Outside Providence (1999)

I never laughed so hard in a movie before. Because I have never seen my friends on film before. I'm not talking about the friends I have now; I'm talking about the friends I had when I was 18.

"Outside Providence" takes you back to the 70's in perfect pitch without the nostalgia of it all getting in the way. It takes you back to your friends and family of that time without sugarcoating it or making it cure or calling it something that it was not. It is hilarious.

The film centers on stoner Tim Dunphy, called "Dildo" by his dad and "Dunph" by everyone else, and his relocation to prep school. Dunph doesn't go because he is a special student or because of any screwy academic nonsense. He goes because one of his dad's friends fixes it as an alternative to going to juvey for having a car wreck while he was high. This elicits a fury of fish-out-of-water situations and jokes as the blue jean clad, blue collar, lower middle class Dunph tries to fit in with the preps at Cornwall, a school in Rhode Island. But the film goes much deeper than that. It becomes a true story about a true character rather than a simple plot twist designed to produce jokes.

The film is based on a novel by Peter Farrelly, of the Farrelly Brothers' fame ("Dumb and Dumber"). It must be an awesome book. Farrelly nails every 70's stoner stereotype to a "T."

And while the film has some hilarious obvious jokes, like Dunph telling his dad that his bong is a musical instrument and then trying to play it, it also has plenty of subtle humor as well. One of the best examples comes after Dunph's dad and his cronies kick a drinking buddy out of a poker game when they find out he is gay. In the next scene, Dad gives Dunph Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" album for Christmas. ("It's from me and your brother. It's a double album.") Now, the joke is not lost on me, someone who was around in 1974 and remembers Elton before he came out. But it's subtlety is pretty much lost on the young generation. Another example of perfect nostalgia in the film: Dunph's dad plays the old arcade bowling game at a bar. Remember those? They had fake bowling pins at the end of a slick wooden table and you pushed a silver hockey puck down to the end of it so that it hit these little triggers which caused the fake bowling pins to go up. One of the young guys I saw the film with said, "What the hell is that?" Ahhh.... kid... if you only knew. I knew what it was but I haven't seen one of those games for ages. The film is more than just prop-generated nostalgia. It isn't just Kiss t-shirts and Farrah Fawcett posters, it goes deeper.

One of the best scenes of the film is when the boys go to the local disco. This is exactly like what a club in some lower class neighborhood trying to cash in on the disco craze in the 70's would be like. It's hilarious and quaint at the same damn time. So, screw the younger generation! This is my movie. The music, the clothes, the fads, the props, they all remind me of how the 70's really were. This isn't packaged nostalgia, which can also be effective, but rather a coming of age story that just happens to be set in the 70's. And Farrelly makes the most of the time setting with dope and alcohol and rock and roll and hitch-hiking all playing into the film like the everyday articles that they were back then.

God. you just won't believe all the jokes, hilarious side-splitting jokes, that Farrelly gets out of this. And the story. It's near perfect. Sure, it's got some typical moments, but that just makes it more recognizable. That just makes it more "my" story.

Director Michael Corrente, who hasn't done much to make a name for himself as a director, hits every note perfect here. His film may be a little too long, but he's got a novel's worth of story and plot and characters to expose here and he does this well. We feel like we know and like the characters in the story. Paying homage to films like "Animal House" and "Meatballs" and a plethora of other "70's Teen Exploitation" films as well as cashing in on the 70's nostalgia film fad pretty much started by "Dazed and Confused," Corrente is able to walk that fine line between an awesome film and a history lesson. It's consistently delightful. Even if he does try to cram way too many classic rock tunes into the piece; he does so with the perfect touch. Here's the perfect illustration: One of Dunph's friends gets killed in a car wreck and the boys have a sort of bonfire/ wake for him. So what song plays on the soundtrack during this scene? That's right: Skynyrd's "Freebird." You know that song was played at endless teenager's funerals, the result of endless car crashes, in the mid 70's. Corrente casts the perfect actors for the film as well, including a surprise or two. Shawn Hatosy, who has proved his worth in films like "The Faculty" and "In and Out," is skilled as Dunph, providing the proper amounts of free spiritedness and earnestness. He's the kid in high school that nobody wanted to know, but once you took the time, he was well worth it. Hatosy has no trouble pulling off troubled teen, drinking buddy, anguished son, student and love interest in the film. Farrelly's script calls upon him to be adept at every nuance and Hatosy never once fails in his task. It is a stellar performance. Check out the early scene in the film where Hatosy's Dunph dances at that local disco. God, I know that guy! That Hatosy can capture him on screen is pure ethereal joy.

Amy Smart, meanwhile, plays the coolest girl in the universe. We can see why Dunph wants her but even better, we can understand what she sees in Dunph - and why they are seeming opposites who are perfect for each other.

It's a great script propelled by perfect chemistry.

Also on hand is Alec Baldwin as Dunph's father. What an achievement! I actually forgot I was watching Alec Baldwin here! And when his character is called upon to deliver a devastating and crucial crux to the film, Baldwin pours forth a performance that will leave you reeling.

Add to this well known actors like Jonathan Brandis and George Wendt turning in performances of raw and rare caliber and newcomers like Jack Ferver and Jon Abrahams who make the film all that more comically realistic and you've got a film that should be receiving several Oscar nods. The acting is that good. The film is that noteworthy. You won't see another film like "Outside Providence." And if your not damn near close to 30, you won't get what it's all about. Sometimes it ain't so bad being middle aged. I can appreciate everything "Outside Providence" has to offer. And God knows, I do. I really do.

Notes: With songs by Badfinger, The Who, ELO, Yes, and Wings among others. Springsteen is mentioned as is Hunter s. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." .

Report Card

Script: A+

Acting: A+

Cinematography\Lighting: B

Special Effects\Make Up: A+

Music: A

Final Grade: A+