True Stories
True Stories
PG | 10 October 1986 (USA)
True Stories Trailers

A small but growing Texas town, filled with strange and musical characters, celebrates its sesquicentennial and converge on a local parade and talent show.

Reviews
Sameer Callahan

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

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Adeel Hail

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

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Bessie Smyth

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

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Brenda

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

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rooprect

Imagine someone taking the script & characters of "Leave it to Beaver" and filming it in vivid color with some cool music. That's the feeling I got while watching this movie. Sometimes it's hard to know if you're supposed to laugh with the characters or at them."True Stories" a satire of smalltown America, of course, including some extreme caricatures of humanity (sloth, dishonesty, materialism, imperialism, etc). But it's done with such a low-key presentation that it might pass you by without you noticing. This film is definitely a comedy, but there are no punchlines. Just a bizarre feeling that everything is a joke.David Byrne (referred to only as "Our Visitor") strolls through the bizarre setting of Virgil, Texas, narrating various odd episodes with his signature soft, nerdy voice. Anyone else would've come across as sarcastic, but Byrne is so deadpan--like Leslie Nielsen 2 octaves higher--that we often wonder exactly what he's trying to say. If anything.But the episodes speak for themselves. If you don't immediately catch the absurdness of the situations, the wacky visuals and blending of surrealism should be enough to tell you you're watching a quiet madhouse. Several sequences border on Terry Gilliam-esque genius while others aren't quite as effective. But either way, it's a memorable experience. John Goodman's lines & facial expressions are classic, guiding us through an otherwise perplexing experience.It's hard to compare this to other films, but Byrne's directing style reminded me of early Tim Burton ("Edward Scissorhands", "Ed Wood") with his cheerful fantasy-sarcasm. Other times I was reminded of Vincent Gallo ("Buffalo 66") with the odd compositions and asymmetric shots. And in a weird way I was reminded of Godard's classic "Alphaville", the way the humor is so elusive that you hardly realize it's there.Notable songs (lip synched by different characters in the movie) include "Wild Wild Life" at a showcase, "Dream Operator" at a bizarre fashion show at the mall, "Love for Sale" on TV (the regular video), "People Like Us" at a talent show, and the iconic "Radio Head" (which, yes, lent its name to the band) and a slew of other Talking Heads & David Byrne tunes. I confess I didn't recognize any except "Wild Wild Life" & "Radio Head", but I imagine if you're a Talking Heads fan you'll hear plenty to keep you groovin.I wouldn't recommend this to casual moviegoers or casual Talking Heads fans, but if you like (artsy) movies and/or recognize most of the songs I named above, don't hesitate to check out this weird movie.

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peterpants66

True Stories is a movie about fictitious Texas town "Virgil" and their celebration of specialness. It's the towns Sesquicentennial and writer/director/star David Byrne takes us on a ride through Virgil outlining all the colorful people that live there, their talents and ultimately what they want from life. John Goodman plays "Lewis Fyne" who posts a commercial accompanied by phone number in search of a bride. This movie is laced with Talking Heads music, and in a way it's kind of a musical. But not one of those "Nutcracker" types, this is a musical that the FREAKS can get behind. The movie takes a nod from the beat poets, it Explodes into song from time to time and examines complexities through a kaleidoscope instead of a microscope. The film has got truth, lies, and one hell of a talent show at the end. Radiohead gets their name from this movie, which explains much. Although the town of Virgil is fictional, everything is shot in Texas, so there's plenty of of long green landscapes and prefabricated building's. The film explores a variety of topics, the intro is amazing, Puzzlin evidence is awesome, the cute lady, the liar. I personally don't know many people who have seen this either, and it's got a lot less reviews then you'd imagine for a movie of such abundance. It flows like a river and crashes like lightning, it's both intriguing and hysterical, "astronauts didn't use to read poetry, that's changing now". I love the dinner scene with the overhead shot of all the food lighting up, "Linda, Larry, there's no such thing as weekends anymore!". How about Indian wars, computer technology, the Trilateral commission, name one other movie that covers so much ground. It's both scary and beautiful, like being eaten by a shark while dispersing fliers to an upcoming wrestling match, or being beaten to death by clowns while reciting the pledge of allegiance.

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blackmare

That's what he told me, at the end of the movie. The sophisticated New Yorker, the witty Kubrick fan with his degree in film, sat there stunned on the floor; I could almost see the smoke coming out of his ears. To try and describe it is something like attempting to nail Jell-O to the wall. There's no plot, really; but there are a lot of things going on, threads of peoples' lives, loosely connected. The film describes itself as being "about a bunch of people in Virgil, Texas" and it is, but actually it's about the wonderful absurdity, lunacy even, of "normal" American life. David Byrne's Narrator character isn't condescending or snide. He's innocent, wondering, matter-of-fact. He looks at the cookie-cutter tract houses and asks, "Who can say it isn't beautiful?" This is a very unique little movie, and people either seem to get it, or not. I can never predict who will or won't catch the humor. But, if you're not smiling by the end of the intro sequence, this probably isn't the movie for you. Personally, I was laughing my butt off by then. I can't say that this movie made me a better person, but it did add something to my world and gave me a great appreciation for the mind of David Byrne.

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rosebud-karlstad

This movie made me a different person, to watch David Byrne was a heartwarming experience. Sometimes it's a slow moving picture but it picks up the pace in just the right time to make you feel involved in the characters. To put it frank - this was a mind blowing experience. Some people may come to the conclusion that this is just a simple movie about simple people - and these people are right. But my dear friends, ask yourselves; how often do you see that - once in a lifetime! The reason that I haven't said anything concrete about the movie is that it's a picture in the same class as Lost Highway, try to say something about that movie, it's not easy, see it and become a better human being.

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