ViewGuide

Created Nov 17, 2011 10:45AM PST • Edited Nov 17, 2011 10:47AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Good 3.0

   A quirky film that never really seems to rise to it’s full potential, Scotland, PA manages to be entertaining, without taking itself too seriously. Based on William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, about greed, envy and murder, this version is set in a fast-food diner in the 1970’s.

   The movie is dark humor, and is admittedly inspired by the movie Fargo. While there are no real laugh-out loud moments, its does manages to raise a few chuckles, especially in its inventive way of transposing characters from a verbose 1600’s play, to a movie that captures many elements of the 1970s, including music, pot smoking, and creative advances in restaurants (i.e., drive-throughs and chicken nuggets).

   Those who are traditionally intimidated by the Bard’s flowing language will be pleasantly surprised to find none of that present, replaced with common vernacular and vulgarities. Those who fancy themselves fans of the original work will probably cringe at the liberties are taken with many characters and story lines. For example, an opening scene in the play with three ghosts from battle, is replaced with three potheads. Humorous, but it does lose something in transposition.

   I give credit for having the courage to make a film like this, as many of Shakespeare’s plays contain stories that could translate well to the mass media, if converted to present-day language. But, in the end, Scotland, PA is good, but not much more.

   It got good reviews at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, but that doesn’t always translate into mass public appeal.

4. Acting

   Good 3.0

5. Male Stars Good 3.0

   James Legros is adequate as “Mac” Macbeth, a restaurant manager, who plots with his wife to bump off the owner and take over. Not great, but adequate.

   Christopher Walken turns in a fine performance as the plaid-back vegetarian police inspector who tries to solve the case.

6. Female Stars Very Good 3.5

   Maura Tierney plays Pat Mcbeth, the wife who is brighter than her husband, but equally misguided in ambitions. I found her portrayal a notch or two better than her cinematic husbands.

7. Female Costars OK 2.5

8. Male Costars Good 3.0

   Veteran character actor James Rebhorn does a nice job portraying the owner who seems oblivious to potential growth.

   Kevin Corrigan does a nice job as Banko, the short order cook who likes to party.

10. Film

    OK 2.5

11. Direction OK 2.5

    I give props to director Billy Morrissette for tackling this project, and his end result is watchable and entertaining. Dark humor movies are an acquired taste for some, so if its not a genre you enjoy, you would probably be best to stay away.

12. Play OK 2.5

13. Music Great 4.0

    Great songs from the 1970’s help make the movie a period piece as much as anything else.

14. Visuals OK 2.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 2.4

17. Sex Titillating 2.1

    some nudity.

18. Violence Fierce 2.2

19. Rudeness Profane 2.8

    lots of swearing

21. Reality

    Glib 2.0

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.3

23. Biological Glib 2.0

24. Physical Glib 1.7