Daddy and Them

I will be the first to admit that I was skeptical about Thorton writing and directing this movie. And since I was (still am) going through a complicated divorce when I saw the movie, it made me cringe a few times in the first half of the movie. Up until Julia had her outburst - after that, things started to converge. Without giving away too much, I'll say that I can easily compare this movie to a symphony that is unconventional in the sense that it doesn't have a climax where a naive audience expects it to be. However, the first half being full of dissonance and stark tones, that almost magically become resolved into a harmony.

Seeing as though the IMDb patrons gave this movie only barely more than a 5 score, what I am going to say now will be controversial: I think Thorton is a freaking genius, and I am glad I watched this movie. For me, this is a solid 8 stars.

It looks like the lack of marketing for this film has really caused the filmgoing public to be deprived. I understand there was some turmoil surrounding the films release, which is why it was so delayed, and had things worked out better, it may have reached the audience it was designed for. The endearing part of this movie, with it's wandering plot, and it's archetypal characters, is that it is an accurate reflection of daily life among many of the lower middle class that lives in the middle of this country. I know these characters. Every one of them could be a neighbor to me. Although this film was based in Arkansas, it easily could have been made in Clay City, KY, right down to the phrase "daddy and them's" to refer to the patriarchal home-place. In short, this movie is about life, and not everyone's life, but hopefully about the life of someone everyone knows. When you add in the stellar cast, including hillbilly hero John Prine, this movie can simply not go unwatched.

Finally saw this film via Showtime after years of waiting for a studio/theatrical or video/DVD release. It was worth the wait, although strange seeing BBT and LD as a couple long after they've both moved on to other people. I didn't realize there were so many big-name personalities involved in the project (e.g. Ben Affleck, Jamie Lee Curtis, etc.) The film, with its collection of quirky characters reminiscent of "Daddy's Dyin', Who's Got the Will?" left me with a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It's one of those films that mostly makes you laugh, maybe tear up a little, and in the end, think about what the message was. There are so many families like the Montgomerys - dysfunctional with few to nonexistent communication skills - and we see bits of ourselves and our own families in these characters. The main reason I wanted to see this film so badly is because I'm a John Prine fan, and although his lines were few, they were effective! And stick around for the closing credits to hear his song "In Spite of Ourselves," a duet with Iris Dement. Worth the wait!

I had heard about his movie for a couple of years, but just had the chance to watch it tonight on SHOWTIME. Written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton, the story is not very cohesive, but the characters are very memorable, especially those played by John Prine and Andy Griffith. There are some great comic moments, and a few touching scenes that reminded me of several families I have come in contact with here in the rural south. Actually, John Prine, better known as a singer/songwriter, steals the picture with a wry understated performance. I can see how the studio didn't know how to market the movie for the big screen, but it plays pretty well on the small screen.

What an odd little film. I expected something a little out of the ordinary, having been a fan of Billy Bob Thornton since Slingblade, and this ALMOST worked but didn't quite - ultimately let down by Thornton's inability to end the movie.

On the plus side, all the performances are good, apart from a rather hysterical turn from Brenda Blethyn, there are some nicely observed family dynamics, a few great comic lines, and the whole movie is lit brilliantly - making it visually interesting instead of potentially dull.

On the minus side, it's film you have to be patient with to discover its good qualities. The dialogue is offbeat and interesting but the plot feels like a long short-film. And then the ending... what a botched job! There's a PERFECT ending which would have made this a succinct, quite special little film. Instead Thorton goes to another scene. And another AND ANOTHER and... who knows how many, because at that point the DVD we were watching got stuck in protest and we all agreed that we'd seen the best of Daddy And Them, and that we should hit eject before we became hostile.