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Humboldt County (2008)

DVD Cover (Magnolia Pictures)
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Overall Rating 62%
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Ranked #6,688
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A disillusioned medical student is stranded for a summer in a remote community of counterculture pot farmers, the last place in the world he imagined he would discover himself. --IMDb
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Review by bluemeanie
Added: October 12, 2008
Aren't you tired of those damned quirky independent comedies? Films like "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Napoleon Dynamite" brought attention to a whole new class of slightly offbeat, entertaining little pictures, continued by the likes of "Juno", "Lars and the Real Girl" and "Hamlet 2" as a recent example. The latest in this long line of low-budget hush-hush comedy is "Humboldt County", one of the most straight-forward quirky comedies I have seen in a while, and one of the best. I saw this film during the 2008 Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, but it's currently in limited release and can be absorbed by the masses - if those masses happen to live near one of the few theatres carrying it. The title, "Humboldt County", refers to the county in California where the crux of the action in the film occurs. It's one of those films that takes a colorful assortment of eccentric and unbelievable characters and somehow injects some real warmth and humor into their lives, and our perceptions of their lives. Halfway through the film I remember thinking to myself - "Isn't it nice to see a film that isn't making any statements or taking any risks?" - the film just "is". I don't know if the film will make it on my end of the year list, but it has a good shot of an honorable mention.

The film opens with Peter (Jeremy Strong) being told by his father/professor (Peter Bogdanovich) that he is not going to pass him, thus preventing him from getting a prestigious residency. Peter then hooks up with Bogart (Fairuza Balk), a young singer and actress who convinces Peter to go with her to her home in Humboldt County. When Peter arrives, he is introduced to her strange and eccentric family of pot growers and pot dealers. You see - Humboldt County is made out to be the marijuana capital of the West Coast. Brad Dourif stars as Jack and Frances Conroy as Rosie, the two heads of the family, with Chris Messina as Max (their son) and Madison Davenport as Charity (their young granddaughter). What Peter thinks is an overnight trip turns into an extended stay as he always seems to miss the bus and kept over for another night. He eventually warms up to the family and they take him in as a surrogate, with Peter helping to harvest the crop. Towards the end of the film, the Feds become involves as they search for large pot fields and Peter must decide whether to return to his life of normalcy or stay in this new world that he loves so much.

There is nothing flashy or over-zealous about this picture. Everything in "Humboldt County" is quiet and meaningful. The film moves along at a deliberate peace, but never becomes boring. It's interesting to see a film that takes place almost entirely within the confines of the lives of dealers of growers of marijuana. Knowing that the Feds could come knocking any moment makes the tension very subtle and very internalized. We don't think anything is going to happen, but we are always aware that it could. The script by Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs is just fantastic and really illuminates this world that is unknown to so many. We have intellectual characters who are partaking in illegal activities, knowing the risks and benefits associated with those activities. There are no morons in this film. There are no dullards. Just real people living real lives and trying to keep their real families together. And, there is also an element of acceptance in the film. Peter is longing to be accepted in the mainstream, since his father doesn't seem to want to. He's a person who has been living his entire life in a bubble, with everything being plotted out for him. When he finally gets a chance to see the world, he sees what he's been missing and loves it.

And, like "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Juno", this film lives and dies by its performances. Jeremy Strong is fantastic here as Peter, a role that requires such abrupt characters juxtapositions that you wonder where this guy's been on the Hollywood radar? Hopefully, this film will expose him to some wider audiences and some continued success. Frances Conroy is brilliant in her role as the kooky matriarch of the household. Conroy has one scene where she explains what happened to her first husband that is just heartbreaking and the choice to keep the camera on her the entire time was inspired and works brilliantly. Chris Messina delivers a strong performance as Max and really gets some chances to demonstrate his acting chops. Peter Bogdanovich is great, as always, in a role that allows him to relax and just have fun. But, the real standout performance comes from Brad Dourif, a character actor who has been ignored and cast aside for a long time now. Dourif turns in his best work since "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and deserves Academy Award consideration for his turn here. I think people have forgotten how amazing he is. Hopefully this film will remind movie-goers and casting agents that Dourif is so well liked for a reason.

So - aren't you tired of those damned quirky independent comedies? If your answer is no, then I firmly suggest you check out "Humboldt County" as soon as possible. If your answer is yes, then I still encourage you to see the film because it's better than most and different than the rest. There is just always this soft spot in my heart for honest films that tackle subtle subject matter and this film did that. I applaud films that aren't flashy or gimmicky or full of conceit. I applaud films that take risks that audiences can't even see on the surface, because they're emotional ones. "Humboldt County" is that rare breed of independent cinema that pushes the audience towards a place of pure enjoyment that comes from both the quality of the story and the quality of the execution. It's a sweet, beautiful, original piece of cinema that made me smile. And, in case you missed it, Brad Dourif for Best Supporting Actor, though I doubt the Academy will dig that deep and look that long for a performance this amazing. It will get overlooked. The best ones always do.

9/10.
grain of sand #1: grain of sand - added October 13, 2008 at 3:50am
I saw the trailer for this quite a while back and have been waiting for it to pop up.

Being from around this area it should be interesting seeing how they portray these people. Can't wait to see it now that I've read this review.
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