Waking Up in Reno

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 enjoyed this movie.The chevy suburban is nice and you wish you were taking the trip with the cast.All four leads are very natural and believable.Swayze is very likable in this role.Charlize Theron is drop-dead gorgeous and sexy in this,and for any of her fans this is absolute must.The script is okay and funny enough,with some good taste satire of the characters.The flavour of roadside america is attractive without turning into a travel guide.All in all,a well done movie for what it is, doesnt pretend to be anything more.

Wakin' up in Reno refers to more than just the alarm clock when two married couples take a road trip -- and an unexpected emotional detour -- from their home town of Little Rock to the "Biggest Little City in the World" for a monster truck rally. Roy (Patrick Swayze, "Forever Lulu") and Candy (Charlize Theron, "Sweet November") tag along with their best friends Lonnie Earl (Billy Bob Thornton, "The Gift") and Darlene (Natasha Richardson, "Blow Dry"), picking up a brand new SUV from the dealership that Lonnie Earl owns, and head off for the wild blue yonder. They're armed with a AAA Trip Tik, which is animated onscreen from time to time as we follow the bouncing auto from point to point on its way out west. Along the way, they stop at a few roadside attractions -- but only the ones Lonnie Earl wants to see, because he's got to keep to their schedule. This is very important to him, even after he eats a 72-ounce steak and winds up in the emergency room. Meanwhile, Candy is ovulating and Roy's got to accommodate her whenever her temperature drops to that magic number. Little does he know, Lonnie Earl may have already planted his seed before they left home. Lonnie Earl's wife, Darlene, doesn't know either -- but you think she might not care, as she hasn't let her husband touch her for the past two years.

This is a pretty simple story and there isn't a lot going on, but it's well directed, and particularly well written and well acted. It all comes together beautifully, and the four actors are completely believable in their could-be country caricature roles. Lonnie Earl's got the Van-Dyke look going on, complete with snakeskin cowboy boots and his faux snakeskin shirt, and Darlene starts off bumpkin-geek with her overalls and badly bleached hair. She later goes babe-chic when she takes the cheating Lonnie Earl's credit card, raids the expensive designer boutiques, and treats herself to a Tony Orlando concert. While none of the characters have especially good qualities, the actors who portray them make them likable and relatable.

While the subject matter is serious, Wakin' Up In Reno is played (mostly) for laughs, and there are plenty of them. It's too bad it's only getting a limited release, as this is one of the smartest, funniest adult comedies I've seen in awhile.

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.

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.