OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE
US, 199 9, 97 minutes, Colour.
Shawn Hatosy, Amy Smart, Jonathan Brandis, Gabriel Mann, Alec Baldwin, George Wendt, Richard Jenkins, Tommy Bone, Jon Abrahams.
Directed by Michael Corrente.
Outside Providence comes from a novel by screenwriter and director, Peter Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, There’s Something about Mary which were made at this time). It was directed by Michael Corrente, director of such films as American Buffalo, Brooklyn Rules, with Alec Baldwin in another interesting performance. Shawn Hatosy was emerging as a teenage actor at this time and was to go on to have successful career, not as a star, but as a character actor in such films as Alpha Dog. Amy Smart was also at the beginning of her career. However, Alec Baldwin often steals the show as the less educated father, proud of his son the calling him Dildo, sending him to preppy high school and then hoping that he would go to college, the first in the family. Tommy Bone portrays the younger brother, injured in an accident and confined to a wheelchair.
Shawn Hatosy as Tim has a whole range of friends back in town. He has a different range of friends at school. But his father also has his group of friends, always seen playing cards together, with such character actors as George Wendt and Richard Jenkins.
The film is set in the 1970s and is the perspective on the 70s from the 1990s.
1. A coming-of-age film? Different? The 1970s seen by the 1990s?
2. The title, locations, Rhode Island, Connecticut, the ordinary seaside town, the Preppy public school? Musical score?
3. The focus on Tim, his age, his brother Jackie, his relationship with his father, with the card-players? Friendly, his group, layabouts? Drugs and drinking? Relationship with girls? The friends and their activities, lack of ambition, the incidents?
4. Tim’s father, calling his son Dildo, tough, love for his sons, his treatment, offhand? Lack of education, vocabulary? Memories of his wife, her suicide? His revealing this gradually to Tim? Playing card with his friends, their talk, the big discussion about homosexuality, jokes, his attitude towards his son’s education, going to college, the holidays home? The graduation, the application for the local college? An interesting character?
5. The range of friends, the card games, the jokes, their work, the issue about homosexuality, picking on Joey?
6. Tim at school, out of place, the atmosphere, arriving at the speeches, his roommate singing the song and his embarrassment? Classes, Tim and his intelligence, self-confidence? Jack Wheeler, friendship, the drugs, causing trouble, the clash with him at the end? Reporting him to the teacher? His meeting with Jane, the explanation, the attraction, going out?
7. Jane, her family, wealth, giving him the lift, the holidays and going to Tim’s house, the drugs, her desire to go to Brown, being found out, reported by Jack Wheeler, the rejection from Brown?
8. Tim, his going to the dean at Brown, getting in the window, the argument, awkward, yet his success?
9. Jackie as a shrewd and intelligent youngster? In the wheel chair? Covering for Tim with their father?
10. The character of Jack Wheeler, his place in the school, friendship, drugs, betrayal?
11. The other friends at school? The graduation, the teacher who picked on him, refusing to shake his hand?
12. The range of friends at home, the letter and its being read out, moving away from home or not? Changes? Tim and his future?
