Almost Heroes (1998)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Christopher Guest

Writers (WGA):

Mark Nutter (written by) &
Tom Wolfe (written by) ...

Release Date:

29 May 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Western

Tagline:

Almost History... Almost Legends... Mostly Ridiculous.

Plot:

A road comedy about 2 guys whose mission is to beat Lewis and Clark.

Plot Keywords:

Ocean | Whiskey | Telescope | Severed Ear | Slow Motion

Cast

Chris Farley	...	Bartholomew Hunt
Matthew Perry	...	Leslie Edwards
Bokeem Woodbine	...	Jonah
Barry Del Sherman	...	Sergeant
Robert Tittor	...	Priest
Franklin Cover	...	Nicholas Burr
David Packer	...	Bidwell
Eugene Levy	...	Guy Fontenot
Lisa Barbuscia	...	Shaquinna
Christian Clemenson	...	Father Girard
Steven M. Porter	...	Higgins
Patrick Cranshaw	...	Jackson (as Joseph Patrick Cranshaw)
Hamilton Camp	...	Pratt
Jonathan Joss	...	Bent Twig
George Aguilar	...	Chief Two Roads

Also Known As:

Almost History (USA) (working title)
Edwards and Hunt (USA) (working title)
Edwards and Hunt: The First American Road Trip (USA) (working title)
From Here to There (USA) (working title)
Westward Ho (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for crude humor and nudity.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | Germany:12 | Iceland:L | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #35442)

Filming Locations:

Big Bear Lake, California, USA

Company:

Turner Pictures (I)

Trivia:

This film marks the last leading role for Chris Farley who died five months before the film released. However it is not his last film appearance as he had a cameo for the film Dirty Work released later that same year.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Hunt picks up the rock to knock out Edwards, he acts as if it is very heavy and can barely lift it, but when he puts it back down he holds in it one hand without dropping it.

Quotes:

[a bear has come into camp]
Bidwell: My nose itches.
Hunt: Don't scratch it.
Bidwell: Feels like there's a bug up in there.
Hunt: You scratch your nose. You're dead.
Bidwell: Well, I don't know what's worse. The bear or my itchy nose.
Hunt: I think it's leavin'.
Bidwell: I'm going to scratch it!
[begins scratching his nose and the bear turns around and bites his leg]
Bidwell: [shouts] The bear is worse! The bear is definitely worse!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Comedy Central Presents: Frank Caliendo (#8.4)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Opus 71 Third Movement, String Quartet in E Flat Major, 'Andante Con Moto'

TASTELESS AND UNRELENTING IN ITS STUPIDITY, BUT HILARIOUS

Almost Heroes is a deliberately idiotic movie, and much of its

humor relies on the audience being aware of this. If you don't buy

that the movie is SUPPOSED to be ridiculous and nonsensical,

then you're not going to like it. Otherwise, it is a great Chris

Farley/Christopher Guest vehicle with abundant laughs, often at

the absurd crudity of its humor. There are scenes and dialogue

that come off as cheap attempts at lowbrow humor, when in fact

the real punchline is that you, the viewer, even acknowleged the

humor when it is so utterly tasteless. I, for one, laughed my @$$

off and got overdue fees at my video store because I couldn't stop

watching it.