Humboldt County

This film offered some fascinating character studies. The movie was beautifully shot. I thought the movie held up well for the first three quarters, but some plot turns in the last quarter struck me as being cheats. Nonetheless, the movie delicately handles the complexities of people who have chosen to leave behind their everyday existences in the "straight" world and exile themselves into the "wilderness" of Northern California. The film does a great job of examining the costs of reclusiveness with poignancy and dignity. While regret is a theme that is a constant in this film, self-examination and re-invention are also championed. Despite some sensitive subject matter, I think this movie could get some mainstream traction.

The previews for this film make it look like a formulaic Square-among-Freaks stoner comedy about an uptight medical student who falls in with a bunch of potheads and discovers What Really Matters in the process. Up to a point that is exactly how "Humboldt County" plays out. However, that is not the whole story either.

To briefly summarize the plot: a repressed, emotionally muted young man- with the people skills of a lawnmower- fails one of his med school finals (BTW his father is the examiner-Ouch!) and is suddenly adrift in his life for what is apparently the first time ever. He has an unlikely hookup with an attractive, free spirit named Bogart (Fairuza Balk) and accompanies her to her home in the title county up in the far north of California. Bogart then disappears and Peter, completely stranded, is slowly but surely absorbed by her eccentric, stoner family and their equally baked friends and neighbors. Exposed to their initially alien values, lifestyle, and worldview- and away from his overbearing father- Peter finds the freedom and safety to actually start being himself. However, the dark side of the drug world (in the form of violent thieves and the DEA) is never far away and it threatens to destroy Peter's refuge...

Even though there is a lot of pot smoked by nearly all of the characters, this is not really a stoner movie. Much of the humor is low-key but there are some absolutely hilarious moments along the way.The film's view of marijuana is actually rather realistic, it's pleasurable effects are shown but so are the downsides- particularly with regard to the violence and legal problems that accompany cultivation. Additionally, it is made clear that being born into the rustic stoner life, for all of it's freedoms, can be as much of a prison as the middle-class existence that was suffocating Peter at the film's beginning.

"Humboldt County" is really all about how somebody discovers the things that are truly going to touch their heart and give their life meaning. The various characters represent the different paths that people choose in order to find a sense of connection to others and a purpose to their existence. The characters are very human, and all the more lovable for that.The ensemble cast are excellent and their interactions with other seem touchingly real. However special mention should go to Brad Dourif as the stoner clan's patriarch.

The film preaches the values of simplicity, humility, how materialism is meaningless, the importance of caring for others, and recognizing how small individuals are in the bigger scheme of things. It is also very honest about the reality that, for adults, there are fewer and fewer easy answers to any of life's questions. An added bonus is the setting, Humboldt county looks absolutely gorgeous and is filmed with deep love. In conclusion, this is a funny, serenely paced slice of cinema that has a big, beautiful heart.

HUMBOLDT COUNTY is a taste f the 60s and 70s drug culture when many disillusioned people, young and old, picked up and moved to the scenic wonder - and pot farms - of Humboldt County, California. Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs co-wrote and co-directed this little throw back in history and the result is a bit of nostalgia and some fine characterizations by a solid cast.

Jerry Hadley (Jeremy Strong) is a medical student trumped by his medical school professor father (Peter Bogdanovich) into failing medical school, and the only apparent way for the fairly clueless and disillusioned Jerry is to try the world outside. He begins with a strange relationship with Bogart (Fairuza Balk) and ends up headed to Humboldt County where he encounters folks living off the profits (both mentally and economically) of growing marijuana. He becomes friends with the free spirits Max (Chris Messina), Rosie (Frances Conroy), Jack (Brad Dourif) and in the midst of the atmosphere, Jerry 'inhales' and begins to figure out where his life should actually be headed.

The movie seems to be a bit of fluff, but written into the lines is a lot of wise philosophy - if you choose to take it that way. Good performances and a clever script make the movie a nice diversion.

Grady Harp

A very square medical student find himself (in both senses of the expression) in the forest with a bunch of hippies. Unpredictable plot, gorgeous setting and music. Wonderful characters and acting; Brad Dourif and Frances Conroy particularly great, and of course Bogdanovich. I could have hung out with these people for hours. It was a little bit like Garden State, but maybe more like the Graduate. And had more of a 70s vibe (in a good way) in its complexity and willingness to not explain and simplify all plot points... Best film I've seen in a while--and I see a lot of movies. My pick of the South by Southwest film festival.

A few friends and I caught the premiere of Humboldt County at the South by Southwest film festival in Austin last night. Quick summary: If you get a chance, go see this movie.

Prior to seeing it, there was some debate about whether this was a "drug" movie, especially since a few other premieres at SxSW ("Harold and Kumar II" and "Super High Me") are drug related--it's not. Although there are certainly joints in many (most) of the scenes, they are background and no more the focus of the movie than the gorgeous redwood trees and sweeping coastline that are also omni-present. Humboldt County is all about character development, some fantastic acting, and scenery that takes your breath away. When we were talking about the film after, we all agreed that that most similar movie we had all seen was "Garden State" except tone down the love story and shoot it in one of the most beautiful places on earth instead of Jersey (sorry NJ).

The co-directors and script writers (friends since they were 6) took questions after the show which is always interesting. Two of my favorite tid-bits from that: 1) One of the directors has an Uncle and Aunt in Humboldt and much of the script is based on real characters from his summers there as a child. 2) When the directors went to Humboldt to get away and work on a script, they were actually working on a totally different script which they scrapped so they could write this Humboldt-inspired one.

One other interesting point came out of the Q&A in which someone pointed out that for a directing debut, Humboldt was pretty ambitious--REAL actors, shot on location in 35mm, full length, etc. etc. It's a good point, and makes the movie all the more impressive...