Méli-mélo

How does that work? Well. . .it does, and it doesn't. It's kind of strange, because this movie wasn't terribly complicated, but I'm still not sure what to make of it. So here's my tentative review: it's weird in a weird way. I mean, there are funny weird movies, and fun weird movies, and disgusting weird movies, and experimental weird movies, and mindless weird movies- and "Home Fries" is somehow none of those, either by an inch or by a mile. It's worth watching, don't get me wrong, but my feelings on this movie are uncharacteristically ambiguous. Drew is great, of course- she almost always is. I grew up in a tiny, Southern town, so I can vouch that the atmosphere seemed authentic. Luke Wilson is a charmingly unusual hero. Catherine O'Hara is funny as his psycho mother, and the Busey kid chews the scenery with both gusto and some amazing choppers, each obviously inherited from his dad. Some of the dialogue was really good, and there was a lot about this flick that was nicely understated. But overall...well, I occasionally get the urge to watch it again (because I like strange movies, and "Home Fries" is possessed of a strangeness I've never quite seen before,) but it certainly won't wear out before most of my other tapes. That, I guess, is the simplest and most honest review I can give it.

Telling you the plot would kinda take away some of the suprising charm of this movie. Basically, the Drew Barrymore character is supposed to be killed by the son of the dead man she was sleeping with. But the guy starts to like her. There are several other twists thrown into the story. The screenplay by Vince Gilligan of the X-Files is unpredictable and the dialogue isn't stale like in so many other Hollywood films. Great performances by all.

Beautiful film!! I have just seen it on the Dutch-speaking TV-channel KanaalTwee from Belgium! (Saturday 14 August 2004) With Dutch subtitles (although I can understand English very well!!).

Drew Barrymore is a very nice actress; I've seen her in "E.T.", "Never been kissed" and "The Wedding Singer"; all with Dutch subtitles in cinema in Brussels or at home in front of the TV. She looks great in all these movies!!

Luke Wilson (didn't know he was brother of Owen!) is handsome and has much potential for an actor!! He plays very nice!!

The story about pregnant Sally who falls in love with the stepson is not ridiculous to me! I am romantic myself; and can be very touched when seeing love romances on TV or in cinemas!

In "Never been kissed" Drew played a role which is somewhat similar to my real life; I am not handsome (beautiful)and I have been ridiculed a lot in my school period; I also fell in love with a teacher; I have been teased a lot... In most teenage movies there is also a guy who is a nerd; I feel like a nerd often but my high IQ (124) is not my handicap!!

Smart but ugly doesn't mean one should lock oneself up all the time! I have friends who take me as I am; who can laugh with my sense of humour and my language knowledge has lead me through difficult holiday travels (this year I go to Warsaw in Poland; I can easily understand English and speak German at a good level; Polish not!!)!!

"Home Fries" is a splendid movie to me!!!

This was a black comedy that unfolded over the first 30 minutes of the film, revealing one surprise relationship after another, until you realize that all the major characters are related in surprising ways. My daughter and I watched this together and laughed out loud quite a bit. Luke Wilson did a great job as the moony eyed helicopter pilot who falls for Drew's character. Drew did a good job as a confused but sweet pregnant girl who works at a burger joint in somewhere in small town America. Jake Busey looks a whole lot like his dad, and chewed a lot of furniture for this role, which was rather one dimensional. Catherine O'Hara is at her best playing this quirky mom. (during one funny scene, the older boy asks her if it's true that she liked the other son better..."I love you both, she says, but the difference is only this (puts her fingers an inch apart) much!LOL!!!) If you don't enjoy dark humor, this will not amuse you. It also had an ending that made us go "awww"...it was almost as if they weren't sure how to end this one, though. Overall, it wasn't a bad film.

Home Fries is a fantastic movie, but the marketing scheme behind it all had little bearing in regard to the actual movie. If you saw the trailers or commercials, you'd have thought the movie was a romantic comedy. The relationship between Luke Wilson and Drew Barrymore's characters plays only a small part in plot, and even then it's not the type of interaction you'd see in a romantic comedy.

This flick is pure dark humor. The near-incestuous relationship existing between Dorian's brother and mother is both odd and extremely amusing. It's definitely not the type of movie you'd expect to see from the way it's been presented. Kudos to the casting director. Each part was cast extremely well.