Strangers with Candy (2005)

A prequel to the critically acclaimed series featuring Jerri Blank, a 46 year-old ex-junkie, ex-con who returns to high school in a bid to start her life over.

Director:

Paul Dinello

Writers:

Stephen Colbert (series Strangers with Candy), Paul Dinello (series Strangers with Candy),

Stars:

Amy Sedaris, Paul Sedaris, Stephen Colbert

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Amy Sedaris	...	Jerri Blank
Paul Sedaris	...	Bus Driver
Chandra Wilson	...	Inmate
Kristy Thomas	...	Inmate
Dee Finley	...	Inmate (as Dee Finely)
Deborah Rush	...	Sara Blank
Ian Holm	...	Dr. Putney
Dan Hedaya	...	Guy Blank
Joseph Cross	...	Derrick Blank
Elisabeth Harnois	...	Monica
Alexis Dziena	...	Melissa
Ivette Diaz Dumeng	...	Melanie
Carlo Alban	...	Megawatti
Greg Hollimon	...	Principal Blackman (as Gregory Holliman)
Hechter Ubarry	...	Nico

Storyline

Forty-seven year old Jerri Blank is a socially unaware ex-con junkie alcoholic prostitute. After being released from her latest stint behind bars, Jerri wants to clean up her life and decides the best way to do so is to go home, where she left thirty-two years earlier when she began her depraved life. She arrives home to find that her mother has died, her father has remarried a much younger woman, and her father fell into a stress induced coma in part because she disappeared. She takes that cleaning up her life one step further when Dr. Putney, her father's doctor, tells her that he may emerge from his coma if life were to return to the way it was before she left, but better as she has to make her father proud. So she decides to go back to her old high school, Flatpoint, to get her high school diploma. She quickly decides the best way to be the best student possible is to participate in and win the state science fair. In her quest, she gets caught up in the competing agendas of: ...

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Plot Keywords:

prequel | school | high school | loser | based on tv show | 

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Taglines:

High school is difficult... for a 47-year-old ex-con junkie crack whore.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, language and some drug material

Details

Official Sites:

Roberts/David Films, Inc. Silverstar Productions [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 July 2006 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

De vuelta al 'insti'

Filming Locations:

Bayonne High School - Avenue A & 28th Street, Bayonne, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$43,141 (USA) (30 June 2006)

Gross:

$2,068,323 (USA) (15 September 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Comedy Central Films, Roberts/David Films, Worldwide Pants

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The role of Alice was originally intended for Natasha Richardson, but she was in France at the time that the scene was to be filmed. If Allison Janney hadn't been available, the next actress on their wish list was Joan Allen. They also considered the possibility of re-tailoring the part for Jennifer Coolidge.

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Quotes

Stew: We have cable, right? If you're paying for cable and not watching TV, you're losing money. It's just simple economics.

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Connections

Follows Strangers with Candy (1999)

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Soundtracks

"What You Got Coming"
Performed by Paramount
Written by Nate Thompson, Daniel Miller and Anthony Defrenza
Courtesy of Paramount / Red Nitro

User Reviews

awesome!

This movie was hilarious, probably the funniest movie at Sundance this year. Its a must see for any fan of the show. But you don't have to have seen the show to enjoy it since the plot is basically the same as the show's. In it, Geri heads back to high school in order to save her father who is trapped in a coma. The principal cast from the show is all here and they're all wonderful, especially Principal Blackman, who in my opinion is the best part of the movie. Stephen Colbert is brilliant as always, and Amy Sedaris' portrayal of Geri is always amazing to see (especially if you've ever seen her without the make-up on). All in all, funniest movie I've seen since Shaun of the Dead. See it, seriously.