Milwaukee, Minnesota

I was fortunate enough to view this film at the Slamdance (not Sundance) festival in Park City, UT. In spite of hard wood chairs and a stuffy packed room environment, one could not think of anything else but the events in the movie. Randy Quaid is wonderful as a slimy con artist and Troy is brilliant as always in his idiom. The direction and feel is cruelly realistic to the bite. If you see this film, don't forget your stocking caps, because its COLD out there!

MILWAUKEE, MINNESOTA has everything you'd hope to find in an Indie film - good offbeat story, strong cast mixing established actors with new talent that brings out the best in both, a director who lets the story unfold naturally, enough messages to cast away any doubts that the world is lacking in spirit and caring, and an impressive list of contributors that demonstrates that there are many people who appreciate and love fine film. Writer Richard Murphy and Director Allan Mindel have shaped a tale about a mentally challenged young man and his inner strengths that allow him to make his mark on the world through sheer courage: they have succeeded in creating a memorable, touching, warmly human film.

Albert Burroughs (Troy Garity) is a twenty-something sweet lad, mentally challenged but able to maintain a job as a copy clerk for old man McNally (Bruce Dern) while he is closely overprotected by his mother Edna (Debra Monk). Troy's one pastime is ice fishing and because he is sensitive to the language of the fishes he has become the champion ice fisher of Wisconsin, earning prizes that amount to considerable savings! Worried that the outside world (outside of Milwaukee!) might be abusive to her son, Edna has prevented his entering contests in such places as neighboring Minnesota, places where Albert could truly become a star.

Quite suddenly Edna is killed in by a hit and run driver and Albert is left to his own devices for survival. News of his inheritance and contest winnings seeps into the world and characters begin to appear to take advantage of 'the retard': the smarmy Jerry (Randy Quaid) tries to convince Albert he is his real father; Tuey (Allison Folland) and her cancerphobic younger brother Stan (Hank Harris) are cheap con artists who try to steal his money; a transvestite (Holly Woodlawn) and her bodyguard Gary (Josh Brolin) wiggle into the stew created by Tuey and Stan and further go after Albert's money; and McNally posts his own agenda for 'care' of Albert and his 'fortune'. How each of these attempts to take advantage of Albert play out forms the line of the story, with an ending that finds Albert leading his life as an ice fisherman who is a champion in more ways than one.

Though obviously shot on a low budget this film succeeds on the important levels of communication and goes beyond the ordinary with some stunning photography by Bernd Heinl and a wonderful musical score by Michael Convertino and Robert Muzingo. Troy Garity (son of Jane Fonda and Tom Hayden) holds his own in a role that could fall into parody and demonstrates that he is growing into a fine actor. And it helps to have the likes of Bruce Dern and Randy Quaid in the mix! This is the kind of film that is refreshing to see made. Would that Hollywood would invest in stories of this caliber! Recommended. Grady Harp

Where to start ?

Maybe where the story of this movie ends, on a beautiful shot on the winter, above a frozen lake where Albert is going to fish.

All the people following him like as if he were a guide, where as he's following the sky to know where the fishes are...

The script was quite simple & could have been treated with all the lines of this kind of movie (the good, the bad) but Allan Mindel succeeded in shooting a movie that comes frm his heart & frm Troy Garity's heart. The characters all hve their strong personalities but they all love Albert like we all do now.

Arnaud frm the Jury Première that awarded Milwaukee, Minnesota as the best movie of the American Film Festival of Deauville 2003.

Rented this movie from blockbuster, hoping for something great. Being from Milwaukee and going to college in Minnesota, this seemed like a good idea. Wrong. Really cliché, with sub-par acting. Tried to make a lacking story artsy by adding a mentally challenged man and a whole lot of "color burn" filtering. The over-sugared, metallic tasting microwave caramel corn we made was better than this film. I'm no film expert, but as someone who feels she has a fairly intelligent head on her shoulders, I feel the following statement is legitimate: it was the worst movie I've seen since this morning's tape of Christmas, 1987. Negative 10 stars. I'd have voted that way, but sadly IMDb doesn't support the blatant soul crushing of filmmakers. Pity.

Albert is a mentally challenged young man: or is he? Whatever the case, he definitely has a gift for catching fish through the ice. The movie is set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (not a small town); which is definitely not the ice fishing capital of the U. S. Minnesota has that title all locked up; but Albert's mom is so possessive that she will not let him go to Minnesota (or anyplace else where he might be tempted to try a few things on his own) to enter the big-buck contests, so he fishes in Wisconsin. (A reviewer praises the film makers for avoiding "You betcha" Minnesota stereotypes. Perhaps that is because there is only one scene, the last, in Minnesota. It shows a large ice-covered lake and a few fishermen, none of whom gets a chance to say, "Okey, dokey".) Anyway, it is his awareness that he is not where the big tourneys are that led me to question how mentally challenged he really is. If he were truly as challenged as some would have us believe, he would probably settle for the $23,000 prizes he wins in the Milwaukee area and never question his mother's wisdom. However, he clearly wishes to go to the bigger fishing tournaments in spite of his mother's opposition. It appears that what seems to be lack of mental competence may actually be more a sign of his great loyalty to his mom whom he loves dearly in spite of her suffocating control.

After mom's death, in a hit-run auto collision, Albert is forced to take more control of his life as the scam artists, Quaid (as Jerry), Folland (as Tuey), and perhaps Dern's character, Sean, make their moves to gain control of the $300,000 or so he has accumulated.

I thought the first half of the movie was far too slow. Mainly, it introduced us to the characters. It did not take that long to get the take on Mom, Stan, Tuey, and Sean. Jerry (Randy Quaid) makes his appearance a little later.

The second half is much better as reality grabs Albert by the throat and forces him to take charge. How he does that gives the clues to his real capabilities.

I think people who compare "Milwaukee, Minnesota" with "Fargo" are just looking at the snow. The similarities between the two movies (other than the snow) are pretty minor.

Fargo it is not. A nice movie with some very complex characters (but not story) it is. Garity is excellent. Quaid and Dern, whom I suspect received far less pay than usual, gave them their money's worth.

It made for a pleasant afternoon in the movies on a cold spring day in Minnesota.