From Executive Producer Quentin Tarantino ... This quirky and heartwarming comedy stars Johnny Knoxville (THE DUKES OF HAZZARD) and Juliette Lewis (COLD CREEK MANOR, STARSKY & HUTCH) in a hilarious cast! Daltry Calhoun... more » (Knoxville) is a wildly eccentric dreamer whose grass seed business has helped build up tiny Ducktown, Tennessee. But just as this local hero gets rolling on his riskiest and most grandiose plan ever, Daltry's past catches up with him in the form of a precocious teenage daughter (Sophie Traub) he's never known! Also starring David Koechner (THE DUKES OF HAZZARD) and Elizabeth Banks (SEABISCUIT).« less
Sharon F. (Shar) from AVON PARK, FL Reviewed on 6/13/2021...
Although not a Johnny Knoxville fan, I liked the plot of this movie so gave it a whirl. Much to my surprise, he was great in this movie as a deadbeat father.
Nathan J. (N8) from LA CRESCENTA, CA Reviewed on 4/16/2013...
You were probably drawn to this movie because you're either a fan of Tarantino or Knoxville. After all, those are the names on the cover. Based on the cast, you think this is an edgy comedy full of guy humor. INCORRECT! I've seen PBS astronomy documentaries with more jokes in them.
This is a coming-of-age wishful fantasy about a 14 year old girl who is an avatar for the writer/director, a woman named Katrina Bronson. It's full of neither shock nor humor. On the contrary, the plot, which is as agonizingly brainless as they come, is set up in the first ten minutes. A girl finds out that her father, who abandoned her and her mother when she was a toddler, is now a rich sod salesman who desperately regrets it and wants them back. Also, the girl wants to go to Julliard and her mom is dying of cancer. The sod business is in financial trouble for reasons too stupid to get into. The remaining 80 minutes are female teenage navel-gazing.
Can this girl get into Julliard, teach a retard to read by giving him flash cards, and look good in a dress if she takes off her glasses and retainer? Can her dad save his sod business and marry a local lady he's been having a monogamous relationship with for a decade and a half? Yes, yes, yes, yes. Obviously.
UNFORGIVABLY BORING!!!!
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
A Touching Film That I Thoroughly Enjoyed!
Dan Blankenship | Lowell, IN USA | 06/01/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ignore the critics. This is not a movie with a fast-paced agenda, but so what. It is a movie about personal relationships and love. It is a movie that is unpredictable and filled with things we can all relate to.
June, played by Sophie Traub, is a fourteen-year-old girl who is trying to get a grip on where her life is headed. Traub is an outstanding actress and steals the show with her amazing performance.
I found the dialogue, acting, and filming to be superb in this movie, so please ignore all of the people who are quick to shoot down this production.
Johnny Knoxville is not the star of this film, and I believe he does a great job in his supporting role. He plays it as real as it gets, a man who is trying to save his business while trying to connect with his teenage daughter whose life he has not been a part of for fourteen years.
I enjoyed just about everything in this movie, and I believe given a fair chance, you'll enjoy it too.
Give this film a shot. I think you'll find it a breath of fresh air among the stuffy choices in the DVD world.
See ya next review!"
A lost gem
M. L. George | 02/02/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This was Johnny Knoxville's 'other' film of last year, pretty much ignored at the box office. And that is a great shame. Released in between 'Dukes of Hazzard' and 'The Ringer' this film shows another side to Knoxville as an actor, and probably shows off his acting ability way better than the mugging and pratfalls of the other two movies.
The story follows the malcontent Daltry (played by Knoxville) from rather ignoble beginnings to the founder of a seemingly successful company and hailed as a hero by the town in which he has settled. Unbeknownst to everyone, Daltry's business is failing (he sells grass - the legal kind!) and his life is complicated even further by the sudden appearance of his ex-girlfriend and their now 14 year old daughter, played brilliantly by newcomer Sophie Traub. In some ways, the film is formulaic to the nth degree - mom is dying and so wants Daltry to face up to his responsibilty for his daughter and guess what? he does! - but it's also a very engaging, sweet, funny and at times desperately sad film.
Knoxville might surprise people with his performance in this. Yeah, at times he's still a bit clunky, but 99% of the time he delivers the goods and gives a great performance as Daltry, creating a genuinely likable character, hitting the right balance of awkwardness in his scenes with Traub, but also managing to make a convincing on screen couple with Juliette Lewis, who plays his love interest, Flora. He does best in some of the film's darker, sadder moments, displaying a vulnerablity that is very touching. Lewis, an vastly underrated actress in my opinion, really comes into her own in the second half of the movie.
The dvd extras are slight but good value. The commentary with the writer/director Katrina Holden Bronson, producer Dannielle Renfrew and exec-producer Quentin Tarantino is chatty and fun to listen to. They also provide a commentary for the deleted scenes. The bloopers are funny but not hilarious, and the 'making of' is short but sweet - and if nothing else should serve as a lesson to future film makers to not give Johnny Knoxville a golf club and tell him he to create chaos.
