Officially kicking off the second annual Method Fest -- an international independent film festival showcasing "breakout" acting performances -- Michael Addis' "Poor White Trash" is like a string of Jeff Foxworthy's "You might be a redneck if ..". jokes, without the funny parts at the end.
With its bargain-basement lineup of crass, cartoony characters, there's scant evidence of any kind of method to be found in this lamebrained caper, other than a general tendency to go full-
throttle over the top.
And while the cast, which includes Sean Young, William Devane and Tim Kazurinsky, appears to be having a blast, it's a mood that will unlikely be shared by the hapless viewer.
Set in a quaint southern Illinois town, the uninspired satire concerns the plight of Mike Bronco (Tony Denman), whose dreams of leaving his trailer park home behind for a college degree are dashed when a prank orchestrated by his goofball buddy Lenny (Jacob Tierney) ends up leaving both of them with a criminal record.
Determined to clear her son's name, Mike's mom, Linda (Young), whose husband just abandoned her to chase a pro wrestling career, helps set up a legal/college fund through illegal means, like robbing the local fast food joint.
Ultimately, their case is taken by the oily Ron Lake (Devane), a shady ex-con-turned-lawyer with his own agenda who also happens to be Lenny's grandfather. He also happens to be married to the much younger Sandy (Jaime Pressly), who still has a thing for former beau Brian (Jason London), son of the local sheriff and a former high school bully who, in turn, is having a thing with Linda.
Let the gunshots and car chases begin!
There's very little that's clever or amusing about director-screenwriter Addis' feature debut and his garden variety assortment of Jerry Springer rejects. The characterizations, meanwhile, run from the blandly forgettable to the cringingly hammy. Only London manages to pull off a self-mocking performance that shows any spark of originality.
Give Young credit for going seriously trashy, sporting some severely unflattering wigs and a nasty thrift shop wardrobe (compiled by costume designer Luellen Harper Thomas) that leaves her old "No Way Out" sexpot image literally in the dust.
Still, one suspects this isn't exactly the Method that Mr. Stanislavski originally had in mind.
POOR WHITE TRASH
Kingsize Entertainment
Director: Michael Addis
Screenwriters: Michael Addis, Tony Urban
Producers: Mark Roberts, Lorena David
Executive producer: Michael Lawrence
Director of photography: Peter Kowalski
Production designer: Clare Brown
Editor: Tom McArdle
Costume designer: Luellen Harper Thomas
Color/stereo
Cast:
Linda Bronco: Sean Young
Ron Lake: William Devane
Brian Ross: Jason London
Mike Bronco: Tony Denman
Lenny Lake: Jacob Tierney
Sandy Lake: Jaime Pressly
Judge Pike: M. Emmet Walsh
Carlton Rasmeth: Tim Kazurinsky
Running time -- 85 minutes
No MPAA rating...
With its bargain-basement lineup of crass, cartoony characters, there's scant evidence of any kind of method to be found in this lamebrained caper, other than a general tendency to go full-
throttle over the top.
And while the cast, which includes Sean Young, William Devane and Tim Kazurinsky, appears to be having a blast, it's a mood that will unlikely be shared by the hapless viewer.
Set in a quaint southern Illinois town, the uninspired satire concerns the plight of Mike Bronco (Tony Denman), whose dreams of leaving his trailer park home behind for a college degree are dashed when a prank orchestrated by his goofball buddy Lenny (Jacob Tierney) ends up leaving both of them with a criminal record.
Determined to clear her son's name, Mike's mom, Linda (Young), whose husband just abandoned her to chase a pro wrestling career, helps set up a legal/college fund through illegal means, like robbing the local fast food joint.
Ultimately, their case is taken by the oily Ron Lake (Devane), a shady ex-con-turned-lawyer with his own agenda who also happens to be Lenny's grandfather. He also happens to be married to the much younger Sandy (Jaime Pressly), who still has a thing for former beau Brian (Jason London), son of the local sheriff and a former high school bully who, in turn, is having a thing with Linda.
Let the gunshots and car chases begin!
There's very little that's clever or amusing about director-screenwriter Addis' feature debut and his garden variety assortment of Jerry Springer rejects. The characterizations, meanwhile, run from the blandly forgettable to the cringingly hammy. Only London manages to pull off a self-mocking performance that shows any spark of originality.
Give Young credit for going seriously trashy, sporting some severely unflattering wigs and a nasty thrift shop wardrobe (compiled by costume designer Luellen Harper Thomas) that leaves her old "No Way Out" sexpot image literally in the dust.
Still, one suspects this isn't exactly the Method that Mr. Stanislavski originally had in mind.
POOR WHITE TRASH
Kingsize Entertainment
Director: Michael Addis
Screenwriters: Michael Addis, Tony Urban
Producers: Mark Roberts, Lorena David
Executive producer: Michael Lawrence
Director of photography: Peter Kowalski
Production designer: Clare Brown
Editor: Tom McArdle
Costume designer: Luellen Harper Thomas
Color/stereo
Cast:
Linda Bronco: Sean Young
Ron Lake: William Devane
Brian Ross: Jason London
Mike Bronco: Tony Denman
Lenny Lake: Jacob Tierney
Sandy Lake: Jaime Pressly
Judge Pike: M. Emmet Walsh
Carlton Rasmeth: Tim Kazurinsky
Running time -- 85 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 6/16/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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