Let's Go to Prison (2006)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Bob Odenkirk

Writers (WGA):

Robert Ben Garant (written by) &
Thomas Lennon (written by) ...

Release Date:

17 November 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

Welcome to the slammer

Plot:

When a career criminal's plan for revenge is thwarted by unlikely circumstances, he puts his intended victim's son in his place by putting him in prison...and then joining him.

Plot Keywords:

Faked Death | Prison | Poison | Lawyer | Homosexual

Cast

Dax Shepard	...	John Lyshitski
Will Arnett	...	Nelson Biederman IV
Chi McBride	...	Barry
David Koechner	...	Shanahan
Dylan Baker	...	Warden
Michael Shannon	...	Lynard
Miguel Nino	...	Jesus
Jay Whittaker	...	Icepick
Amy Hill	...	Judge Eva Fwae Wun
David Darlow	...	Judge Biederman
Joseph Marcus	...	Pawn Broker
Nick Phalen	...	John - 8 years
A.J. Balance	...	John - 18 years
Jerry Minor	...	Breen Guard
Mary Seibel	...	Old Bartender

Also Known As:

You Are Going to Prison (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, sexual content, some violence and drug material.

Runtime:

84 min | 90 min (DVD version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #42750) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | Ireland:15

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Carsey-Werner Company

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Dax Shepard is shooting at the telephone booth, the gun stops cocking, but you continue to see him pull the trigger, and hear bullet noises.

Quotes:

[after the jury have watched a tape of Nelson robbing the drug store]
Judge Eva Fwae Wun: Mr. Hingly?
Duane: Oh, yeah?
Judge Eva Fwae Wun: You may proceed with your defense.
Duane: [whispering to Nelson] Watch this.
[Duane walks up to the jury]
Duane: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. You've all seen Jurassic Park, and yet you are aware that Jeff Goldblum have never actually been attacked by dinosaurs. Even through you've seen it with your own eyes, on a T.V. not unlike that one.
[Duane points dramatically at the television]
Duane: I rest my case!
[Nelson looks confused and shocked]
[...]

Movie Connections:

References "Let's Make a Deal" (1963)

Soundtrack:

Ain't That a Kick in the Head

More subtle than you'd think...

There are movies that follow a relatively obvious plot. There are movies where you expect every plot twist ten minutes in advance. This certainly is one of those movies. But then, why would you go see a comedy looking for gripping plot lines? This is one of those movies that would have bombed, in the wrong hands. Given an average director and a mediocre cast, this movie would have been barely watchable. But under the care of Bob Odenkirk and a trio of skilled actors, it turns out as one of the funnier movies of the year.

Let me be clear about one thing: this movie is all about subtle, dry humor. The situations are, on their own, intentionally not funny. Played a different way, many of them would be downright terrifying. But the way the actors carry themselves through it, their timing, their facial expressions, bring out the absurdity of the serious script.

If you go into the movie expecting it to hit you in the face with everything it's got, you may be disappointed. But if you go prepared to pay attention and catch the nuances as well as the broad strokes, you'll barely stop laughing.