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

10 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 their mother's funeral. Among the characters are the grandson trying to find his identity in West Hollywood, the son who has spent the past 23 years dressed as Tammy Wynette, the sister and her best friend who live in delightfully kitschy homes, and the two daughters--one strait-laced, the other quite a bit looser.

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Plot Keywords:

male objectification | vomiting | woman wears eyeglasses | funeral | texas | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content, nudity and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character of Juanita does not appear in the original play. She proved so popular in the film, however, that Del Shores wrote alternate versions of scene 2 and 4 for theaters that wanted to include her.

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Goofs

After their arrival to the funeral, sometimes we see Nolita and G.W. in the audience, and sometimes we do not.

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Quotes

Sissy: [smoking and talking to her dead sister's corpse] Hey. Guess you don't mind if I smoke. It has not been a good day sister. And I blame YOU... You turn on a LIGHT when you go to the bathroom... If you are going to have affairs you have GOT to be more careful! Of course, this is all useless information for you now.

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Crazy Credits

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

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Connections

Version of Sordid Lives: The Series (2008)

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Soundtracks

Just As I Am
Lyrics by Charlotte Elliott
Music by William B. Bradbury
Arranged by Olivia Newton-John and George S. Clinton
Performed by Olivia Newton-John

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.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 May 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sordid Lives

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,111,273

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$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