I really was hoping this would be better. After 20 minutes, I cut my losses and quit watching it. Laura Dern was an unlikeable basket case and BBT was a jerk throwing baloney around. Ugh.

Billy Bob Thornton captures the slang and dialog of southern rednecks the same way Quentin Tarantino captures the slang and dialog of the inner city thugs. "Don't think I don't know things like that" "I can't have a goddamn car wreck in peace" "That line dancers eyes got as big as pie plates"(after car crash) Paramedic="They were all drunk" Claude="Did you hear that? We were all drunk" Ruby="Oh baby, thank God you were drunk" Claude="I was drunkest one of all!"The scene where the mother screams at her two daughters to quit fighting and "get in this car NOW!!!" was played out by my mother and sisters many times before I ever saw this movie.This movie is a creative dark comedy with great cinematography and a relaxing soundtrack. So funny on so many levels it gets better every time I watch it.

From the first time I caught a portion of this film on Showtime until I finally found a copy on DVD, I asked myself, "Why wasn't this released in the theaters?" I have rationalized that it was too real for the average Southern audience and conversely bizarre to a Northern group. Add the fact that Jim Varney was unable to complete the film, which I'm sure, created some last minute re-writes and the botch job the editors did in the cutting room and the answer becomes more obvious.The movie had a superior cast and each thespian was spot on in the portrayal of their respective roles. From the obvious stars Billy Bob Thornton's portrayal of an alcoholic, troglodytic, narcissistic redneck and Andy Griffith's character whose nightmare plagued view of life was truly delightful to watch, to the unsung Walter Goggins spot-on Southern Homosexual; Tommy Christianson (Jim Varney's alleged victim) and the tandem of Jaimie Lee's and Affleck's portrayals of fish out of water Yankees, all the actors were well above Hollywood's standards.The writing was as close as one can get to true to life redneck/white trash dialog. I use the terms redneck/white trash with personal pride having spent a good number of my life's years living in a trailer in Alabama. I have been surrounded by and endured these types with much fascination for quite some time and this movie was completely a slice of life. Well worth watching and should be a part of every Southerner's DVD collection.Through all the madness that ensues in the film, the finale leaves one feeling warm and fuzzy, if you work for it. You can see the potential for change and growth in all walks of humanity. The poor struggle with the past but live in the now. They walk in the shadows of the educated but are far from being imbeciles. Obscene behavior shows ignorance not stupidity. Anyone that sees this film and cannot get past all the verbose behavior in the film will not grasp the underlying love that is being purveyed. The Character's total dysfunction disables them from rational thoughts and actions, however, they do care for one another honestly and carry exceptionally strong family bonds. Now, for the most troubling aspect; the fatal flaw was the editing. The movie at first glance has some gaps and unexplainable situations that are baffling and distracting. Upon viewing the deleted scenes portion of the DVD the movie's intent and flow are re-established. This is still a very good film. Sadly, it could have been a great one.

Thought this flick was one of the funniest I've seen in quite some time. In particular, Andy Griffith was flat-out hilarious. I also think its interesting how so many Southerners commenting here not only weren't offended but instead found it damn authentic and hilarious. I think that's cuz Billy Bob Thornton knows the territory and did it justice based upon his encounters with real people like this, not stereotypes. I have no idea why this film's so obscure: I'd never heard of it when I started watching it on a whim, and it doesn't appear to have ever been reviewed by the big name critics. Anybody got any explanation for this?