This contains SPOILERS in more ways than one. It's really going to spoil things for those who commented in here about simple folks and culture clash. It's much deeper and nastier than that.
Okay, whut wur the yokels howling for in the opening? George was the father of brother Johnny's wife's Ashley's baby - and everyone in the family knew it except his new wife Madeleine. That's why he stayed behind at the hospital, why Ashley professed her love for him, why Johnny hit him with the wrench and he didn't respond, and why Johnny felt okay about grabbing Madeleine's rear.
Understand that Johnny is 'developmentally challenged' (Northern word for you-know-what) - confirmed by the misunderstood comment "he's still at the Replacement Factory?", not made in dismay that it was the best job he could get, but that he could hold any job. But Johnny was just aware enough to know that he was dumb and that those around him were using him as the dupe-father.1 I have to watch it again, because all this was not clear until the end - I bet I missed plenty more clues.
Another clue that Johnny is 'developmentally challenged' was mother's statement/question to George at his departure - "You're Okay - there's nothing wrong with you."
Initially, I thought this was a simple culture-clash flick, until it was made clear that one culture (big-city, left (J. Jackson Jr. benefit) is superior and the other (dumb-slow southerners) is inferior. Although the church dinner scene was honest and refreshing.
One tell-all was the neighbor waving at Madeleine with the innocent know-everything look near the end (what are you doing in that house?).
Were I from Carolina, I would be a little 'upset' about this one.
But by all means see it for the entertainment. "You got acid reflux?"
Okay, whut wur the yokels howling for in the opening? George was the father of brother Johnny's wife's Ashley's baby - and everyone in the family knew it except his new wife Madeleine. That's why he stayed behind at the hospital, why Ashley professed her love for him, why Johnny hit him with the wrench and he didn't respond, and why Johnny felt okay about grabbing Madeleine's rear.
Understand that Johnny is 'developmentally challenged' (Northern word for you-know-what) - confirmed by the misunderstood comment "he's still at the Replacement Factory?", not made in dismay that it was the best job he could get, but that he could hold any job. But Johnny was just aware enough to know that he was dumb and that those around him were using him as the dupe-father.1 I have to watch it again, because all this was not clear until the end - I bet I missed plenty more clues.
Another clue that Johnny is 'developmentally challenged' was mother's statement/question to George at his departure - "You're Okay - there's nothing wrong with you."
Initially, I thought this was a simple culture-clash flick, until it was made clear that one culture (big-city, left (J. Jackson Jr. benefit) is superior and the other (dumb-slow southerners) is inferior. Although the church dinner scene was honest and refreshing.
One tell-all was the neighbor waving at Madeleine with the innocent know-everything look near the end (what are you doing in that house?).
Were I from Carolina, I would be a little 'upset' about this one.
But by all means see it for the entertainment. "You got acid reflux?"