Under Review: Strangers With Candy

Starring: Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello, Dan Hedaya and Ian Holm

The Set-Up:

This is a movie based on a Comedy Central show of the same name. It also starred Amy Sedaris, Stephen Colbert, and Paul Dinello. Amy Sedaris stars as Jerri Blank. Jerri is returning to her childhood home after 32 years of living on the streets and in prison. When returning home, she discovers that her father, Dan Hedaya, has been in a coma for 32 years and is now remarried with a teenage son (Yes, I realize that the father could not have a son if he was in a coma… or could he?). Jerri decides to pick up her life right where she left off. At the age of 47, she’s returning to high school.

The Review:

This movie assaults you with hilarity from the very beginning. The movie opens with Jerri leaving prison and reflecting on the lessons she learned in prison. A monologue asking “Can I change?” is going in the background as images of Jerri surviving prison by brawling and stabbing fellow inmates plays on the screen. Amy Sedaris knows this character and knows all of the humor behind the character. The delivery of the monologue mixed with the physical humor on screen shows us this from the very beginning.

That is what this movie does. The comedy in this movie works because of the blend of over-the-top performances with the soft-spoken acting of the rest of the cast. This movie would not work as well as it does without each aspect. Certain characters present the crazy situations, and the comedy comes with the flat responses to these situations. It also works the opposite way. Characters overreact to situations.

So how well does the movie work? It works pretty well. The script gives us many memorable lines and the cast gives us great performances. The pacing is pretty good, but starts to lose it’s footing about three quarters of the way through. The film does pick up and gives us a good ending, though.

Favorite Quote: “I think I deserve better, don't you? Hey, I know this is hard on you. It would be hard on me, too, if I broke up with me. I know what you're losing.”

Rating: 8/10