I originally saw 'The Size of Watermelons' back in the late 90's when it hit VHS to date myself. I was a big fan of the 'Halloween' series at the time and Paul Rudd had appeared in the sixth entry in '95 which had something to do with seeing this. I remember thinking this movie was hilarious. I still appreciate its charm all these years later, but question what my younger self found so funny.
I think back then I found the characters zany and off-the-wall. I had no basis to understand them. To me the whole proceedings were some crazy not-real-life acid trip of a comedy. The fact of the matter is this movie perfectly captures a certain subset of young people at a standstill in the 90's. It just took me being older to recognize it. No focus, no deep drive. Wasting time. Failed relationships. Attending film school or playing music. Too much beer, too much coffee. Getting lost in fantasies about being in the biz, reading Variety, but not doing anything to make it happen.
Paul Rudd & Donal Logue give dialed in performances. Alex (Rudd) meanders around with his "bad haircut" and a fondness for getting beat up. Gnome (Logue) who's a big talker bordering on obnoxious with a fractured type of charisma and balls "the size of watermelons". They follow each other around. Talk about doing an alternative B&W political documentary about Gnome and his views on the illegal annexation of Hawaii.
By the end none of it matters. Things fall apart and you move on. You grow up. That's life. A decent throwback movie that's not for everyone, but I enjoyed it then & now. Recommended for fans of Rudd & Logue.
