05/06/06 Escanaba In Da Moonlight

Escanaba In Da Moonlight (2001), directed by Jeff Daniels

watched solo; DVD rental (Netflix) @ car ride (from Tuskegee, AL to Range, AL)

Now begins the first big challenge to this year's Challenge...a road trip to a campground for the week. I owe thanks for continuation of the streak of movies this week to my parents, not only for birthing and raising me (a challenge unto itself); but also giving me the gift of a portable DVD player as an early birthday present. Therefore, it was my duty after a long stretch of drive through the Carolinas and Georgia to let Leslie take the wheel and me to kick back with a film from the great cold north to take our mind off the upcoming heat. I chose the offbeat comedy stylings of one Jeff Daniels, most notably of "Dumb & Dumber" fame. In this, his directorial debut, he harks back to the eccentric culture that is his Michigan roots, and introduces the country to a lesser known fabric of America...the Upper Peninsula (affectionately nicknamed the U.P.). I have a friend from Michigan who had already explained some of the wonders that are this culture, but this one caters to the humor that comes from that environment of rugged living, harsh accents, deer hunting, beer drinking, hard working, nature loving and hearty eating (just what exactly is a pasty you might ask). Having come from that area himself, you can tell that Daniels attempts a decent satire without coming across as just plain mean-spirited about their quirky habits. Set in a small town, Daniels plays the lead role of Reuben Soady, who at 43 years old comes from a long line of deer hunting to provide for their families. Unfortunately, due to bad skill or bad luck, Reuben has never bagged a buck...and is constantly taunted by townsfolk as the "buckless youper." Going for the traditional family jaunt to the forrest deer camp with his brother Remnar and father Albert, Reuben hopes to break his luckless streak and bring pride back to his family by shooting his first deer. All kinds of wacky circumstances arise upon their camp, including inexplicable occurences, whiskey turning into sap, cars catching fire, and UFO sightings. With the help of family ghosts, and his Native-American wife's mysticism, Reuben will once and for all conquer his fears. Along with a cast of odd characters like grizzly Jimmer Negamanee from Menominee, fart jokes, and hokey special effects; this one was destined to become a cult classic. It's definitely an honest attempt at that anyway, and there's a bunch to laugh at here...but in the end, I thought it could have tried a little less hard to be that classic. An off the map kind of comedy that delivers a memorable movie. Now, let's have a pasty.

3 out of 5 stars