Originally written for The Occidental<\/i>.<\/p>\n
\nWe\u2019ve all seen the previews: \u201cFrom the creators of There\u2019s Something About Mary<\/i>\u2026 Outside Providence<\/i>!\u201d While Outside Providence<\/i> is indeed written by the Farrelly brothers, made famous by There\u2019s Something\u2026, it is directed by Michael Corrente, and remarkably different from the Farrellys\u2019 other work. Yes, there are still mean jokes and outrageous characters, but the jokes are spread more thinly and the characters taken far more seriously.<\/p>\n
Outside Providence<\/i> revolves around the trials and tribulations of Tim \u201cDildo\u201d Dumphey (Shawn Hatosey) whose father finally loses patience with him when he and a bunch of friends rear-end a parked cop car\u2026 while smoking a startling amount of marijuana. Tim\u2019s Dad, Old Man Dunphy (an almost unrecognizable Alec Baldwin), sends him to prep school, even though it\u2019s his senior year. Of course, prep school turns out to be both better and worse than Tim expected, primarily because of Jane Weston, the brilliant, beautiful, and rich fellow-student Tim falls for. And, of course, it wouldn\u2019t be a Farrelly film without an unlucky canine, and Outside Providence<\/i> is no exception. The Dunphy family\u2019s dog is one-eyed, three-legged, and Old Man Dunphy doesn\u2019t like her.<\/p>\n
This is a film with many strengths, beginning with the cast. Hatosy and Baldwin are excellent, managing to make their characters interesting and sympathetic in spite of their at times overwhelming faults. Smart is able to be both the \u2018perfect girl\u2019 and human \u2013 a tribute both to her acting and Farrelly\u2019s writing. The supporting cast is also excellent, from Tim\u2019s wheelchair-bound younger brother (Tommy Bone) to Mr. Funderberk, the dreaded dormmaster.<\/p>\n
What makes this film wonderful, and sets it apart from the good but very different other Farrelly films, is the way the characters interact. Old Man Dunphey and his poker pals manage to be at once blindingly insensitive jerks and remarkably kind men. The script captures their inability to express their feelings, and their acting lets the audience see what it is they\u2019re trying to say (or trying not to say.). The romance between Tim and Jane is a classic princess-peasant one, but it\u2019s also believable.<\/p>\n
The bottom line is, this is a very good film. But it\u2019s not another There\u2019s Something About Mary<\/i> (that film is in production as I write this, and should come out next year, okay?). Outside Providence<\/i> is a movie of a different genre, and one well worth seeing, at that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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