Waking Up in Reno

While not Oscar worthy material for any of the four accomplished actors here, Waking Up in Reno must have been a hoot'n a holler for all players. How refreshing it must be not to worry about how this might affect their future work. The characters are a delight from their "trailor trash" mentality to their hillbilly accents and you really begin to care about them right away. Thornton and Richardson are the married couple with difficulties and by evidence of some long awaited affection they are truley in love and just need a good bump on the head to remind them of who they are and want they want and need. Swayze and Theron are the younger couple with Life's road ahead of them and if a vaction to Reno to watch a MONSTER TRUCK RALLEY is anyindication it's going to be a doozy of a ride. It's predictable and got all the angles of a T-Square which is where the humour lies and if you don't take yourself or your problems too seriously you'll laugh as I did. Which is what I think the movie is about anyway. So, sit back and enjoy a heapin' helpin' of Southern Fried Humour with a side of grits and don't be surprised if you find yourself coming back for more.

WAKING UP IN RENO (3 outta 5 stars) Dubbed by the filmmakers as "a redneck 'Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice'", this is an enjoyable little movie... very funny at times but also treating its characters as real people with real emotions. Billy Bob Thornton is Lonnie Earl, a used car salesman married to Darlene (Natasha Richardson) but who has had a recent fling with her best friend Candy (Charlize Theron). Candy's husband Roy (Patrick Swayze) is desperately trying to get his wife pregnant but suspects his sperm may not be working. While on a vacation in Reno to renew their wedding vows, the foursome's relationship comes to a head when Roy's non-existent sperm count is confirmed the same day as his wife's pregnancy and everyone notices Lonnie Earl's shifty eyes upon hearing the news. While amusing and likable, the movie isn't quite as good as it could have been... and it often seems to be setting up future situations (like a suddenly-ignored attraction between Roy and Darlene) that never come to fruition. (I was expecting much hilarity from a scene of Lonnie Earl's attempt at eating a 72 ounce steak in one hour... but the scene winds up being mostly uneventful.) The actors do a great job though... particularly Thornton, whose skill at blurting out totally insensitive and inappropriate lines is unsurpassed, i.e. "She's on her deal, y'know?" And I will take any excuse to see the lovely Mrs. Liam Neeson (Natasha Richardson) on screen!

I am amazed that the average reviews given by web site participants is not much higher. I thought this movie was very funny. It was a comedy with a lot of intelligence and underlying honesty, not your typical mindless shtick, and *very* worth watching. I gave it an 8.

I waited on this one for a long time and now that I've finally seen it, I'm happy to say that it was worth the wait. While you may have to be from the South to fully appreciate the humor, I think it's enjoyable enough for just about anyone. I went in expecting light-hearted fun and I got just that. I loved all of the characters and found myself wishing that I was riding with them in that red SUV sipping a Pabst. Good to see Patrick Swayze again and Billy Bob really should do more comedies. Charlize Theron's accent was very convincing as was Natasha Richardson's. Well worth a watch (or six) and I will be buying the DVD.

"I was thinking about going down to the lobby and teasing that rattlesnake."-Lonnie Earl

Because the first half is worth sleeping through as the fun is in the second half. Trust me, you won't miss anything of the story if you catch it from the second half but make sure to catch Penelope Cruz's sizzling but hilarious cameo first with Billy Bob and then with Patrick. The story is nothing new, nor interesting and has been done x times. The characters are irritating particularly those played by Thornton, Theron and Swayze. However, Natasha Richardson's Darlene is very likable. Performance wise, all the actors fit the bill especially Natasha Richardson (who remarkably pulls off the Southern accent)and Charlize Theron (in the later scenes). The lads, Billy Bob Thornton and Patrick Swayze are alright. The ending was somewhat awkward but a happy one nonetheless. The 'catfight' scene in the lift was hilarious and there's a wonderful moment of acting by Richardson when she's in the lounge after her tiff with her husband when she finds out that he cheated on her. One might feel hateful towards Theron's character when she advises Darlene and supports her like a friend when she had shagged her husband but in the latter half one feels sympathy for her as Theron displays Candy's remorse quite well. The soundtrack is quite fun and of the foot-tapping sort. Overall, this is an okay movie to watch after you've had a very tiring day and just want to relax and watch something that won't use up your energy too much.