bob19-3 This movie is hilarious. I KNOW these people. They reminded me of growing up in Tennessee and living in Georgia. Very accurate depiction of the South, which is rare. The women characters are dead-on, especially Beth Grant as Sissy, plus Leslie Jordan as Brother Boy is not to be missed. Olivia Newton-John is great as long as she's singing, but otherwise is the weakest link. It wasn't clear what her character added to the story.Beau Bridges also was not as strong as the rest of the cast. The ending left a lot to be desired, but overall this film was well worth watching, and one you can watch over and over to pick up all the details. If it's true this was shot in just 9 days, then it's nothing short of amazing. At times it really soars, but then it would get really campy with some surprisingly lame moments. Overall it's a great story, a lot of fun while still touching some deep places that will make you cry. A must-see for anyone who grew up south of the Mason-Dixon line, and anyone else who wants to see some great acting.

shecrab This film might have been a merciless skewering of Texas white-trash culture, but instead, manages none of the wit or affection such a parody would require. Instead, it is barely able to hold its head above water as a bad TV movie. It lacks continuity, flow, and decent camera work, and that's just on the technical side; it also falls sadly short of a believable plot or smooth transitions from one story arc to another. What we are left with, after these items are minused out, is a hashed story and poor production. And we haven't even discussed the plot problems.Grandma Peggy has upped and died, after tripping over her lover's wooden legs in a sleazy motel room. The lover, GW Nethercott, (Beau Bridges) is a lush and a jerk, but his wife Noleta (Delta Burke) must love him anyway, even though she seems hell-bent on revenge instead of forgiveness. This plot point makes very little sense, and feels as if it was inserted after the rest of the screenplay was written, to provide some sort of reason that we have to allow Bridges to play his thoroughly detestable character. The family gathers for the funeral, and sisters Latrelle (Bonnie Bedelia—she must have needed cash badly to sink this low,) and LaVonda (Ann Walker—ditto about the cash,) fight like harpies over trivial crap, in front of Peggy's sister Sissy (Beth Grant, in one of the few able performances of the film,) who quickly reaches her boiling point. Latrelle is a conservative fundamentalist (of course) and LaVonda a loose cannon who is more irritating than interesting. The film descends very quickly into a scream-fest that is utterly shrill and predictable. Then, abruptly, it shifts focus to Latrelle's gay son Ty,(Kirk Geiger) in therapy because he can't seem to reconcile being gay and being from Texas. There are some genuinely poignant moments in this therapy session, but they can't rescue the plot, since they seem jarringly out of place after the cartoonish beginning. Of course, he has to show up at the funeral, and we have no doubt he will, but we can't seem to drum up any interest in what might happen when he does. After being subjected to this pathos, the film once again makes an abrupt shift to Earl "Brother Boy," (Leslie Jordan) a screaming transvestite, who has been locked up in a mental institution for over 20 years, being "worked on" by a predatory therapist who wants to turn him heterosexual so she can be on Oprah. He is so broadly drawn that we have a hard time being sympathetic to either him OR Ty. Of course, we all know he will be released just in time to sashay down the church aisle in heels and blonde wig during the viewing hours. Then, once again, the film shifts like a California fault line back to the sisters and a badly-done parody of Thelma and Louise, starring LaVonda and Noleta. They get jailed for their hijinks, to no one's surprise.The only performance in the film that was surprising and interesting was that of Bitsy Mae Harling (a well-disguised Olivia Newton-John) who provides a sort of Greek chorus soundtrack for the background of nearly every scene. I almost didn't recognize her with the numerous earrings, tight tank top, red lacy bra peeking out, tattoos and constant cud-like gum-chewing. Even her voice seemed disguised. Probably just as well under the circumstances. The title song which she performs, is badly rhymed and after the third repetition, feels like a hammer over the head.All in all, not worth much unless you get to see it for free.

jenny-183 It would be easy to dismiss "Sordid Lives" as just a hilarious take on a very dysfunctional community. It's so much more than that. I think the most creative film-makers shine a light into our dark places, our painful places, the places we don't want anyone to see but about which understanding can only come thru seeing.I love Del's work. I saw a theatrical production of Sordid Lives with Neva Howell premiering the theatrical role of Juanita. So funny but so deeply sad at the same time. After the show, people were commenting on how they laughed until they hurt (one woman said she laughed until she almost peed her pants) but at the same time, wanted to stand up and scream "This is not funny!".That's a master at work. Bravo, Del.

jlcdean I saw the movie with friends, and immediately went out the next day and bought it. I guess one would have to be raised in the South to appreciate the wonderful writing of Del Shores and his subtle (and not-so-subtle) references to deep-south living. Let's face it, if you live down here, the question is not which side of your family has the crazy people on it, it's which side has the *most* crazy people on it, and I can relate to nearly every character in the movie.And while it makes light of the goings-on of a white-trash family and how they come to terms with the death of their matriarch, the underlying story of Ty coming out to his family is simply precious. Anyone that is battling with the process of coming out and the right way and time to do it should definitely watch the film.