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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Dogtown Style, January 12, 2009
Dogtown is a tail of two cities, as befits a shaggy dog story. It is Small Town USA vs. Hollywood--except it is the IDEA of Hollywood they are fighting, while Philip Van Horn (Trevor St. John) has seen it up close and knows that it is a dirty little city. Though he went there and failed to become a big star with a star on Hollywood Boulevard and his footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater, to the people who have never left Cuba (AKA Dogtown, a small southern town, not the country) he is seen as the guy who escaped, who got out of Dodge--I mean Dogtown--and returned a big star.
Nothing could be further from the truth, but whenever he tries to claim otherwise, they just won't listen. Bad teeth and bad luck have taken their toll on the townsfolk, especially Curtis Lasky (Rory Cochrane) and Ezra Good (Jon Favreau); and to them he might as well be a Hollywood Star. Ezra, or E.Z., ironically, is especially resentful when it comes to the affections of Dorothy Sternen (Mary Stuart Masterson). There is going to be a showdown between E.Z. and Philip, and it will not be pretty.
Rory and Jon really uglied up for this role. Hard to believe that Favreau was only a year out from making Swingers. He is tough, bitter, and not concerned with making the audience like his character. Rory's Curtis is broken and beaten down, but he still harbors dreams of a better life. You almost feel sorry for the two, Curtis more so than E.Z., stuck in a small Dogtown where dreams go to die.
Mary Stuart Masterson is a master of playing mentally damaged women, like Joon in Benny & Joon. Her portrayal of Dorothy Sternen in Dogtown was more successful than her turn as Joon because it had the gritty backdrop of reality while Benny & Joon wavered between tragedy and screwball comedy. Here any redemption she gathers is earned, the hard way, and the audience is not cheated with a fake Hollywood feel good happy sappy ending. Philip has carried a torch for her since they met in the first grade, but his idealized vision of her doesn't include the loneliness and suicidal depression that haunts her.
Contributing to the gloomy atmosphere is Rose Van Horn (Karen Black), Philip's mother, who has had a hard life, and seeks salvation singing with a rock band that practices in their living room early in the morning. She does some of her worst singing since Rayette Dipesto obsessed over Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man" in Five Easy Pieces.
This was the final film of Harold Russell, who won 2 Oscars for his role in the 1946 film The Best Years of Our Lives. While training paratroopers some TNT exploded and he lost both hands. He won the Oscars for best supporting actor and received an honorary Oscar for being an inspiration for disabled war veterans throughout the U.S. No other actor has ever earned two Oscars for the same role, or had such a non prolific career. He was in only 4 films in a career that spanned 50 years. He really stood out in Dogtown. He had a tremendous stage presence that was totally authentic. He seemed like a real person, not an actor, and brought a heightened sense of reality to the whole drama. Blessed William was a blessing on the whole Dogtown production.
JON FAVREAU .... EZRA GOOD
Iron Man (Single-Disc Edition) (2008) .... Hogan
The Break-Up (2006) .... Johnny O
Something's Gotta Give (2003) .... Leo
Elf (2003) .... Doctor
Daredevil (2003) .... Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson
Made (2001) .... Bobby Ricigliano
Swingers (1996) .... Mike Peters
MAUREEN McCORMICK .... DIDI SCHMIDT
Jane White Is Sick and Twisted (2002) .... Nancy
"The Brady Bunch" .... Marcia Brady (116 episodes, 1969-1974)
- The Hair-Brained Scheme (1974) TV episode .... Marcia Brady
- The Hustler (1974) TV episode .... Marcia Brady
- The Snooperstar (1974) TV episode .... Marcia Brady
- Top Secret (1974) TV episode .... Marcia Brady
- Two Petes in a Pod (1974) TV episode .... Marcia Brady
(111 more)
"My Three Sons" .... Sylvia Walters (1 episode, 1967)
- Ernie, the Bluebeard (1967) TV episode .... Sylvia Walters
"I Dream of Jeannie" .... Susan (1 episode, 1966)
- My Master, the Doctor (1966) TV episode .... Susan
"Camp Runamuck" .... Maureen Sullivan (2 episodes, 1965-1966)
- Tomboy (1966) TV episode .... Maureen Sullivan
- Runamuck (1965) TV episode .... Maureen Sullivan
"Honey West" .... Margaret Mary Driscoll (1 episode, 1965)
- In the Bag (1965) TV episode .... Margaret Mary Driscoll
"Bewitched" .... Little Endora / ... (2 episodes, 1964-1965)
- Trick or Treat (1965) TV episode .... Young Endora - Girl
- And Something Makes Three (1964) TV episode (uncredited) .... Little Endora
