Customer Reviews

Outside Providence [VHS]

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Summary: Pothead Dunph gets into a little trouble and is spared jail time when his father pulls some strings to get him sent to a prep school instead of jail. He ends up leaving more than just his old friends behind when he goes.

My Opinion: I was very surprised with this movie. It is pushed very strongly as a comedy. Probably because the Farrelly Brothers are famous for those. Although it has funny parts, I don't consider it a comedy. It is more of a coming of age film. It takes place in the 1970s and has a killer soundtrack. If I had not been so pleasantly surprised I would have given this movie 4 stars but it's nice to be surprised.

DVD Quality: Widescreen anamorphic format. How can they make anything but?

What You Should Do: See it. If you don't buy every DVD under the sun like some of us then rent it. There is quite a lot of drug use in the film but it does have a point. It may be too subtle of a point for some to grasp though. If you liked "Detroit Rock City", "Almost Famous", or "Varsity Blues" then you should bump this one up on your list of movies to see.

From the minds behind "Dumb and Dumber" and "Theres Something About Mary" comes another raunchy landmark comedy, but one with heart.

Seemingly repetitive, a teenage boy is sent to a prep school after a car accident involving a parked police car, several friends, and unspecified amounts of narcotics. Throughout his journey he encounters friends, foes, and of course, love.

The same coming of age tale every weekly movie aims for, however superior to most thanks to several key factors.

Alec Baldwin, who was perhaps cast merely to attach a well known name to the movie, pulls off a surprisingly tricky role as a rock solid father who is confused and disappointed with his life. One of the movies most effective scenes is a short one, involving this star-stunned actor teaching his son how to knot a tie.

The script is not only amusing, but it also provides a lot of emotional depth to the story through simple and idealistic lines. Written with cunning craft and executed superbly by the cast, it provides a solid backbone for the movie and proves to be effective in conveying the situations.

What truly brings this movie together, though, is the charming charisma of newcomer Shawn Hatosy. Capturing the naive facial gestures, the sorrow- filled-eyes maneuvers, and that age old enlightmened maturity posture seems to be a natural gift to this young actor.

Along with those three factors, it is wise to note the crude and yet witty comedy often present in the Farrely Brothers works: obsessing with homosexuality, mocking social status, and the maniacal humiliation that comes with life. For some this genre of entertainment is not appealing, however I found their classic formula highly engrossing.

It is hard to say what the downside of this movie is, except that the ending left me somewhat unsatisfied. Perhaps thats merely because I was enjoying the film so much I simply did not want to end. Of course, given the flow of the movie, the ending was a natural and propable choice.

An all around impressive film from those fiendishly humorous brothers, "Outside Providence" is a landmark of their work.

In 1974, pot-smoking teenager Tim Dunphy (Dunph, to his friends) is sent to a superior prep school after getting in trouble with the law for a reefer-induced mishap. There, he tangles with strict administrators, suffers the classrooms of exacting instructors, and hangs out with fellow pothead students. He also encounters Jane Weston, hands down the coolest chick in school and from an upper class family. Jane is beautiful but studious; she's trying to get accepted to Brown University. Dunph is just trying to get by without accruing any more punishment for violation of school policies. Regarding Jane, his friend advises Dunph: "Forget it." Yet, somehow, Dunph and Jane get together. It's not a match made in heaven, but hey, Dunph will take it...

Supposedly based on Peter Farrelly's school experiences at Kent, Outside Providence is a very good coming-of-age movie. It was touted as a comedy but, really, while it has its share of laugh-out-loud funnies, its dramatic undercurrent is the engine that drives it home beautifully. It reminds me of those 1980s John Hughes dramedies (Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful). Yes, this movie is liberally dosed with pot jokes, but a sense of realness and pathos felt throughout provides a nice counterbalance. From a raucous Farrelly Brothers-type comedy to an ultimately thoughtful film. Very nice.

The only other time I've seen Shawn Hatosy was in the cool horror The Faculty; to be honest, in that film, he didn't make much of an impression on me. But, here, he takes center stage and does a real good job in portraying easy-going, pot-smoking Dunph, who initially is aimless and just drifting along but then undergoes life lessons and steps up to responsibility. Amy Smart's Jane is a major impetus in Dunph's maturation process. Amy plays her character as a young woman who's smart and hardworking - but not afraid to let her hair down - and, most importantly, she is genuine; those qualities, more often than not, are enough to positively influence a guy. The supporting cast, from Pawtucket, Rhode Island to Cornwall, Connecticut, does a credible job evoking the '70s, ably backed by the great soundtrack. Alec Baldwin is remarkably good in playing Dunph's gruff, hard-bitten father, with surprising hidden depths. On the other hand, Timothy Crowe as Mr. Funderberk seems to be channeling Jeffrey Jones's Principal Ed Rooney (Ferris Bueller's Day Off).

