KALIFORNIA is a movie I wanted to see ever since it first came out. Back in 1993 Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis were a couple. Both were hot, rising young stars with a hip, punk-rock image. I always assumed this movie would be some sort of cool kids on the run epic, a killing spree set to a great alternative rock sound track, sort of REPO MAN meets POINT BREAK.
Alas no, by Jove! Ten minutes in, Brad Pitt walks into a sleazy diner, and shouts, "AW WAWNT A BAOWEL UH CHILLEH," knocking it out of the park with the most uproariously bad Southern accent in the history of film. Right then I knew I was heading for comedy genius. Not since Peter Sellers turned the French accent inside out as Inspector Clouseau has an actor gotten so many laughs out of simple mis-pro-nun-cia-tion.
But it doesn't stop with Brad's crucifixion of redneck culture. The moment David Duchovny makes the scene, the John Lennon of Sucky Acting has found his Paul McCartney. The chemistry between the rip-roaring redneck and the geeky nerd with the tape recorder is so amazing -- two forms of bad acting, (macho shouting versus wimpy whining) but blended together with total harmony.
The girls in this movie are actually somewhat better than the boys, though that's not saying much. Michelle Forbes, who went on years later to be a standout presence in the HBO series TRUE BLOOD, is at this point totally charisma free, but at least she's inoffensive. What little acting this movie has all comes from Juliette Lewis, who somehow turns the shallowest and most insultingly stereotypical character (the helpless child-woman, the white trash victim) into a completely sympathetic and believable human being.
If you want to read a really good book that tells the same story, (wimpy elitist kidnapped/liberated by white trash killer) read DIRTY WHITE BOYS by Stephen Hunter.
KALIFORNIA is a terrible movie, but Brad Pitt would have made an awesome Lamar Pye.
And David Duchovny would have been a natural as wimpy little Richard Peed.
Alas no, by Jove! Ten minutes in, Brad Pitt walks into a sleazy diner, and shouts, "AW WAWNT A BAOWEL UH CHILLEH," knocking it out of the park with the most uproariously bad Southern accent in the history of film. Right then I knew I was heading for comedy genius. Not since Peter Sellers turned the French accent inside out as Inspector Clouseau has an actor gotten so many laughs out of simple mis-pro-nun-cia-tion.
But it doesn't stop with Brad's crucifixion of redneck culture. The moment David Duchovny makes the scene, the John Lennon of Sucky Acting has found his Paul McCartney. The chemistry between the rip-roaring redneck and the geeky nerd with the tape recorder is so amazing -- two forms of bad acting, (macho shouting versus wimpy whining) but blended together with total harmony.
The girls in this movie are actually somewhat better than the boys, though that's not saying much. Michelle Forbes, who went on years later to be a standout presence in the HBO series TRUE BLOOD, is at this point totally charisma free, but at least she's inoffensive. What little acting this movie has all comes from Juliette Lewis, who somehow turns the shallowest and most insultingly stereotypical character (the helpless child-woman, the white trash victim) into a completely sympathetic and believable human being.
If you want to read a really good book that tells the same story, (wimpy elitist kidnapped/liberated by white trash killer) read DIRTY WHITE BOYS by Stephen Hunter.
KALIFORNIA is a terrible movie, but Brad Pitt would have made an awesome Lamar Pye.
And David Duchovny would have been a natural as wimpy little Richard Peed.