In order not to make anybody angry about the small complaints I have, let me say first: I love this film. I have a copy and I have watched it three times.
This movie was shot in several Mississippi towns, and I live in one of them. My wife, Jonnie Wilson Harthcock, was in the movie, but her scenes were cut and re-shot. My darling was the (first) waitress who says "Yes, Sir" to George Clooney in the hotel where they first encounter John Goodman's character Big Dan. Jonnie had Alzheimer's. I tried to impress this upon the Casting Director, but she liked Jonnie's looks for that small part. But my poor dear could not remember not to look down at her feet when she hit her "spot" by the table. So they had to re-shoot it with somebody else.
John Goodman lied to me, outside. How did he lie to me? He was a nice guy...knew I was Jonnie's husband...he said "She did great. Really, she did great." She did not do great, but John Goodman was very nice for no particular reason. Why was he even in this movie, I ask myself...so briefly and inconsequentially...probably has or had a contract with the Coens.
For Mississippians there's a lot of funny stuff that nobody else would get. For instance, all the towns the characters mention are real towns, but very jumbled up. Many scenes were shot in my town of Yazoo City, but they called it Itta Bena, which is an actual small town up in the Delta, but not as scenic as Yazoo. The "Woolworth's" that Clooney gets thrown out of is the old Saxon Hardware (now a trendy, artsy furniture re-do place). Did you notice...the guy who throws Clooney out calls it "Woolsworth." Of course, there never was a Woolworth's there, but the people who own the building left the signs up until they wore out.
I am a big fan of the Coen Bros. to begin with, so don't think I love this film just because they shot it in my town and my wife was supposed to be in it. It's extremely funny and well-done. The three principals do a great job of lip-syncing some terrific music, and Tim Blake Nelson is beyond hilarious.
Here are my small complaints:
First, Parchman Farm (which is way up in the Delta, nowhere near here) never had chain gangs busting rocks. We don't have any rocks around here, and especially not up at Parchman. And why would they be busting them? And on a dirt road? And why were the prisoners all totally out of rhythm with the music?
Second, where did the guys get gophers to eat? We don't have any gophers...that's a Western rodent. I think the Coens chose gophers because what they boys COULD have caught and eaten - squirrels or rabbits - are too cute and popular for movie fans to see spitted, roasted and eaten in a comedy. "Let's just say 'gophers'; nobody likes gophers."
Third, we don't have horned toads in Mississippi; those are Western toads. And the so-called "toad" that the fellows thought that Turturro's character was turned into by the siren was not even a toad; it was a frog.
And finally, the film showed a lack of knowledge of Mississippi dancing, music and dialog of that era. Bluegrass is not Mississippi music, for instance; it is Kentucky music. Most of the accents were fictitious "generic southern," not Mississippi at all, and the dancing was just slapstick.
Still, a very entertaining movie. At OpinionSoup.com, we love it!
This movie was shot in several Mississippi towns, and I live in one of them. My wife, Jonnie Wilson Harthcock, was in the movie, but her scenes were cut and re-shot. My darling was the (first) waitress who says "Yes, Sir" to George Clooney in the hotel where they first encounter John Goodman's character Big Dan. Jonnie had Alzheimer's. I tried to impress this upon the Casting Director, but she liked Jonnie's looks for that small part. But my poor dear could not remember not to look down at her feet when she hit her "spot" by the table. So they had to re-shoot it with somebody else.
John Goodman lied to me, outside. How did he lie to me? He was a nice guy...knew I was Jonnie's husband...he said "She did great. Really, she did great." She did not do great, but John Goodman was very nice for no particular reason. Why was he even in this movie, I ask myself...so briefly and inconsequentially...probably has or had a contract with the Coens.
For Mississippians there's a lot of funny stuff that nobody else would get. For instance, all the towns the characters mention are real towns, but very jumbled up. Many scenes were shot in my town of Yazoo City, but they called it Itta Bena, which is an actual small town up in the Delta, but not as scenic as Yazoo. The "Woolworth's" that Clooney gets thrown out of is the old Saxon Hardware (now a trendy, artsy furniture re-do place). Did you notice...the guy who throws Clooney out calls it "Woolsworth." Of course, there never was a Woolworth's there, but the people who own the building left the signs up until they wore out.
I am a big fan of the Coen Bros. to begin with, so don't think I love this film just because they shot it in my town and my wife was supposed to be in it. It's extremely funny and well-done. The three principals do a great job of lip-syncing some terrific music, and Tim Blake Nelson is beyond hilarious.
Here are my small complaints:
First, Parchman Farm (which is way up in the Delta, nowhere near here) never had chain gangs busting rocks. We don't have any rocks around here, and especially not up at Parchman. And why would they be busting them? And on a dirt road? And why were the prisoners all totally out of rhythm with the music?
Second, where did the guys get gophers to eat? We don't have any gophers...that's a Western rodent. I think the Coens chose gophers because what they boys COULD have caught and eaten - squirrels or rabbits - are too cute and popular for movie fans to see spitted, roasted and eaten in a comedy. "Let's just say 'gophers'; nobody likes gophers."
Third, we don't have horned toads in Mississippi; those are Western toads. And the so-called "toad" that the fellows thought that Turturro's character was turned into by the siren was not even a toad; it was a frog.
And finally, the film showed a lack of knowledge of Mississippi dancing, music and dialog of that era. Bluegrass is not Mississippi music, for instance; it is Kentucky music. Most of the accents were fictitious "generic southern," not Mississippi at all, and the dancing was just slapstick.
Still, a very entertaining movie. At OpinionSoup.com, we love it!