Stalled

this movie was definitely not what i thought it was going to be. i was expecting a bad movie with bad acting. OK... so it wasn't exactly a good movie critically speaking... and the acting wasn't that great... but it took me for surprise. i enjoyed myself and had random laughter. there were parts that were hilarious and others that where a little odd. the beginning of the movie was light hearted and just made me laugh. but at the end it started to all come together with some deep meaning... which i'm still trying to figure out exactly what it is. all i have to say is this movie is randomly great. -kuiama

Maybe it's because I expected a bad movie. Disagree with other critique in that I thought the premise sucked but the execution was worth watching. Acting was rough for some, but others did a wonderful job in lifting the film out of its droll limitations for moments of genuine dimensionality (ie, White and Edwards). Random humor made for random laughs. If you liked 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert', this one's at least worth watching for comparison.

I couldn't figure out what this movie was trying to be. In the first half of the movie there were lots of attempts at gross out comedy(spitting, nose-picking, vomiting, ect.) They were portraying the townsfolk as the biggest losers/buffoons on the planet(the redneck father couldn't read the nasty grafitti he was scrubbing off of the walls in a filthy bathroom about his daughter) . In the second half of the movie, these same losers were being portrayed in a serious manner as the nicest people in world who had everyday problems like the rest of us and were just misunderstood. It was just bizarre to see a movie go from gross-out stupid comedy to serious drama. After seeing how the redneck characters were portrayed in the first half of the movie, it was hard to believe that these people could actually be normal people, which is what the movie tried to do.

The story idea is very interesting and could have been a good movie. But this is so bad it is scary. Cliches, stereotypes, and a disjointed plot make for a painful viewing experience. Zero character development, bad acting, and weird editing are the defining characteristics of this film. Those people from the South in the US should sue the film company for slander. This movie will make you question what drugs were involved in greenlighting this film. Avoid this movie -- it is so bad the it makes Plan 9 look like the Godfather.

I agree with other commenters that this film has a serious tone problem, shifting from gross-out comedy to serious drama. Additionally, the way the writer has chosen to structure the story doesn't help. For most of the film, we're not sure who we're rooting for, or whom the movie is about. Is it Wade, the germophobic travelling salesman? Is it Pat the wandering mechanic who seems to have great luck in finding stranded motorists? Is it Pa and Momma and their redneck family? Or is it the trying-to-make-it-big rock band with one of the most unlikeable lead singers ever? The structural problems are a shame, because the actors have a blast with the material, especially the "redneck" characters -- who turn out to be much more than surface stereotype by the end. And if you stick it out to the end, some nice things and touching moments happen. Unfortunately, the last half of the film is not served at all by the first half. While several of those scenes do belong to Wade, the film should have either been only about his character and the southern family, or should have dropped him entirely.

Possibly, the filmmakers had Robert Altman pretensions but Porky's sensibilities. (For the reverse effect, see Robert Altman's O.C. and Stiggs.) The two don't mesh. If you run across this film on the $2 video table, then it's worth grabbing for one of those nights when you're bored. Like I said, the destination is nice. It's just a rough and uneven trip getting there.