"The Farmer's Daughter" .... Christine (1 episode, 1965)
- Why Don't They Ever Pick Me? (1965) TV episode .... Christine
MARY STUART MASTERSON .... DOROTHY STERNEN
Radioland Murders (1994) .... Penny Henderson
Bad Girls (1994/I) .... Anita Crown
Benny and Joon (1993) .... Juniper 'Joon' Pearl
Fried Green Tomatoes (Widescreen Collector's Edition) (1991) .... Idgie Threadgoode
TREVOR ST. JOHN .... PHILIP VAN HORN
Bio-Dome (1996) .... Parker
RORY COCHRAN .... CURTIS LASKY
A Scanner Darkly (2006) .... Charles Freck
Southlander: Diary of a Desperate Musician (2001) .... Chance
Sunset Strip (2000) .... Felix
Dazed & Confused (Widescreen Flashback Edition) (1993) .... Ron Slater
HAROLD RUSSELL .... BLESSED WILLIAM
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) .... Homer Parrish
Inside Moves (1980) .... Wings
Payback (1990) .... Policeman
KAREN BLACK .... ROSE VAN HORN
The Blue Tooth Virgin (2008) .... Zena
Contamination (2008) .... Mavis
One Long Night (2007) .... Barbara
Suffering Man's Charity (2007) .... Renee
Read You Like a Book (2006) .... Kate
Hollywood Dreams (2006) .... Luna
Whitepaddy (2006) .... Mrs. Leider
Firecracker (2005) .... Sandra/Eleanor
My Suicidal Sweetheart (2005) .... Grace's Mom
Compartment (2005/I) (voice) .... Kate Burns
Dr. Rage (2005) .... Molly
Birth of Industry (2004) .... Sara
America Brown (2004) .... Marianne Brown
Curse of the Forty-Niner (2003) .... Aunt Nelly
Summer Solstice (2003) .... Dr. McDermott
Paris (2003) .... Chantelle
House of 1000 Corpses (2003) .... Mother Firefly
A Light in the Darkness (2002) .... Mrs. Melnick
Buttleman (2002) .... Mrs. Buttleman
Teknolust (2002) .... Dirty Dick
Soulkeeper (2001) .... Magnificent Martha
Hard Luck (2001) .... Aunt Judy
Gypsy 83 (2001) .... Bambi LeBleau
Red Dirt (2000) .... Aunt Summer
The Donor (2000) .... Mrs. Springle
Inviati speciali (2000)
Oliver Twisted (2000) .... Mrs. Mary Happ
The Underground Comedy Movie (1999) .... Mother
Mascara (1999) .... Aunt Eloise
Paradise Cove (1999) .... Ma
Charades (1998) .... Jude
Bury the Evidence (1998) .... The Mother
Sugar: The Fall of the West (1998)
Stripping for Jesus (1998)
Light Speed (1998)
Fallen Arches (1998) .... Lucy Romano
Waiting for Dr. MacGuffin (1998) .... Dental Assistant
I Woke Up Early the Day I Died ( Ed Wood's I Woke Up Early the Day I Died ) ( I Awoke Early the Day I Died ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Spain ] (1998) .... Whip Lady
... aka Ed Wood's I Woke Up Early the Day I Died
Men (1997) .... Alex
Conceiving Ada (1997) .... Lady Byron/Mother Coer
... aka Leidenschaftliche Berechnung (Germany)
Stir (1997) .... Dr. Gabrielle Kessler
Malaika (1997) .... Jessica Martin
Modern Rhapsody (1997)
Crimetime (1996) .... Millicent
Cries of Silence (1996) .... Rose Walsh
Every Minute Is Goodbye (1996) .... Schubert
Movies Money Murder (1996) .... Bettie
Dinosaur Valley Girls (1996) .... Ro-Kell
Starstruck (1995) .... Bertha
The Wacky Adventures of Dr. Boris and Nurse Shirley (1995) .... Evelyn
Too Bad About Jack (1994)
Plan 10 from Outer Space (1994) .... Nehor
Dark Blood (1993) .... Motel Woman
The Trust (1993) .... Maria Vandermeer
Tuesday Never Comes (1993) .... Michelle
Caged Fear (1992) .... Blanche
Auntie Lee's Meat Pies (1992) .... Auntie Lee
Bound and Gagged: A Love Story (1992) .... Carla
Dead Girls Don't Tango (1992) .... Insp. Wilson
Legend of the Roller Blade Seven (1992) .... Tarot
Final Judgement (1992) .... Mrs. Sorrel
Return of the Roller Blade Seven (1992) .... Tarot
Haunting Fear (1991) .... Dr. Julia Harcourt
Children of the Night (1991) .... Karen Thompson
The Killer's Edge (1991) .... Barrett
Rubin and Ed (1991) .... Rula
The Roller Blade Seven (1991) .... Tarot
Night Angel (1990) .... Rita...
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don't Waste Your Time, May 14, 2004
By A Customer
Another reviewer stated this is "a midwesterner's view of the midwest...". That's crap.... As someone from Missouri and who's been to Cuba this movie is about as real (and insulting) if they had done Boyz in the Hood with middle aged white guys in blackface. I don't know if this is "Hollywood's View of the midwest," or if the director and writer just happen to have head injuries.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Mediocre, except for Mary Stuart Masterson performance, August 27, 2008
Mary Stuart Masterson is an actress of substantial range. Her performance in this film was its one plus. The characters seemed 2-dimensional, the screenplay was mediocre, and the seen where we find out that "Blessed William" died was a poor imitation of "The Last Picture Show." Its amazing how unexceptional a film can be and yet still win awards at a minor film festival.
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