Go

I had an issue come up at work.  The backaches that have plagued me for the past few years came back with a vengeance and about five hours into my shift I asked to go home early.

I really REALLY hate doing that especially considering that I've only been there for a month, but I had all my day's work done and would have spent the next few hours doing menial tasks and suffering the entire time.  Heading home and making sure I got my back into working order for the next day seemed like a good idea and my supervisor agreed.

On my drive home I figured this would give me a good opportunity to write up the second half of my car shopping post and go through the search process I used to find my new car.  When I got home I laid out on the couch to get my back righted and found a surprise waiting for me on the DVR.  It seems that last night the search function I put into it months ago paid off and it had not only found but recorded one of my favorite films.  Go.

If you haven't seen this riotously funny movie from 1999, then I can't recommend it with more vigor.


I really like this movie because it has the entire package.  A great cast (that has gone on to do many fine films and television shows), a great funny script that never works overtime for the laughs, direction and editing that keeps the pace up, and subject matter that while not every day isn't treated as trash just to make another joke.

Lemme whet your appetite with the cast.   Go stars Sarah Polley (later stared in The Event, Dawn of the Dead, and John Adams), Katie Holmes (later stared in Batman Begins, The Kennedys, and Jack and Jill), Scott Wolf (Later stared in Everwood, V, and Perception), Jay Mohr (Later started in The West Wing, Street Kings, and Gary Unmarried), Timothy Olyphant (Later Starred in Gone in Sixty Seconds, Deadwood, Live Free or Die Hard, The Crazies, and Justified), William Fitchner (later started in Black Hawk Down, The Longest Yard, The Dark Night, Prison Break, Entourage, Seal Team Six, and Elysium), Taye Diggs (Later Stared in The Wood, House on Haunted Hill, and Private Practice), and dozens of other great actors playing great characters.

It was written by John August who later wrote Titan A.E., Charlies Angels, Big Fish, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and directed by Doug Liman who later produced the Bourne movies and Mr and Mrs Smith.

The story line is a little hard to tell without ruining a lot of the movie, but it's done in the style that was popular in the late 90s... three stories that are all more or less intertwined.   They involve a grocery store clerk trying to get enough money to avoid getting kicked out of her apartment, a drug dealer, a guy's trip to vegas, and a rave.

The jokes in the movie aren't laid out.  This isn't a 30 minute sitcom where there is a distinct setup and punchline.  No... this is just setting up the characters and letting their actions and reactions bring the funny.

I think the reason this movie really stands out to me is that I saw it while living in Chicago.  It shows a more or less regular people trying to make it and live their lives on the seedy side of the street.  Much like I was trying to make a living and failing to do so.  I had the movie on VHS for the longest time but I wore the damn tape out and just never got around to getting it on DVD or BluRay.

Oh.. and did I mention the soundtrack?  I downloaded most of the music at the time (before you could legitimately buy digital music), but many songs remain some of my favorites to this day:

Len "Steal My Sunshine"

Steppenwolf "Magic Carpet Ride" Remix by Phillip Steir

Jimmy Luxury n The Tommy Rome "Cha Cha Cha"

Lion Rock "Fire Up The Shoeshaw

No Doubt "New"

Massive Attack "Angel"

Fatboy Slim "Ganster Tripping"

Lion Rock "Scatter and Swing"

All good songs in my book and all used effectively in the movie.

I don't know why I really wanted to make a post about this other than sharing one of my favorite movies that so often get overlooked.  It may be from the late 90s, but it feels like it could have been made last year.  It's funny and very enjoyable!