I knew this movie was gonna make me smile and laugh; I was surprised when it made me feel. Outside Providence is very recommended.

Although very humorous, "Outside Providence" is a departure from other Farrely brothers movies like "Kingpin" and "There's Something About Mary." This is a more intelligent, less vulgar offering which still delivers the laughs.

Set in the 70's, the film is a moving coming of age tale about a middle class pothead shipped off to a prep school after a run-in with the law.

Predicable hijinks ensue as "Dumph" (played by Sean Hatosy) faces a difficult adjustment to his new world. The strength of the film is in the relationship between "Dumph" and his father (played by Alec Baldwin). Baldwin is totally convincing as "Old Man Dumphy", a gruff but caring father heartbroken by the loss of his wife.

If you grew up in the 70's, you'll probably enjoy this nostaglic look at teenage life set to a fantastic soundtrack of 70's hits.

The Farrelly brothers (the makers of such laugh-a-minute gross out fests as "There's Something About Mary," "Kingpin" and "Dumb and Dumber," among others) take a decided stylistic turn with "Outside Providence," a low-keyed, laid back coming-of-age tale set in Rhode Island during the mid 1970's. Shawn Hatosy stars as Timothy Dunphy, a likable, not-very-bright high school student who, like many of his generation, would much rather party than study and would rather smoke-out than think seriously about his future plans for college or career or even life in general. When he crashes his vehicle, packed with other drinking and pot-smoking teenagers, right smack into the rear of a parked police car, Tim is sent by his working class father to finish his last school year at a nearby prep academy. Alec Baldwin, adopting a dese-dem-dose accent for the occasion, plays Tim's father, a well-intentioned widower whose brusque demeanor hides a filial love that Tim is only vaguely aware exists.

"Outside Providence" certainly does not bring a whole lot of fresh insights to this well-worn territory. We have the obligatory scenes of non-stop pot smoking (this being a depiction of 1970's adolescence after all), the inevitable first love between the hero and the sweetest, most understanding and, of course, most beautiful girl from the local distaff school, and the predictable confrontations that develop between the freethinking teen and the anachronistic stuffed shirts of the school's administration. There is also, of course, the mandatory death of one of the members of the original gang to act as a device to sober the boy's up to an awakened awareness of the seriousness and responsibilities of adulthood.

Yet, for all of its adherence to the formula of this particular genre, "Outside Providence" wins the audience over, partly through the breezy likeability of the actors and performers, partly through the unforced realism of the screenplay, and partly through the film's dead-on accurate recreation of a decade that is fast becoming the era of choice for modern day nostalgia. Like so many films that tie themselves strongly to a time long past, "Outside Providence" relies (and perhaps even over relies) on a soundtrack filled with memory-inducing tunes of the period. This is the easiest trick in the book for filmmakers to stir an audience's fond recollections - but, damned if it doesn't work every time. In addition, the film is set within the beautiful environs of autumnal New England, a factor that contributes to the overall laid-back charm of the film.

"Outside Providence" provides a relaxing, unfrenetic trip down memory lane for those of us who happen to have come of age in the era the Farrellys are presenting. The film ultimately doesn't amount to much, but one could find worse ways to spend 90 minutes - and a worse group of people with which to spend it.

I loved this witty, heartwarming New England coming-of-age film.
The acting is perfect, and the feel and look of 1970's New England is dead-on. Both sobering and wildly funny, this great teen movie reminded me of Dazed and Confused, but with a bit more plot.

The ambiguity of youth and the road to maturity are addressed in a somewhat stoically humorous manner by the Farrelly Brothers in the comedy, "Outside Providence," directed by Michael Corrente. Set in New England in 1974, the story centers on Tim Dunphy (Shawn Hatosy), an irresponsible seventeen-year-old who since the untimely death of his mother has lived with his gruff, blue-collar father (Alec Baldwin), his crippled younger brother, Jackie (Tommy Bone) and a one-eyed, three-legged dog. Life is less than idyllic for Tim, but it doesn't seem to make much difference as long as he can live in the moment and get high with his friends. In that respect, in fact, life is pretty good. Tim's a senior in high school with nary a care in the world, until a car accident involving drugs and alcohol lands him in big trouble, and he avoids incarceration only by the grace and intervention of one of his father's "connected" cronies. Instead of jail time he is sent away to the prestigious prep school, Cornhill, whereupon graduation his offense will be expunged from his record. All he has to do is toe the line and get through his senior year. But that senior year can last a long time, especially after he meets Jane Weston (Amy Smart), the girl of his (and everybody else's) dreams. So what is a lad to do, knuckle down, follow the rules and put his life in order-- or follow his heart? Or, as Tim replies when a teacher asks him to name his favorite author, "Hamlet." To be, or not to be. And that is the question.

