Tom Reviews God Bless America

Tom's Corner:

God Bless America 

(2011, Bobcat Goldthwait, dir)

Lately, I haven't seen any movies that moved me to review them. Just the same old boring crap, or classics that have had so much praise heaped upon them that any paltry bit of two-dollar wisdom I could add would be irrelevant. The most recent of the “current” films I've seen, The Campaign, was perfectly fine, except for Will Ferrell's seemingly self destructive need to put the same repetitive gross out humor in every damned one of his movies. And except for Will Ferrell. Every single time he's on screen, I feel as though I'm watching an extra long, extra crappy SNL sketch. But then, a familiar savior on a dark horse rode in, and that man's name was Bobcat Goldthwait. God Bless America, his 2011 film, is one of the best films I have seen in the last five years. It has a message, and it does not apologize or flinch away once.

Are you like me? Are you fed up with bitchy whiny loudmouthed asshole reality TV stars? Do you just flat out hate that it seems the most popular people in this country do NOTHING. The Kardashians. They are famous. For. Doing. Nothing. Or those talking heads who fear monger 24/7 on cable news? People like Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity? The loudest mouth in the room wins the day, and won't listen to anyone else because they're always right. You know who hates people like this? Me. Frank (Joel Murray) also does. Frank goes through his headache ridden life dealing with noisy, unapologetic neighbors and an unappreciative daughter, being barraged with idiotic reality television aimed at showing the idiots that there's someone even more ridiculous out there to gawk at, and berated for attempting to have a differing opinion at work. After being fired for an act of kindness, Frank is at his lowest. A later doctor's appointment tells Frank he has almost no time left.

Frank decides to deal with someone he sees on a reality show because she's not nice. On his mission to make the world a better place, he meets Roxy (Tara Lynne Barr), a misfit 16 year old. She tracks him down after he dispatches his first victim (I'd call it a mercy killing, at least for the mercy of the world) and they begin a platonic friendship/countrywide road trip, dealing with society's real ills: people who don't turn off their cells and talk in movies, asshole fundamentalists trying to push their views on everyone else, talk show talking heads and reality show venom spewers.

Frank and Roxy have a wholly platonic relationship, more of a father/daughter thing than anything else. In many scenes, you can see Frank seeing Roxy as the daughter he wants, someone who doesn't follow the latest trends and thinks for themselves. Likewise, Roxy seems to view Frank as a “cool” person because he doesn't care if he's “cool” or not.

Some may be turned off by the violence in this movie. I see it as a natural response to being fed up with all the bullshit spewed at us in society, taken to an extreme. Goldthwait does not shy away from blood (though there is no gore), because this is the only way we will listen. Think about this. We need “extreme” messages or we don't listen. And of course, every extreme act is taken the wrong way, because none of us can just say, 'Yeah, I fucked up, I apologize.' Goldthwait is telling us that we are a nation who cannot accept blame for the problems we cause ourselves. Think. How many times when you personally have been in the wrong and KNOWN it, have you refused to back down? Yeah, me too, and aren't we assholes because of it?

Good film entertains. Great film incites. Did anyone else say that before? I'm sure they did, but I'll say it again. Watch this movie. Discuss it. If you don't like it, don't just say 'I thought it was stupid.' Tell us why. What didn't you like? What did you like? What could be improved? Own your opinion. Hell, just have a valid, thought out opinion. It's what Frank and Roxy would want.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES:

* Behind the Scenes: Killing With Kindness
* God Bless TV: Deleted/Extended Scenes
* Outtakes
* Interviews
* HDNet: A look at God Bless America
* Roxy and Frank Music Video
* Commentary
* Theatrical Trailer

- Tom