Outside Providence

Try it, You'll Like it!
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",...

A Delightful Suprise
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...

Underneath the movie's pot jokes lies a sweet thoughtfulness
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...

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