Montana Amazon

A crazed grandmother on the lam with two teenagers. Other reviews summarize, so I won't repeat. This film is kind of a grab-bag of treats. Really good performances; you've never seen Olympia Dukakis like this. Alison Brie is sexy and hilarious as a kind of over-grown backwoods Lolita. Haley Joel Osment is genuinely touching, all grown up now. I don't usually like narration, but the narration in this was actually helpful and funny. The voice sounded familiar and as the tail credits rolled, I learned that it was the venerable Phil Proctor from the old Firesign Theatre. The movie kind of left me speechless at the end, it was so weird, unusual and touching. And very funny in many ways.

I loved this movie. First and foremost for the acting of such original characters. Also, the look of the film is rich because of the locations and even the costumes. The amazing Olympia Dukakis as I've never seen her before--unforgettable. It's not a spoiler to say that Olympia has almost no lines; everything is done with grunts, looks and screams. All the acting is uniformly memorable, with a sexy and breakout performance from Alison Brie, and a surprisingly touching one from Haley Osment. The score and songs were energetic and fun, but never too dominant. An added plus is a very funny and gently ironic narration done by Phil Proctor, of Firesign Theatre fame.

But it's right up there. Terrible from beginning to end.

When a movie continues to rattle around in my thoughts for days after I've watched it, I know it's given me something to chew on. This was not an easy movie to watch. Damaged people. Well, of course, we're all damaged in one way or another. In some of us, it's more obvious, or it really hinders our ability to participate in "society." And yet, even these characters have a kind of grace. Ultimately, each of them even has a kind of integrity that gleams through the broken parts. Being human is hard enough when we come from a place that nurtures and supports us in positive ways. How do we begin to navigate that terrain when we've never been taught or modeled the skills for doing so? As awful as the situation is, this story is told with a quick, light, playful touch. No self pity, no commentary or judgment about these folks. It was an interesting little side trip.

If you think your family's got problems wait until you meet The Dunderheads. From the backwoods of the Rocky Mountains, this illiterate, socially dysfunctional family roars across the American west leaving a trail of mayhem and confusion as they collide with the mainstream world. A very black comedy that gradually reveals a poignant dramatic heart leads to a very effective ending as we find out why the Dunderheads are the way they are. Alison Brie from NBC's Community and Academy Award nominee, Haley Joel Osment are outstanding while Olympia Dukakis gives one of her best film performances as the very eccentric grandmother. Brie and Dukakis won acting awards for their roles in this film which was also selected as "Best Feature Film" at NYC's Big Apple Film Festival.