Powerful

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

I followed Billy Bob Thornton through his career as an actor and to me he stands out - whether you like his acting or not! I always injoyed most of the characters he portrayed.Also this movie from 2001 stands out to me. A Movie he both wrote and directed. So if you are a Billy Bob Thornton fan it is a must see!The first thing I noticed was the characteristic humor in the movie. You cannot label a certain humor. Your either like it or you dont. I simply loved the humor in this movie and the strange family characters its portraying. It is outstanding! Truely hilarious!The ongoing theme of the movie is the love life of the to lead characters, Claude and Ruby, played by Billy Bob and Laura Dern, and their struggle with the green monster: jealousy - which must have been an issue to Billy Bob Thornton himself in his personal life I reckon - as it is to most people living in a relationship.Billy Bob Thornton has done a fine job directing and writing this movie. And as always - he playes it very, very convincing - and different than most.So why should you watch this movie? - Simply because you have to! Its to funny, fine and different to miss out on!

From the first time I caught a portion of this film on Showtime until I finally found a copy on DVD, I asked myself, "Why wasn't this released in the theaters?" I have rationalized that it was too real for the average Southern audience and conversely bizarre to a Northern group. Add the fact that Jim Varney was unable to complete the film, which I'm sure, created some last minute re-writes and the botch job the editors did in the cutting room and the answer becomes more obvious.The movie had a superior cast and each thespian was spot on in the portrayal of their respective roles. From the obvious stars Billy Bob Thornton's portrayal of an alcoholic, troglodytic, narcissistic redneck and Andy Griffith's character whose nightmare plagued view of life was truly delightful to watch, to the unsung Walter Goggins spot-on Southern Homosexual; Tommy Christianson (Jim Varney's alleged victim) and the tandem of Jaimie Lee's and Affleck's portrayals of fish out of water Yankees, all the actors were well above Hollywood's standards.The writing was as close as one can get to true to life redneck/white trash dialog. I use the terms redneck/white trash with personal pride having spent a good number of my life's years living in a trailer in Alabama. I have been surrounded by and endured these types with much fascination for quite some time and this movie was completely a slice of life. Well worth watching and should be a part of every Southerner's DVD collection.Through all the madness that ensues in the film, the finale leaves one feeling warm and fuzzy, if you work for it. You can see the potential for change and growth in all walks of humanity. The poor struggle with the past but live in the now. They walk in the shadows of the educated but are far from being imbeciles. Obscene behavior shows ignorance not stupidity. Anyone that sees this film and cannot get past all the verbose behavior in the film will not grasp the underlying love that is being purveyed. The Character's total dysfunction disables them from rational thoughts and actions, however, they do care for one another honestly and carry exceptionally strong family bonds. Now, for the most troubling aspect; the fatal flaw was the editing. The movie at first glance has some gaps and unexplainable situations that are baffling and distracting. Upon viewing the deleted scenes portion of the DVD the movie's intent and flow are re-established. This is still a very good film. Sadly, it could have been a great one.

First off, let me say that I am a southerner.I'm also a fan of Billy Bob Thornton, but I can't say that all of his movies are works of genius. When he's good, he's very, very good...etc.I watched "Daddy and Them" and thought I had really stumbled onto a gem! Also written and directed by Billy Bob, it portrays two of the most dysfunctional families ever. They are his immediate family, plus his wife's (Laura Dern), who've gotten together because Uncle Hazel (Jim Varney, in a very small, thankfully non-Ernest role) has been arrested for attempted murder.To top it off, these people are the epitome of Arkansas rednecks! Diane Ladd is in it, as is Andy Griffith. Since it's a Billy Bob-er, the language is kinda raw, and it's a real hoot to see and especially hear old Sheriff Andy get down and dirty! He plays BB's elderly, semi-senile father.Very humorous, with more than a few belly laughs... up until 1:10, or thereabouts, then the whole thing just collapsed! It went into a final half-hour or so of boring, self-absorbed pseudo-psychological angst and apologia claptrap. What a come-down! I guess it was intended to make the film "relevant," or something, but what it really did was to make it a semi-disaster.I'd recommend looking at the first 2/3rds, then, when BB starts to become a self-analyzing motormouth, turn it off and play Scrabble, or something.

This is a flat-out great movie. If you've ever lived in the Deep South (deeper than Boca Raton) you'll love this film. I stumbled across it on DVD, although I'd never heard of its big screen release. The cast alone would make the movie worthwhile: Billy Bob, Andy Griffith, Laura Dern, Kelley Preston, Diane Ladd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Affleck, John Prine & Jim Varney.The haunting squalor of the Arkansas setting, which ought to be depressing, lays naked the cleverness of the dialogue. Billy Bob's ear as a writer is as flawless as his delivery as an actor. Andy Griffith deadpanning in his role as patriarch of a hopelessly dysfunctional Ozark family is the funniest freaking thing I've seen since Alan Arkin in "The In-Laws." Cameos by Jamie Lee Curtis & Ben Affleck as fish-out-of-water attorneys work wonderfully. Laura Dern's red-line energy is the perfect comic foil for Billy Bob's perfect understatement.This is a gem of a film and as real as a whacked-out comedy set in the South can be.