de-111
Waking Up in Reno was an absolute surprise. I saw a new (lighter) side of Billy Bob Thornton, the leader of the pack on this road trip (or so he envisioned.) More please! The oh-so-likable Mr. Swayze has amazing instincts selecting roles, and offers just the right performance. Here each character is played for real and to perfection. Between the four of them, I couldn't stop laughing; it literally brought tears to my eyes. This movie is well-written; the comedy, the drama, have an authentic feel. The Director, to be sure, a skilled observer with a comedic eye. I haven't felt so entertained in a long time. I didn't have lofty expectations or preconceived notions, I'm happy I went along for the ride. As far as I'm concerned it's good material presented by the best in the business. A lucky find. See it!
WelshGoat
Having watched the movie for the first time I was left thinking that this film could have been so much better. It lacked the crucial cliffhanger moments that make a good comedy/drama great. Having said that it does have a great central cast and all four main characters do their best with what they've got. Richardson and Theron make a great job of being Southern white trash. However, none is overly stretched and with a better script this could have been a truly memorable offering. But then again who could resist Theron shouting, "I'm ovulating, I'm ovulating," even if she was sticking a thermometer in her ear at the time!
Claudio Carvalho
In Little Rock, the redneck couples Lonnie Earl Dodd (Billy Bob Thornton) and his wife Darlene Dodd (Natasha Richardson), and Roy Kirkendall (Patrick Swayze) and his wife Candy Kirkendall (Charlize Theron) decide to travel together on vacations to Reno to see a Monster Truck Show. Candy wants to get pregnant of Roy, but is having an affair with Lonnie. Once in Reno, Candy finds that she is pregnant, while Roy's doctor advises that he is infertile, based on the results of his sperm test. The inevitable quarrel happens between the four travelers. "Waking Up In Reno" is a very disappointing movie, specially having such a cast. The result is not balanced, oscillating from a comedy of bad taste to a dramatic romance, but without any explanation for Candy cheating her beloved husband. The accent of the cast, probably from the region of Little Rock, is terrible to be heard. Maybe some of the best attractions are the beauties of Natasha Richardson and Charlize Theron, in a comedy that rarely made me laugh. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): "Seu Marido e Minha Mulher" ("Your Husband and My Wife")
theoriginalsin
I've noticed all the other not-so-rave reviews on this piece & just had to put my two cents in! I loved this movie because it showed four people living life as it really is. The production team pegged those individual personalities with great accuracy! Every multi-dimensional character was portrayed effortlessly by each actor. Billy Bob did a great job with Lonnie Earl. He showed us his naturally snide demeanor, while still being able to convey his vulnerable sincerity in scenes with his wife, Darlene. Natasha portrays Darlene (who narrates the opening & closing scenes)with utmost grace. Oh, & the fact that she's English is totally hidden by a well sculpted southern accent. Her transformation was very beautifully reminiscent of a fairy tale, yet still astoundingly believable. Patrick shows us a very sensitive & sweet Roy, while still being a good southern boy mused by the monster truck jam & plenty of Pabst beer. He is everything a gentleman should be, and Patrick showed us how raw a man in his position can truly become. Honestly, I would love to have seen Darlene & Roy hook up, but in the end, I'm glad that what happened in Reno, stayed in Reno. Now, Charlize gave us a very interesting piece of eye-Candy ;) She once again proved that her acting is unsurmountable to any badly feux-pased script. Sure, Candy made a couple of bad decisions & seems a bit confused, but through all of the trips travesties, she pulls off an amazing comeout. Charlize managed to bring to life this very down to earth, redneck vixen with ease. She put so much emotion into her roles that she literally consumes them into herself. I've never seen heartbreak on any other actor's face the way I've seen it on hers. The realizations & character growth for each person i believe are all in great thanks to the actors who became those people. The storyline would have been sufferingly basic if it weren't for a cast of geniuses. While it did contain some clever dialogue, Waking Up In Reno was obviously carried by the greats who headline in this redneck love-comedy.
AD
