Pickin' & Grinnin'

My girlfriend and I (I'm a filmmaker at UT and she's a theatre major) went to see Pickin' & Grinnin' on the recommendation of a friend of ours who was working the festival and saw it at the Saturday screening.

We loved this movie and I have to say, what a great job the DP did with the red camera. This film gave me hope that an indie film could have a 1970's film look, if shot on the red.

A road comedy with original music, that follows two down and out brothers trying to make one last gasp at fame, via a cable access talent show - "The Sing-A-Ling". Traveling cross country in the family Winnebago, they pick up a rag tag group of passengers, all of whom contribute to the journey in one comic way, or another.

I talked to director and Lost actor - Jon Gries after the screening and he was very supportive and friendly. The cast was great and gave an honest and entertaining Q&A after the film. They even signed a poster for my girlfriend, which was a nice touch.

We look forward to sharing this film with our friends, but for now we are taking credit for discovering this one.

Thanks for the poster and the great screening. Oh, and I can play this game as long as you can, with over 1,500 people on the facebook page numb nuts.

When amateur country plucker Milo, played by Garret Mathany, accidentally runs over a desert rabbit and a chicken (don't worry, they're hilariously fake), he decides his touring days are over. As if vehicular poultrycide isn't bad enough, he comes home to learn that his girlfriend has dumped him, and suddenly he realizes that his entire family was, is, and always shall be doomed to failure. Offset by his absurdly optimistic brother Johnny Jake, played by Johnny Dowers, what follows is a bizarre and very entertaining road movie with some of the oddest characters since Peewee's Big Adventure.

And I'll let you in on a little secret. Among the bizarre characters are the great Billy Gibbons (guitarist for ZZ Top, if you don't recognize his face you're sure to recognize his beard & "cheap sunglasses") and Mr. Footloose himself Kenny Loggins who appears as a weird hallucination in Milo's delusional fantasies.

As Milo and his brother Johnny Jake travel across the country in their Winnebago playing lame gigs to earn gas money, they pick up the oddest passengers and stumble into the oddest situations which I won't even try to explain.

The story is a lot of fun, and believe it or not there's a nice message to it which materializes at the end when Johnny Jake delivers his big monologue. I'm a big fan of underdog stories especially when they present an interesting new spin, and "Pickin & Grinnin" definitely does that. The music is even pretty good, even if you're not a fan of country/folk. The actors wrote and played the music themselves, and there's some mean mandolin playing by Two-Pint (played by David E. Lane).

If you like funny road movies and comedies about musicians, be sure to check out this flick. Also worth checking out are "Thunderstruck" (2004) about a bunch of aging AC/DC fans who attempt to travel across Australia to bury their buddy next to Bon Scott, and "Grand Theft Parsons" (2003) the supposedly true and definitely funny story about two guys who steal the body of singer Gram Parsons and drive him all through the desert.

And it goes without saying that you must see the Christopher Guest classics: "This Is Spinal Tap" (funniest heavy metal movie ever) and "A Mighty Wind" (funniest folk music movie ever).

I was so excited to see this film in Austin at AFF. I was also very thrilled to see a banjo in a movie at the same time as a Winnebego. Thanks for reminding me that Real American music can intersect with Real American Filmmaking in the road-trip genre. I sure hope that Jon Gries gets to direct more films. The cast was really cool at the Q&A. There were some technical problems with the theater but by the second screening the great AFF people had brought in a new projector and you guys were real gentlemen and answered every question. Thanks as well for signing a poster for my daughter who's new idea for summer vacation is an RV ride down Route 66. You guys stuck the dismount for a perfect 10 !!! Where and when can I get the soundtrack. Please post on the FB or website when it is available.

Funny adventurous movie that takes you on a ride with interesting characters and a few surprise celebrities and cameos,it has a good soundtrack,must see this film.

The characters are likable beer drinking red neck types many can relate to but they are original.

Lots of eye candy especially the blonde in the bikini in the beginning scenes.

I would go see this movie a second time.

You will see why its done well on the independent film showings after watching it.

Cant wait for the sequel to see what happens next!

"Pickin' & Grinnin'" is a road picture, reminiscent of Hope/Crosby, filled with spacious southwestern vistas, two brother's putting the pedal to the medal-comically and vocally-and a kick ass soundtrack. This film brings together great writing from Garret Mathany and Johnny Dowers, (lead characters, Milo and Johnny Jake Johnson) along with the musical chops of David E. Lane (Two Pint) and director, Jon Gries. W. Earl Brown ("Deadwood") provides great comedic timing as Parson and Frances Bay steals every scene she's in. "P&G" left me smiling for days and reciting lines ("I'm gonna say this in a loving way..."), I hope become part of film history.