Sordid Lives (2000)

As three generations of a family in a small Texas town gather for a funeral, we learn the hilarious, sad, trashy truth of their "Sordid Lives."

Director:

Del Shores

Writers:

Del Shores (play), Del Shores (screenplay)

Stars:

Delta Burke, Bonnie Bedelia, Olivia Newton-John

11 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Olivia Newton-John	...	Bitsy Mae Harling
Kirk Geiger	...	Ty Williamson
Sarah Hunley	...	Juanita Bartlett
Newell Alexander	...	Wardell 'Bubba' Owens
Beau Bridges	...	G.W. Nethercott
Earl Houston Bullock	...	Odell Owens (as Earl H. Bullock)
Beth Grant	...	Sissy Hickey
Delta Burke	...	Noleta Nethercott
Leslie Jordan	...	Earl 'Brother Boy' Ingram
Mitch Carter	...	Bumper
Bonnie Bedelia	...	Latrelle Williamson
Sharron Alexis	...	Sara Kaufman
Ann Walker	...	LaVonda DuPree
Mary Margaret Lewis	...	Ethel (as Mary-Margaret Lewis)
Rosemary Alexander	...	Dr. Eve Bolinger

Storyline

We become intimate with the "Sordid Lives" of a family in a small Texas town preparing for the funeral of the mother. Among the characters are the grandson trying to find his identity in West Hollywood, the son who has spent the past twenty-three years dressed as Tammy Wynette, the sister and her best friend (who live in delightfully kitschy homes), and the two daughters (one strait-laced and one quite a bit looser).

---

Plot Keywords:

male objectification | funeral | texas | friend | reference to the virgin mary | 

---

Taglines:

They're all connected... whether they like it or not!

---

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 May 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nedza zywota

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,167, 13 May 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,111,273

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daly-Harris Productions,Davis Entertainment Classics,Sordid Lives LLC

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film contains many of the original actors from the long running stage-production, with the actors who originated the Bonnie Bedelia and Beau Bridges roles (Mary Margaret Lewis and Mitch Carter) playing the receptionist Ethel and security guard in the mental institution.

---

Goofs

When Latrelle arrives at Sissy's house, her shoes are white. She climbs onto a chair to check the air vent and her shoes are black. The white shoes reappear in the following scene.

---

Quotes

Sissy: [as she looks at a card on the flowers in the church after paying last respects to her sister] "Jesus called, Peggy answered... Awwwwwwwww"

---

Crazy Credits

The DVD has an extended (but deleted) version of Grandma Peggy's rant after the credits.

---

Connections

References Thelma & Louise (1991)

---

Soundtracks

Blue Country
Written and Performed by George S. Clinton
Published by Tution Music (BMI)

User Reviews

Tryin' fer Tolerance in Texas

Sordid Lives is the screen adaptation of Del Shores' play, and it's a hoot (and a holler) from beginning to end. When I saw it last night, I had no idea what it would be about except that Olivia Newton-John was in it, along with Beau Bridges and Bonnie Bedelia, which was more than enough to get me in the theatre. I was not disappointed. The film starts out over the top and goes only farther in that direction with every scene. It's got a wacked-out cartoon tone to it, but yet the characters ARE real, you do relate to their foibles and situations. The most fully-realized character in the piece has to be Leslie Jordan's cross-dressing Brother Boy, who makes you laugh every time he appears - you are laughing WITH him, though, not AT him, and by the end you are happy for him as well. In the wrong hands, this movie could have been a travesty of major proportions, but Del Shores (who wrote and directed) is confident enough in the value of the piece to make it work.