Everything but the kitchen sink..
Mary M | 01/30/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I hadn't heard of this potboiler before, so had no expectations other than to see what Sissy S. has been up to. After viewing, I know why the film slipped notice back in 2000. It should have been far, far better given the fairly competent cast, including Beau Bridges who often passes for a good old boy, but is really an incompetent villain. His villain this time had a few hidden depths: good nature, sincerity, and a thirst for familial love, but most of all for MONEY. He charms poor Sissy who is trying hard to provide a sad little life for her three children after a divorce from their alcoholic father, probably the saddest character of all.
Beau cons Sissy in order to buy into a delicious reminder of an Amway scheme, and for awhile he has the life he always wanted until that old Devil Lust beckons one day. Meanwhile Sissy's youngest son, terribly in need of a father replacement, has accidentally discovered more 'cons' (pardon the pun)in regard to Beau, and soon the desperate little family is being interviewed by the local police.
I won't go further with the plot, but suffice it to say that it touches on many currently bubbling issues including abusive priests, poverty, and unemployment. It is filmed in some ugly small town somewhere on a low budget, which makes it all the more topical. In fact, the more I write about it, the better I like it, so I'll now change the rating from a two to a three. But you get my drift...
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