Joe Dirt

Despite the fact that this movie was trashed by critics, Joe Dirt still makes me laugh every time I watch it. If you've seen other movies made by Adam Sandler, then you should know what to expect: lots of low-brow humor and implausible situations. This movie definitely isn't for film snobs, but if you're just looking for a cheap laugh, Joe Dirt is definitely worth a rental.

This movie tells the life story of a man named Joe Dirt (played by David Spade), the mullet-wearing, hard rock-loving embodiment of every white trash stereotype in existence. This is a very different type of character for David Spade, who usually plays sarcastic and bitter male secretary types as opposed to the likable moron he plays in this.

As the movie begins, Joe Dirt is working as a janitor at a radio station when he is noticed by a Howard Stern-like DJ played by Dennis Miller. The DJ calls Joe Dirt into the studio and starts asking questions, intending to use the trashy janitor as a target for ridicule. It is here where we begin to learn the back story of Joe Dirt, beginning when he was a little kid abandoned by his parents during a trip to the Grand Canyon.

After the initial radio interview, the story of Joe Dirt becomes a national pop culture phenomenon. Our hero is invited back into the studio to continue his story, which consists of his various adventures as he travels around the country looking for his long-lost family. During his travels he befriends the beautiful and kind-hearted Brandy (Brittany Daniel), is bullied by a arrogant jerk named Robbie (Kid Rock), teams up with an American Indian fireworks dealer named Kicking Wing (Adam Beach), and crosses paths with a school janitor with a shady past (Christopher Walken). You also discover that, despite the fact that Joe Dirt is a crude and ignorant individual, you can't help but find yourself rooting for him and admiring his ability to keep a positive attitude despite all the bad things that keep happening to him.

I gave this movie a 7 out of 10. It's funny, even uplifting, and worth seeing at least once if you aren't offended by toilet humor.