Home Fries isn't a bad movie, but it did seem to be overrated by the critics. It seems that adding a bit of a dark vibe into any kind of interpersonal situation makes a critic sometimes reflexively jump and shout-- Realism! Art! Well, avoiding a spoiler here, I hope, let me say that clever writing and directing can sometimes result in clichéd movies. I think it does here. The film smacks of string pulling, and attempted button pushing. That is, I felt as if the movie's makers were employing devices and schemata designed to evoke a response in me, rather than somehow letting the characters, the story, the movie itself unfold and tell its own story. Thus, the whole of Home Fries came across as a little wooden and fake; it was unsatisfying for me. I wasn't enrolled in most of it, and to the extent I did involve myself here and there, it was rather unpleasant. And I swear-- I really like the cast in other things. They're great actors, but simply came a cropper here. I gave it a 5.

How does that work? Well. . .it does, and it doesn't. It's kind of strange, because this movie wasn't terribly complicated, but I'm still not sure what to make of it. So here's my tentative review: it's weird in a weird way. I mean, there are funny weird movies, and fun weird movies, and disgusting weird movies, and experimental weird movies, and mindless weird movies- and "Home Fries" is somehow none of those, either by an inch or by a mile. It's worth watching, don't get me wrong, but my feelings on this movie are uncharacteristically ambiguous. Drew is great, of course- she almost always is. I grew up in a tiny, Southern town, so I can vouch that the atmosphere seemed authentic. Luke Wilson is a charmingly unusual hero. Catherine O'Hara is funny as his psycho mother, and the Busey kid chews the scenery with both gusto and some amazing choppers, each obviously inherited from his dad. Some of the dialogue was really good, and there was a lot about this flick that was nicely understated. But overall...well, I occasionally get the urge to watch it again (because I like strange movies, and "Home Fries" is possessed of a strangeness I've never quite seen before,) but it certainly won't wear out before most of my other tapes. That, I guess, is the simplest and most honest review I can give it.

This looks like a case of a classic schizophrenic Hollywood movie--too dark-humored for fans of romantic comedy, not nearly outrageous enough for those looking for that quality. (You may get a little nervous, though, when a shotgun-wielding character walks into a fast-food restaurant full of kids.) Consequently it will end up alienating a lot of viewers looking for the one type of film or the other. Most of the characters aren't very enjoyable to watch, with the noted exception of Drew Barrymore in the lead. I was disappointed that Catherine O'Hara's part wasn't any better--she could have really livened the movie up if her character had been a little more forceful.

Despite all the problems, there was still something left to like here, and I would give it a positive recommendation, but just barely. On second thought, recommending this movie to someone would be a risky proposition, but I thought that overall it was marginally successful.