is for sure: DO NOT go into this movie expecting a "Farrelly Brothers comedy". It's a reincarnated coming-of-age dramedy, and that's about it. Baldwin rocks!
Little Known Facts about this film and its stars: Actor Shawn Hatosy hails from the state of Maryland, where he was born in 1975, in a place called Fredrick. He made his motion picture debut in the Jodie Foster-directed 1995 film HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. He played the "counter boy". You may also remember him as the student who ultimately had the courage to stand up for his recently outed teacher Kevin Kline, in 1997's IN & OUT. Director Michael Corrente was born in the town of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the same city in which this film takes place. In fact, most of the film was shot in and around Rhode Island. Michael has also done some acting in his career, and played "Scranton Wino" in the Farrelly Brothers hilarious 1996 movie KINGPIN (8.5/10). He did almost everything on his first picture called FEDERAL HILL in 1995. He wrote, directed and starred in it. The Farrelly brothers were also born in Rhode Island. Cumberland, RI, to be exact. Peter Farrelly actually graduated from Providence College in Providence, RI, and based this film on his semi-autobiographical novel of the same name. This film was released and translated into the title "CANNABIS 101" in the province of Quebec, Canada.
Review Date: September 1, 1999
Director: Michael Corrente
Writers: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly
and Michael Corrente
Producers: Peter Farrelly, Bobby Farrelly
Michael Corrente and Randy Finch
Actors: Shawn Hatosy as Timothy Dunphy
Alec Baldwin as Old Man Dunphy
Amy Smart as Jane Huston
Genre: Comedy
Year of Release: 1999
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(c) 1999 Berge Garabedian
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