Billy Morrissette directed the 2001 modern day retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth with his Scotland, Pa. Starring James Le Gros, Maura Tierney, and Christopher Walken, the film explored the life of a man with a burger stand lacking all motivation, and his wife who would do anything to be her own boss. Scotland, Pa. is a fun reimagining of the Shakespeare classic showing the lasting impression the bard still has on authors and filmmakers, alike. Joe 'Mac' McBeth (James Le Gros) married out of his league to the love of his life. His wife, Pat (Maura Tierney) is smarter and more business savvy than her well-meaning yet uninspired husband. Pat has dreams of grandeur that far exceed her small town and the modest burger stand she and her husband operate. When Pat, frustrated with her life's trajectory, finally reaches her breaking point, she convinces her husband to kill the business manager and rob the restaurant. Despite the warnings and fortune telling of trouble on the horizon from some under the influence drifters, Mac goes along with Pat's plan. Initially, the two find some success and all looks to be going according to plan until Lieutenant McDuff (Christopher Walken) begins investigating. Much to his dismay, it looks as though Mac hasn't committed his last murder as his wife begins to pull the strings to save the small fortune amassed since the restaurant became theirs.I'm quite partial to Shakespeare adaptations, and Scotland, Pa. was a fun re-telling of Macbeth. As a child of the 90's it was fun to see James Rebhorn (R.I.P.) in this film, I remember him as Preston's dad in the Disney hit Blank Check. I'm never too taken by Christopher Walken's acting, but I found this role to be perfect for his naturally paused dictation. All-in-all, Scotland, Pa. is a good enough indie flick and a fun reimagination of a Shakespeare classic, but not one that will stay with an audience once finished.

I am not often swayed to rent and even less, write about those movies you see on the shelves of video rental places sporting those funny little logos that surround their covers. Usually these markings indicate that they are some kind of 'special' movie. From my own experience, that marking signifies the movie is a 'dog.' I have rented one or two of these in my 25 years of video watching. Often, I found myself wondering whether I was culturally deficient, and on the other hand, amazed at what some people in the business get away with under the guise of being amateurs.Anyway, on a recent evening when I could not find anything to satiate my video yen, I took the advice of the video store clerk, who knows of my esoteric interests. He suggested one of those 'bordered' movies. Rather than succumb to inevitable boredom, which for me is not having anything new to watch, I gave in to his hype and rented Scotland PA. Wouldn't you know It turns out to be one of the freshest, most hip movies I have screened recently. For what it is, a dark comedy (ala Macbeth) you will find this one right on the mark.Remember Christopher Walken? He is alive and well, at least in this movie. If you are a fan of his, you'll appreciate what he does to make it work. The first time I encountered him was way back in 1983. The name of the movie was BRAIN SCAN, also starring Natalie Wood and Cliff Robertson, that guy who did endless AT&T commercials in the late '70s & early 80's. He was around before that, in many short lived TV series. His most outstanding movies include, The Deer Hunter, Pulp Fiction, True Romance and Disney's The Country Bears. An enduring, diverse and very talented actor.In Scotland, PA. Chris plays an investigator probing in to the Fry-o-later murder of a local eatery owner played by James Le Gros. Crispy! The plot is intricate and does well with the ensemble cast that make this story set in the '70s, move swiftly. It demands most of your attention, because you might miss something if you turn your head. If you like the 70's music of 3 Dog Night, Bad Company, Janis Ian, First Class and others, the soundtrack is essential. The music audio in the movie sounds a little weird, it could have been cleaner. You will even see some footage of Mark Spitz unfold in this great piece of mystery/comedy. The direction and cinematography separate this from a B offering and may make you wonder why New Line or even Columbia did not pick up this Sundance goo-die.Scotland, PA. Is the kind of movie you watch alone, so you can laugh crazily and really enjoy yourself. You do not want to constantly be looking to see if anyone else is getting the humor. It goes too fast for that. There probably is not an actor or actress in the movie you have not seen somewhere else, and that makes it even better. Besides, it is a great one to have long, knowing conversations about when you meet someone else that has seen it. My favorites are the marijuana fairies that show up throughout the flick! Something for everybody, and today, that is an accomplishment. Thank you 'all knowing' video store clerk. I owe you one.

Unfortunately, the few other reviewers were expecting Caddyshack or something. This is a Black Comedy, and it is very good. The scenes are quick and engaging. The actors are well suited for their characters. The Duncan brothers could have their own sequel. Christopher Walken is very sly and humorous, shaking his castanetta's while trying to solve a murder. If it was not made aware to you, this is a 1980's version of Macbeth, with Maura Tierney and James LeGros playing the scheming murderous couple, the McBeths. A hamburger restaurant is at the center of the action, with the McBeths being willed the restaurant from their former boss, Mr. Duncan. The cinematography very much captures Pa., as well as the sets. Two final comments. The soundtrack was one of the best I have heard in years. Bad Company songs make up about half of it, with sprinklings of other ditties included as well. The second and most important is that Maura Tierney steals this film. Every scene she is in, you are transfixed to her. Her actions, her (in some cases) vulgarity and her great acting makes this her showcase. The scene with her and the pharmacist at the end is hysterical as she attempts to remove a burn from her hand which has long since healed. Bravo Maura and Bravo to this little movie that SHOULD have been a bigger success. Shakespeare adaptation not withstanding, you do not need to be familiar with the Bard to enjoy this film.

For hundreds of years, Shakespeare has inspired playwrights and others, and he himself based many of his plays on past works and stories. "Scotland, PA" is another, one of many in recent years, often done as teen flicks these days. This is totally logical given the power of the stories, the universality of the themes. Now, you might not have immediately thought the take over of a burger joint in the 1970s would be the most logical parallel to the regicide of Macbeth, but it's handled pretty well here.The movie is largely loyal to the original, so the co-story credit with William Shakespeare is quite appropriate. The main characters have names patterned after the originals, and the storyline goes basically the same. Maura Tierney (wife of the director) as Pat McBeth is great and seems to have a lot of fun cursing (she is usually in good girl roles). Christopher Walken (Lieutenant McDuff) has another self-parodying role that is a lot of fun. A couple other interesting tidbits ... "I'm not Lisa" is a song in the film (Maura Tierney played Lisa in "NewsRadio") and the streaker at the end of the film is no bit player ... he is a producer of this film and directed various movies and tv, including a movie Maura Tierney was in, and the homage to old time radio, "Remember WENN."Once the murders begin, the movie (as the director himself notes on the DVD commentary track) gets a bit more serious. It also somewhat loses its way... now, it still is enjoyable, and parts of it are quite imaginative and good on some level, but something is missing. It seems like the movie is just playing out the plot instead of it being fun on its own. Nonetheless, on the whole, it's an enjoyable movie. The DVD commentary is decent too, so check out the DVD.