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Review by Susan Granger
2 stars out of 4
Don't expect another "There's Something About Mary," just
because this contemporary comedy is made by Peter and Bobby
Farrelly. Instead of gross silliness, there's gloppy sentiment, as
Shawn Hatosy portrays a pot-smoking slacker teen, circa 1974, in the
blue-collar town of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. After a fender-bender
with a parked police car, he's packed off to a fancy Connecticut prep
school, Cornwall Academy, where he's outnumbered, outclassed, and
definitely out of place. But he gets little sympathy from his
beer-guzzling, loud-mouthed, deadbeat dad (Alec Baldwin) whose idea of
affection is to nickname the boy "Dildo." "It ain't easy being Ozzie
when you ain't got a Harriet," dad explains. Predictably - and
somewhat unimaginatively - Hatosy not only ends up with the prettiest
girl around (Amy Smart), protects his wheelchair-bound younger brother
(Tommy Bone), and takes revenge on a repressive dean. Directed and
co-written by Michael Corrente ("American Buffalo"), there are quirky
touches like a three-legged dog and some crude slapstick antics, but
there's nothing to make your hair stand on end about this prosaic
coming-of-age story set. Not surprising since the script was recycled
from long before the Farrelly brothers had hits like "Dumb and
Dumber." And the edgy comedy "Rushmore," released early this year,
covered the same territory far better. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1
to 10, "Outside Providence" is a flimsy 5. It's bittersweet nostalgia
- wait for the video.
Copyright © 2000 Susan Granger
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out of 4
