Freddy Got Fingered

Okay. So I can see why this film has got such a bad rap. It's truly sick, twisted and some of the scenes will leave you more than a little shocked. But isn't this the point?

I hadn't seen any of Tom Green's work before this, but this film made me laugh - hard - on more than one occasion. It's definitely not going to appeal to every one, but I for one feel that sometimes comedy is at it's best when it is at it's most outrageous. That's not to say the film is perfect however, not by a long way.

Some of the scenes are simply too bizarre to be amusing, and some feel they have just been included for there shock value, and seem to add no value to the 'plot' or flow of the film (a couple of scenes involving 1) a horse and 2) a dead deer spring to mind). Also some of the humour is in such bad taste that you will find yourself shifting uncomfortably in your seat.

The film does redeem itself though, with some truly hilarious scenes, and a kind of South Park 'I think I've learned something today' ending. The bottom line is that this film is either going to appeal to your sense of humour, or it isn't. I for one am glad that Hollywood are prepared to release films that aren't going to conform to everybody's 'standards'.

Freddy Got Fingered is neither clever, nor entertaining, and is certainly not anything more than the masturabatorial direction debut of a fool with a camera. The film has no arc, no genuine plot development, and not a single character is likable (not to be confused with the Byronic-Heros of films like "A Clockwork Orange,"). The vast majority of the scenes serve no purpose at all in the film. Those who claim that the film is not just a 'gross-out' comedy are sadly mistaken. There is no second interpretation of an elephant masturbation scene. It does not 'portray' anything remotely deeper than the superficiality of it's repulsiveness. Those who claim that this film is similar to other shunned films at their debut (references to "A Clockwork Orange" and "The Shining") are using inaccurately transitive properties. It's like saying that since slavery abolitionists of the 1800's were initially unpopular, yet now are heroes, that neo-nazis should be held as heroes since they are presently unpopular. Not to mention that the films cited above were unpopular because they filmed scenes that were supplemental to the plot, yet appeared graphic, and ultimately enhanced the social commentary. THERE IS NO SOCIAL COMMENTARY IN A BABY-SWINGING FILM. And don't try and claim that 'individuality' angle. Charles Manson was 'individual' too. In conclusion, do not watch this film. If you are thinking about watching it because you heard so many bad reviews and think it would be entertaining in it's awfulness, go no further. This film deserves no respect. It is a stain on the art of films.

I have sense of humor, really. I love SOUTH PARK and THE SIMPSONS. I watch JACK ASS and used to watch THE TOM GREEN SHOW. And laugh. And laugh the next day when I thought about what Tom did on the show the night before.

But this movie sucks. Sucks, sucks, sucks. I hope that Tom will find a better outlet for his unique sense of humor. Maybe he'll get a break, like Jack Black did with School of Rock. We can only hope ...

If your a fan of Tom Green, this is a must see. This movie was a favorite the 1st time I viewed it nearly 20 years ago. Very odd and just plain bizarre..but thats expected of him. Rip torn was great in this as well as Paul finch..Backwards man I can walk backwards fast as you can...timeless comedy..Tom Green is one of a kind.

Gord Brody wants to be an animator, but his father is too authoritarian and the head of the animation studio says he has no future. So, Gord moves back home and wreaks havoc on his family, including the accusation that his brother Freddy was "fingered" by his father.

Many people think this film is horrible. Certainly, the Razzy Awards thought so. I, also, didn't think much of it when I first saw the movie. Tom Green is more annoying in this film than he ever was before. But the movie also grows on you, and if you can get the right mindset you might appreciate it. (Not unlike "Napoleon Dynamite" which is either stupid or genius based on how you approach it.) I watched this with two people (Jason and Matt) who thought it was "the greatest comedy ever"... I wouldn't go that far. Though, I think if it was slightly different, the same plot with the same jokes could have been hilarious. (I can't pinpoint exactly what's "off") The supporting cast is helpful, with Harland Williams being funny and the best role going to Rip Torn as the father. Torn entered something of a Renaissance in the mid-2000s, which I wouldn't doubt it related in part to his work in this film. Would he have been chosen for "Dodgeball"? I have my doubts. Drew Barrymore is decent in her small role, and Anthony Michael Hall was excellent (and hardly recognizable to those of us who remember him from "The Breakfast Club").

What makes this film noteworthy is the real push into both absurdity and obscenity. Cow udders and horse penises do not usually get placed in feature films, nor do keyboards rigged to pulleyed sausages. There is something beautiful about this. While I find "gross-out" humor awful (this is my biggest beef with films like "Van Wilder" and "American Pie"), many like it and this film really paved the way for films that would come out after it (though was by no means the beginning of gross-out). And I can think of no film as absurd.

And it just increases as the film goes on. Small jokes like the "must have experience with cheese sandwiches" really make me chuckle, and the big scenery change towards the end just goes over the top in a way few films, if any, have thought to do before. Tom Green is either a complete genius or mentally retarded man with very lucid dreams. I'm not sure which.

Underneath it all, under the stupidity, absurdity, obscenity and poor acting... there is a message here. Something about rocket-propelled wheelchairs and shooting the moon, achieving your dreams. Maybe the presentation was a little untraditional but it works. Be prepared to give this film a second chance, it's not as bad as you remember.