This film might not have set the world alight, and I am not sure it ever will, but it's a wonderful film to watch and enjoy. The characters are a delight, and the plot solid - things which are often lacking in even the most successful of films. Do yourselves a favour and check this out."
"Get high on grass - the legal kind!"
H. Bala | Carson - hey, we have an IKEA store! - CA USA | 07/14/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"In tiny Ducktown, Tennessee, Daltry Calhoun's burgeoning sod enterprise is threatening to go bust when the teenaged daughter he abandoned 14 years ago and her mother pop up out of the blue. May, the mother, is terminally ill and wants Daltry to take care of their daughter after she has gone. Now Daltry must try to come to grips with suddenly being a father raising a child he doesn't know, while facing financial ruin.
Katrina Holden Bronson wrote and directed this leisurely-paced slice-of-life dramedy about a man living down his past and his smart, musically-gifted daughter, June. Daltry Calhoun also is about heartwrenching loss and about hope and a sort of redemption. The film is funny and touching, and tinged with an undertone of bittersweet sadness. Bronson draws out very mature performances from her actors. Knoxville is pretty darn good as Daltry. Nothing of his Jackass persona is seen here, but instead, the viewer is witness to a startlingly layered performance by the erstwhile wildman. All in all, he seems to be rounding out just fine as an actor. Elizabeth Banks (Seabiscuit, Spider-Man series) is beautiful and quietly effective as the dying mother. Juliette Lewis is warm, vulnerable and sweet as the woman who loves Daltry. But young Sophie Traub tops them all. She is an eye-opener and excels in her every scene. The picture's more about her than about her dad, so it's a good thing whoever picked her for the role has either an eye for acting talent, or just got very, very lucky.
I didn't even know this film existed until it was recommended by a friend. Based on how much I enjoyed The Ringer, I decided to give Daltry Calhoun a try. I'm glad I did. Yes, it's a tiny, unprepossessing picture. But it's got heart.
The special features are run-of-the-mill but nice: a film commentary by Director Katrina Holden Bronson and Executive Producer Quentin Tarantino, several deleted scenes with explanatory commentary, some amusing outtakes, and a "making of" featurette.
"
Knoxville Stretches As An Actor--But Is Held Back By A Conve
K. Harris | Las Vegas, NV | 12/10/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I'm a Johnny Knoxville fan. I predicted his film career even in the early days of "Jackass" because he has a certain star quality--an appeal, a magnetism, and most importantly a winning personality. That being said, he has not fully realized his potential in any tangible way. Content, for the most part, to dwell in entertainment that appeals to the lowest common denominator--it is always refreshing to see him outside the element of mindless "comedy."
Sadly, though, while "Daltry Calhoun" is a change of pace--that doesn't make it a particularly good movie.
Knoxville plays a Southern sod tycoon who has overcome his sketchy past to become something of a regional hero. He is beloved in the town of Duckville as a local celebrity and philanthropist. One day, a former love and her daughter arrive in town with big news. The paramour, played by Elizabeth Banks, is dying and Knoxville has a fourteen year old daughter. With an added complication of his business failing, Knoxville's life suddenly becomes convoluted and his image tarnished. What follows is relatively expected. While the relationship between Knoxville and his daughter is sometimes sweet, it is only vaguely defined. Meant to be largely a relationship piece, "Calhoun" doesn't offer much new or insightful on the topic.
But there is good news, too. Knoxville is great here--managing a nice balance of zaniness with tenderness. Juliette Lewis, as a local woman interested in Knoxville, employs her usual oddball charm to good effect. The two of them are very skilled at walking that comedy/drama line and making you interested in the story. Elizabeth Banks, as Knoxville's lost love, serves up a terrific performance. (Anyone not familiar with the indie film work of Banks and only know her from "Spiderman" or "The 40-Year Old Virgin" are missing a very compelling actress. She has the stuff to make it big!) Sadly, there are some problematic performances, too. One of the main reasons the film fails to connect is the daughter--Sophie Traub is ostensibly the lead performer and she is disappointingly flat. Too big to be the precocious movie teen that she plays, her line readings and voice over narration are as awkward as her character is supposed to be. This fails to ignite any real drama and keeps one emotionally distant. Two other major characters are supplied for their quirks--a dishy Australian helping Knoxville repair his sod problem and a mentally challenged sidekick. Neither is fleshed out or believable, the mentally challenged character is almost painfully overdone.
Interesting for a look, but not especially noteworthy to the casual viewer. The 3 stars I'm giving "Daltry Calhoun" are for Banks, Knoxville and Lewis--one each. Somewhat cute, but forgettable. KGHarris, 12/06."
Great little movie!
Love2Teach | 01/04/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've read a lot of reviews that said this was a bad movie. It wasn't--it was a great movie! It was nice to see Johnny Knoxville in a role outside of the one we're used to seeing him in in Jackass. He played a sweet guy. I like movies with happy endings, and I felt that this was one of those movies. I'd recommend it to anyone, especially if you're a Johnny Knoxville fan like me!"