Sick Product of a Sick System

Crappy film

Better Late Then Never

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

This movie is really hilarious – but in such a special way – honestly I find it hard to wipe the smile of my face. Coming out of age stories – are something new for me – but if all are cute and funny as the one in Skipped Parts I just know that I will me watching a lot more of them. I sure never talked with adults about sex that openly as Sam and his girl – even with my parents – actually I still don't – but then I guess coming out of age is an unique thing for everyone ….And then all of the sudden the atmosphere changed a bit and there are unexpected turns and all that – the movie makers have managed to get a whole a lot of "real life "things in events in the scenes. I learned quite a bit from this movie – then again I guess you have to be at least a bit open-minded in order to like it.

As a kid, every adult has had a time in his life that he or she was fascinated by the world of the grown-ups, but didn't know much about it. As an adolescent kid you want to know more about love and sex, but the path to adulthood can be a bumpy road. That's also the reason why there have been made so many coming of age-movies. Not all of them were very successful, but some of them sure are worth a watch, like for instance this "Skipped Parts".When in 1963, a young woman and her 14-year old son Sam from an unknown man, are expelled from North Carolina by her powerful father who runs for governor, they end up in a small town in Wyoming. Here she continues her irresponsible life of partying and having fun, while her son discovers that the biggest part of his new school is made up by retards who don't seem to know what a book looks like from the inside. There is especially one girl, called Maury, who he can't stand at first, but who he gradually starts to like more and more. When she asks him to help her experiment with sex, they get very close and with the help of his mother they get a pretty good idea of what sex is like. But despite the fact that his mother told them to stop as soon as Maury has had her first period, they are too late and pregnancy is the result. While facing the consequences of their experiments and with grandfather's dictatorial shadow over them, Sam and Maury get help from Hank Elkrunner, a Blackfoot Indian who has become Lydia's newest boyfriend...I guess that it needs some imagination to believe that all what is happening in this movie could actually be true. I'm not saying that it isn't possible, but sometimes it all feels a bit far-fetched. Nevertheless, this is still a very interesting movie and certainly one of the better coming of age-stories that I have ever seen. Especially thanks to the underlying story line of the double moral (sex outside marriage didn't exist, but abortion clinics were available, the totalitarian patriarch who wanted to keep his influence on his family, but didn't want them near him...) and the fine acting in this movie, this is a lot better than average. It's sure worth watching and I gave it a rating of 7/10 which is far from bad for this kind of movies.

I ran across this quirky little film, and decided to take a chance on it because of the cast: Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Jason Lee, and Michael Greyeyes. I wasn't familiar with the younger actors, Misha Barton, Bug Hall, and Brad Renfro, but they do a great job in the film. Although some of the subject matter is a little uncomfortable, you laugh so much that it doesn't seem to matter. Basically what happens in this movie is that they address some serious life-changing subjects with a lot of humor in order to get their message (sex requires responsibility,etc.) across. At times, the kids seem more mature than the adults. Jennifer Jason Leigh is mind-boggling as the sexy, spoiled, southern single mom. Drew Barrymore's part is small, but she is memorable as a tantalizing temptress. Michael Greyeyes exudes strength and masculinity as a handsome Blackfoot rodeo cowboy. I would advise parents to watch the film before showing it to their kids. However, I also think it would be a good film to use in broaching the subject of sex and its consequences, etc. to family members entering puberty.

I sat down and watched "Skipped Parts" and I found it to be pleasently surprising. As I watched this, I came to realize you could insert this Southern family into any other rural area in the United States. They are just as closed-minded as certain Southerners are now and then. Even though suffers from a lack of a few thematic elements, it is well-written and acted out nicely. Jennifer Jason Leigh had the best part in the movie as the skanky, partying mother. Bug Hall and Mischa Barton did really well playing a pseudo-mature couple who have a child but both end up not together (that aspect is pretty horrifying). Overall, I think is a pretty humorous and well-rounded look at what the consequences of sex can get you if you live in a small town in the 1960's. I give it a 9 out of 10.I think the running joke in "Skipped Parts" is "insert your own rural area here". Every little town in every state has those who are biased to outsiders regardless of the naivete they possess. Here ends my rant!