 |  | Sam Rockwell, an amazing yet under-rated actor! |  |
Most everyone has seen the movie, "The Green Mile" and although they may not remember the actor who played the deranged, yet comical "Wild Bill", they certainly remember the character. Rockwell is one of the rare actors that can display range. In this movie, he plays a humble, blue-collar 'country-bumpkin' who may not be educated or have been graced with the opportunities and status of those he mows lawns for, but nonetheless, has a keen sense of reality and truth about him. He truly brings heart to the movie and Misca Barton doesn't do too bad of job herself. It's a movie about friendship, societal differences/conflict, as well as the misunderstanding and prejudice that occurs when the two join. Be prepared to be have your heart-wrenched, yet lifted. A great addition to any collection.
April 29, 2008This movie was recommended to me by a friend who said it was "better than American Beauty" but I completely disagree. It was boring and really went nowhere. The characters were uninteresting, beyond the first 30 minutes. I lost all interest in the story and I am a movie buff and particularly a fan of quirky flicks like this *seemed* to be.
November 17, 2007Prejudice, hypocrisy and rationalising of immoral and violent behaviour are not merely American vices, but common symptoms of all of us living in so-called western civilization.
This film bitingly satirises such behaviour and reminds me that all of us come sadly short of our obligations to our fellow creatures.
Sam Rockwell and Mischa Barton, supported by a strong cast, bring this sad tale to life with great charm
November 26, 2006| | | Bold, Tragic, and thought-provoking... Oh Nooooooooo! | |
It's tragic how some of Hollywood's greatest films are doomed from the start, by efforts to conceal the serious subject matter with confusing or misleading box covers, or by presenting subject matter that requires brain matter activity. I agree with all reviews of the well-delivered performances by the then virtually unknown Barton and Rockwell (at least to me). Barton's performance, akin to the seemingly natural talent of Dakota (please don't screw Dakota's head up... I'm counting on oscar performances after the awkward years -- but I digress.) The beauty of the film was in what was not spelled out, like a novel that people still can't figure out why, is better than the movie. Aside from the short-lived ego rush of sharing the fact that you can read, it's the imagery unique to our own life experinces that makes a novel a personal experience, that often conflicts with the director's life experiences (plus he/she has more money for crack and other mind altering substances). Ok, my point! Our society's heinously counterproductive view of sex, sin, and alas child molestor profiling has taken us back at least 100 years. In 1914, the age of consent for sex was 10. NFW you say? Yeah way! Wrong, yes. Geared toward safe sex with kids --- bad. Lawn Dogs reminds us that the human mind is fully developed at age 8, and kids have intelligent, idealistic, regretless, and raw opinions, a need to be heard and understood, and guess what else? They like to touch their peepees, and they know it. In 2006, they still like to touch their peepees, but society (and Mom and Dad) relieve them (to the long-term detriment of their children) of the ability to reason and manipulate their environment until at least 16. In essence, we discredit their abilty for rational thought with regard to sex, but empower them with the ability to manipulate someone into jail, with the mere mention of the only crime that requires "no intent or forethought", and true or not, a life sentence of "societal periah". This movie struck a nerve -- ya think? We need to stop the "perves"! Mistake not my words for anything short of this. Lawn Dogs dares to go where few film makers dare, even if mostly left to us to conclude that molesters seldom meet our expectations and place of origin. We can get a better handle of what we are up against without the kneejerk reactions, mob thinking, and the removal of the concept of personal accountability for their innocent, but real actions, that can draw an unlikely and previously unblemished molester from his primative "Id-ish" shell. Like this film, it will require thought and above all honesty about what goes on in a child's mind where normal sexual curiousity is alive and well, and about where we came from to arrive at this "civilized", yet God-alienating society. Ask yourselves this question. Which is scarier? 28,000 (Ca only) registered sex offenders or "wienee waggers" all waiting to catch you with your guard down, or a few hundred [...] with long lascidious pasts, that you WILL recognize from a mile away clad in trenchcoats, and you wouldn't let your daughter have contact with a stranger anyway. Sex offender is not synonymous with child molestor, except with the network NEWS. You'll remember this when your son or close relative is registered for hanging a BA from a bus on the way to a football game in college. Yaweah.
June 10, 2006I can't understand the good reviews given by others to this movie. Frankly, I thought it was a dog.
Not to say that it had no redeeming features - the friendship between the young girl and the lawn man was endearing, if improbable. And the girl herself was a real sweetie, and a good actress - perfect for the part. In fact, the acting all around was admirable.
But the script! Yikes! Not a single character in the whole movie - with the partial exceptions of the two protagonists - had any motivation for anything they did. People acting awkward or mean (in fact, just about everyone in the movie other than said two was mean), or spiteful, or stupid, for no reason at all!
It seems as though somehow, the movie could have been good, but didn't make it. Call it almost watchable.
I came away from Lawn Dogs (Yawn Dogs?) feeling not at all enriched. Puzzled, perhaps, at why anyone would make such a movie. Well, there was that admirable, unlikely friendship. But that was all.
Pass this one by.
February 22, 2005More reviews at Amazon.com ...
Daily Birthdays
(66 reviews)