Bongwater (1998)

Best movie of this year hands down!

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

The stoner theme is not all that Bongwater is about, it's a piece of unusual comedy and romance, with a quirky attitude. Each of the characters as well had a certain quirky quality as part of that attitude.David-Serena is definitely not your typical love story, but it worked as an adorable touch. The movie might not be your cup of tea, if you consider those different elements but the humor was there, the performances were solid and the romance was believable.After all, the movie still had a sense of reality to it. It gives a friendly and likable vibe, but perhaps it's something the public is not used to which explains the harsh numbers.7/10

The title notwithstanding, this drug-laden laugh trip is more Reality Bites than Up in Smoke. David (a sweetly earnest Wilson) is a pot dealer with half-baked ambitions of becoming an artist; Serena (Witt)is his nuttily domineering love interest. Though the pair's lack of real chemistry makes the cuddly ending feel tacked on, the hysterical drug-buddy performances of Brittany Murphy, Andy Dick, and Jack Black really make this joint roll. This isn't a fast-paced broad comedy, it requires some patience. You gotta sit back, and let it envelop you. Let life slow down and enjoy the quirkiness and absurdity of the plot and characters.

It starts out looking like it may be going somewhere, then quickly leads the main characters into a three-ring circus of remarkable stupidity which permanently destroys any likability of the characters. I'm a huge collector of stoner movies, but this is something I would not consider a valid addition. Bong Water is trash from the very deepest regions of the dumpster, and I wouldn't be caught dead with this on my shelf. I'm actually convinced this movie was created by a Partnership for A Drug Free America. If you're a Jack Black fan then I would say that you may think 5 minutes of the movies is OK because Jack Black continues his legacy of singing songs for retards. I really can't say enough bad things about this movie.

I had very low expectations when I rented this, but I was pleasantly surprised and amused. So many of the characters in it were heightened versions of people I've known, hence I do wonder if it portrays an older generation of "stoner." It also portrays regional scenes from NYC and the NW that may not appeal to people elsewhere; others probably won't see the humor in the film. Although it's a comedy, it doesn't present side-splitting jokes with setups; the comedy is in the life the people are leading and the turmoil that follows in their wake.The plot is haphazard if not absurd, which almost demands the ridiculous ending and opening scenes and provided me with a relief from typical formulaic stories. The plot doesn't drive the story, and you sort of just wander into each scene following the impulsive whims of the character featured in it.I thought that the vacillating chemistry between Witt and Wilson really worked for the film; their lack of direction in life is totally reflected in their attraction, jealousy, and ambivalence towards each other, and their subsequent attempts to use each other to fill that void.Alicia Witt's character is much richer than, say, "Two Weeks Notice," and almost as bizarre as her role in Twin Peaks. She's totally unpredictable and never does what you'd expect someone in her position to do. Cases in point: the scenes when they leave the NY party, and the scenes where we first meet her and then, unbelievably find her flirting with Wilson. Amy Locane, on the other hand, doesn't have a role that gives her much depth to work with.Brittany Murphy and Luke Wilson have an oppositional chemistry that really let their talents play off each other. Hard to believe Jack Black is the same guy who later starred in King Kong! His is a small part in the film, but unforgettable, and the interlude with him really captures the spirit of the NW wilderness hippies I've met.