Outside Providence (1999)

After one too many run ins with the law, a punk teenager from a working class background is sent to prep school by his frustrated dad, and learns a thing or two.

Director:

Michael Corrente

Writers:

Peter Farrelly (screenplay), Michael Corrente (screenplay)

Stars:

Shawn Hatosy, Amy Smart, Alec Baldwin

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shawn Hatosy	...	Tim Dunphy
Tommy Bone	...	Jackie Dunphy
Samantha Lavigne	...	'Clops'
Jonathan Brandis	...	Mousy
Adam LaVorgna	...	Tommy the Wire (as Adam Lavorgna)
Jesse Leach	...	Decenz
Jon Abrahams	...	Drugs Delaney
Alec Baldwin	...	Old Man Dunphy
Richard Jenkins	...	Barney
Mike Cerrone	...	Caveech
George Wendt	...	Joey
Robert Turano	...	Fran
Kristen Shorten	...	Bunny Cote
Timothy Crowe	...	Mr. Funderburk (as Tim Crowe)
Meghan Duffy	...	Nanny Heidi

Storyline

A boy from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, caught up in the drug scene of the mid-70s, gets in trouble one too many times with the law. To stave off a jail term, his father arranges for him to be placed into a prep school in Cornwall, Connecticut. The terms: Graduate, or else.

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Plot Keywords:

pot | cannabis | quaaludes | pesticide | insecticide | 

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Taglines:

There once was a boy from Pawtucket...

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive teen drug use and strong language including sexual references

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 September 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Outside Providence

Filming Locations:

Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,631,411, 5 September 1999

Gross USA:

$7,302,522

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,302,522

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, Eagle Beach

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The President's office at Brown University is actually the old office for the Dean of Admissions at the University of Rhode Island in Green Hall.

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Goofs

Movie spans in '74-'75, and early they show a joint being rolled on a copy of Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", with the tagline at the bottom (of the book) "From the author of the Great Shark Hunt", which was published in '79.

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Quotes

Timothy Dunphy: What's a prep school?
Old Man Dunphy: It's to prepare you for not getting your neck broke by me.

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Alternate Versions

The video version features an alternate ending which was cut from the final print. The ending, which takes place after the graduation conmencement, features Jane Weston and Jackie Dunphy instead of Mr. Dunphy and Jackie meeting Tim outside the auditorum where she thanks him for helping her get into Brown University. They kiss which is interupted by Mr. Funderberk who yells at them for making a public scene and Tim responds by punching Mr. Funderberk in the face, to the delight of his friends standing nearby. Tim and Jane stroll off, pushing Jackie in his wheelchair, as Tim contemplates his future.

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Connections

Referenced in Video Buck: Las traducciones más mierdosas vol. 5 (2019)

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Soundtracks

Hold Your Head Up
Written by Rod Argent, Chris White
Performed by Aster Argent
Courtesy of Epic Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

Outside Providence does not seem like much from the preview, but it turns out to be a surprisingly good comedy.

Outside Providence seems like just another low budget, goofy high school comedy from the preview, but it is really a good movie. Timothy Dunphy is the lovable high school screw-up whose father sends him off to boarding school after he is involved in an accident with a parked police cruiser while smoking pot with his loser buddies. He develops an unlikely romantic relationship with the stunningly beautiful Jane Weston (Amy Smart) at the repressive school while fighting off the disciplinary excesses of the school faculty. This seems like the premise of the kind of ridiculous high school comedies that characterized the 80s (Screwballs, Ski School, etc.), but Outside Providence works well because it has heart.

Timothy Dunphy is sent off unwillingly to this hellish school, and it turns out to be a really eye-opening experience for him. He develops a lot of insight about himself, his friends, his romantic endeavors, and his family. The story is not exactly something that is entirely original, but the presentation of the film and the acting are extremely good, and the end result is a great comedy. Alec Baldwin delivers a hilarious performance as the emotionally closed-off father, regularly referring to his own son as "dildo." He steals every scene he is in, and he should be particularly noted for his ability to give such a convincing portrayal of an emotionless, macho father and still be convincing in the emotionally tense scene between him and Timothy where he describes Tim's late mother. That scene in particular is unexpectedly intense.

Outside Providence is a good comedy. It does not resort to tasteless sexual fourth-grade humor to pull it along (which is one of the biggest problems with teen comedies lately - American Pie, Scary Movie (there was no hope for that one from the beginning), There's Something About Mary, and Road Trip, which should have been a great movie). Instead, Outside Providence focuses on character development and a good story, and tops it all off with a healthy amount of comedy in the form of the cast, the characters, the script, dialogue, and pretty much everything else. Probably one of the best elements of this movie is that it is not a relentless comedy. It doesn't grab desperately for a laugh every second of the way, but instead it rounds out the content with drama, romance, skillful comedy, as well as good writing, directing, and acting. Outside Providence is badly underrated and should not be missed.