Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Cameron Diaz | ... | Jude | |
Ron Eldard | ... | Pete | |
Annabeth Gish | ... | Paulie | |
Jonathan Penner | ... | Marc | |
Courtney B. Vance | ... | Luke | |
Bill Paxton | ... | Zachary Cody | |
Nora Dunn | ... | Sheriff Alice Stanley | |
Ron Perlman | ... | Norman Arbuthnot | |
Dan Rosen | ... | Deputy Hartford | |
Amber Taylor | ... | Girl in Coffee Shop | |
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Matt Cooper | ... | Jerk in Coffee Shop |
Charles Durning | ... | Rev. Gerald Hutchens | |
Mark Harmon | ... | Dominant Male | |
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Gil Segel | ... | Iowa Resident at Door |
Rachel Chagall | ... | Abortion Activist |
Jude, Luke, Marc, Paulie and Pete are liberal-minded roommates and grad students at a Iowa post-secondary institution. Every Sunday for the past year, they have hosted a dinner party, inviting a friend over to have an open-minded discussion about whatever topics are of interest. On a dark and stormy night when Pete was supposed to bring a friend for one of those dinners, he instead comes home with Zachary Cody, who rescued a stranded Pete whose car broke down. They invite Zach to stay for dinner instead of Pete's missing friend. They soon find out that Zach is among other things a racist neo-Nazi, which brings up a potentially dangerous situation for Jewish Marc and black Luke. After some physical altercations and verbal threats, Marc ends up stabbing Zach dead out of what he considers self-defense. As the friends discuss what to do about Zach, they finally come to the conclusion that in killing Zach, they have done society a service. So they ponder 'why not invite other ... Written by Huggo
This is a wicked black political satire of some left-wing intellectuals who decide to strike against right-wing "extremists". It has an excellent cast, especially with Courtney B Vance, Ron Perlman, and Cameron Diaz (who is a real surprise).
It also has a brilliantly witty script, like a 90s Oscar Wilde or George B Shaw with more sharper bite. I thought the setup and the climax were particularly effective, especially at handling complex political questions with an easy-to watch and a very engaging approach(which I have to say IMHO is rare for American movies). A totally professional production all round. This is the way smart independent films should be, and it's a shame not all of them are this clever or perceptive.
Obviously not meant for all tastes, but if you're fairly open-minded and like intelligent dark satire, this is a real treat.