While not terribly original by any means, Corrente's film (which he co-wrote with Bobby and Peter Farrelly, adapted from the novel by Peter Farrelly) is funny and well presented, and has that quirky, recognizable Farrelly Brother's touch. There's even a poignant moment or two, and most importantly, this isn't a "silly" movie, and though the characters are fairly stereotypical, Corrente manages to give it something of a fresh face and allows the humor to evolve naturally, never fishing for laughs or manipulating the situations purely for the sake of hilarity. And it works well; there are some genuinely funny scenes, some side-splitting lines and one signature Farrelly Brothers scene that involves a flashback of the traumatic "hazing" of a freshman named Irving (Jack Ferver).

Shawn Hatosy gives a believable performance as Tim, and though he's not overly charismatic or likable, he does create a character with whom many peers and parents will be able to relate. Tim is a very real person feeling his way through a very precarious period of his life. And beyond the humorous aspects of the film, there is actually some very credible character development evident in Tim's behavior, and in the final analysis the overall picture not only aspires to a higher level because of it, but succeeds in that regard. Hatosy's Tim is very much the average kid who lives in your neighborhood and works at the local fast food joint while he figuring out what life is all about. Without anything singular or remarkable about him, he is entirely true-to-life and honest.

As "Old Man Dunphy," Baldwin gives a solid performance, and with limited screen time manages to establish his character with astute precision. Like Tim, Baldwin's character is real, and serves as a kind of core for the story, and that realism of the characters is one of the strengths of the film. The "Old Man" maintains a gruff exterior-- a bravura by which to live, if you will-- but you get a sense that there is something deeper to him, while at the same time you realize that what you see is very much a true perspective of who he really is as well. It's a matter of Baldwin's ability as an actor enabling him to infuse some complexity into a character that could easily have been one dimensional in less capable hands.

The supporting cast includes Jon Abrahams (Drugs Delaney), Richard Jenkins (Barney), George Wendt (Joey), Adam LaVorgna (Tommy the Wire), Timothy Crowe (Mr. Funderbeck), George Martin (Dean Mort), Gabriel Mann (Jack) and Kristen Shorten (Bunny Cote). In a market veritably saturated for some time with comedies about teen angst (most of which are silly, insignificant, devoid of real humor and not worth the film they're printed on), with "Outside Providence," Corrente and the Farrelly Brothers have to be given credit for delivering one that is truly funny while at the same time anchored in reality. There is, in fact, more here than meets the eye upon the initial viewing. Not only does it capture the essence of the era in which it takes place, but a sense of reality that in the end is definitive of it, as well. And it's done with humor, and without taking it over the edge, as the Farrelly Brothers are often wont to do. Ultimately, it's a satisfying experience, and it's the magic of the movies.

Hopefully people will discover this Little Gem now that it is available on Home Video! Overlooked at the Theatres, Outside Providence is a Charming Little Film about a Young Man Coming Of Age and Growing Up! Always in Trouble, the young man is sent to prep school where he learns that there are more important things in Life then getting drunk, stoned and laid! The Film is about Discovery and accepting not only yourself, but those around you! Would also like to note that Alec Baldwin gives a Surprisingly Good Performance as the Beer Drinking Poker Playing Tough Father who really cares about his sons but doesnt know how to show it. I hope more people will gives this film a Chance. I loved it!

Having myself grown up "Outside Providence", I howled with laughter at the club scene to The Edge, the sight of the old Patriots stadium, and the dead-on Rhode Island accents. The crummy apartment that the Dunphys lived in, the worse neighborhood, and the local bar that Dad hung out in are all typical of Pawtucket, RI, and actually made me feel homesick for the place. The coming of age story is quite good. There's a sweetness to the main character Tim that feels very genuine, and Alec Baldwin is always great to watch. This movie may not be for everyone, but personally I loved it. I keep it as a reality check for myself when I feel like I'm getting too materialistic and yuppified. Long live Pawtucket and the Farrelly brothers!

If you're looking for R-rated terms of endearment, _Outside Providence_ can suggest several. Most of these affectionate references are lobbed by Alec Baldwin's character, a working class father whose eldest son, Tim, is giving him a hard time. The worst of Tim's hijinks involve booze, pot, and an unfortunate fender bender with a cop car--this accident proves a sufficient reason to send Tim to upper-crust Cornwall Prep School, a place that your average blue collar kid is bound to feel out of place.

I was nervous at the idea of seeing another movie hero come of age, especially considering that one of the Farrelly brothers penned the original novel and contributed to the screenplay. Have no fear; _Outside Providence_ is subtly acted, riotously funny, painfully uncomfortable, but mostly satisfying. A friend who accompanied me said, "I am happy with that whole movie"--a rare sentiment from that particular critic!