Scotland, Pa.

Unfortunately, the few other reviewers were expecting Caddyshack or something. This is a Black Comedy, and it is very good. The scenes are quick and engaging. The actors are well suited for their characters. The Duncan brothers could have their own sequel. Christopher Walken is very sly and humorous, shaking his castanetta's while trying to solve a murder. If it was not made aware to you, this is a 1980's version of Macbeth, with Maura Tierney and James LeGros playing the scheming murderous couple, the McBeths. A hamburger restaurant is at the center of the action, with the McBeths being willed the restaurant from their former boss, Mr. Duncan. The cinematography very much captures Pa., as well as the sets.

Two final comments. The soundtrack was one of the best I have heard in years. Bad Company songs make up about half of it, with sprinklings of other ditties included as well. The second and most important is that Maura Tierney steals this film. Every scene she is in, you are transfixed to her. Her actions, her (in some cases) vulgarity and her great acting makes this her showcase. The scene with her and the pharmacist at the end is hysterical as she attempts to remove a burn from her hand which has long since healed. Bravo Maura and Bravo to this little movie that SHOULD have been a bigger success. Shakespeare adaptation not withstanding, you do not need to be familiar with the Bard to enjoy this film.

I really didn't get the "Duncan Donuts" gag until I sat down to write this brief review. It's that kind of movie, I guess: it is smarter than you think, but in ways that aren't necessarily very illuminating to the core of the drama.

This take on Shakespeare's MacBeth is both lightweight and light on its feet. It doesn't take itself very seriously but it takes what it wants from the material and spins it into an unexpected and hard to categorize movie. Think "Dazed and Confused" meets the Bard and you're getting pretty close to the mark, but it's campier than that, not as heartfelt, more smart-alecky. There's a little Twin Peaks bound up in the recipe, as well.

Though the material is not as well-crafted as, say, "Shakespeare in Love", the sloppy, homemade quality almost becomes its central aesthetic. It feels like something you'd dream up on a Friday night sitting around a hookah with your best friends, and by Saturday morning nobody could remember quite what you were talking about.

Even though the film utterly lacks the air of serious drama that one normally expects in a rendition of a Shakespearian tragedy, one can't help but wonder if the slapdash charms of this production might not actually lie closer to what versions Shakespeare himself might have seen produced at the Globe...rowdy, loose, untamed entertainment that races from one side of the stage to the other without pausing to ask what its all about.

This is some of the most fun I've had watching a movie. I took it as a blind recommendation and it has become one of my favorite comedies in years.

Using Shakespeare's Macbeth as his source, former actor Billy Morrissette makes (I believe) his feature film debut as an actor with this brilliantly dark (I know, I'm oxymoronic) comedy.

Set in the depressed town of Scotland, Pennsylvania circa 1973, Morrissette turns Shakespeare's original story about a power hungry wife pushing her too contemplative husband into a bloody post-regicide reign into a tale of an over ambitious wife pushing her dullard husband into murder to take over a fast food joint. Morrissette had obvious fun playing with the characters names and using them to even propel the story. There is of course our anti-hero/heroine Joe "Mac" and his wife Pat - the McBeth's, both of whom work for Duncan, the owner of (what else) a donut shop. Through shrewd manipulation Pat pushes. There's also Lt. McDuff (Christopher Walken seemingly having more fun than he has in anything I can recall him in); Banquo - becomes Banco, and Shakespeare's witches/weird sisters become an unholy trio of drugged out hippies (deliciously played by Andy Dick, Amy Smart and Tim Levitch.

Acting honors go all the way around but James LeGros and Maura Tierney get special mention as the unholy couple. LeGros captures the perfect 70's dullard, small time dreams, clueless and nearly almost ruining everything. He's a delight to watch. Ms. Tierney - an actress who singlehandedly kept me from ever watching E.R. nearly shocked the life out of me by actually proving to be an amazing actress. If for no other reason (but thank God there are plenty of 'em) the movie would be worth watching for Tierney's most delicious, crazed performance of the film. Her transparent subtlety is almost menacing and her greedy ambition is mouthwateringly contagious - you want her to get away with everything.

I can't recommend this movie enough! Hilarious and disturbing Scotland, Pa. is a joy!

I have the DVD of this movie & I think the director, Morissette did an incredible job-- I am pretty sure this was his first movie. I love the soundtrack & think the casting was excellent. This film appeals to anyone that enjoys dark comedies..I recommend watching the movie w/ the director's comments included in the feature--- From that I realized that the director is Maura Tierney's husband... and she truly inspired the "Pat MacBeth" character's role in the story..

Scotland PA IS SUCH AN AWESOME MOVIE... i give this movie ten stars and do not think a single thing should have been done differently.. I could see this movie over & over without getting sick of it.

Lately, I've been forcing everyone I know to watch this film. It may not go down in history, but it is hilariously funny--especially if you don't take it too seriously! People need to chill out a bit about it, and not try to analyze it too deeply. It's a funny 1970's version of Macbeth with fabulous actors and actresses, and while much of its comedy comes from its similarites to the play, much of the comedy stands on its own. It's a great update, and I don't think it should be compared to films like "Shakespeare in Love" because the idea is completely different. It's not too violent of a black comedy, either, though moments like the killing of Duncan are outright hilarious. Take smaller moments, too, like when the children play with the body of Banco as it's being taken away. The acting is excellent--Tierney, Le Gros, Walkin...what else do I have to say? It's a fun film that I think you should see.