Twister (1989)

Director:

Michael Almereyda

Writers:

Mary Robison (novel)
Michael Almereyda (writer)

Release Date:

June 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

There's a natural disaster in the heartland of America. It's called the Cleveland family.

Plot:

An oddball family on a Kansas farm are trapped in their farmhouse by an impending storm. The patriarch...

Plot Keywords:

Dysfunctional | Based On Novel

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Harry Dean Stanton	...	Cleveland
Suzy Amis	...	Maureen Cleveland
Crispin Glover	...	Howdy
Dylan McDermott	...	Chris
Jenny Wright	...	Stephanie
Lindsay Christman	...	Violet
Charlayne Woodard	...	Lola (as Charlaine Woodard)
Lois Chiles	...	Virginia
David Brown	...	Bob Breevort
William S. Burroughs	...	Man in Barn (as William Burroughs)
Joyce Cavarozzi	...	Woman in Bathroom
Sarah Cochran	...	Tomboy Girl
Donal Donnelly	...	Doctor
Raleigh Lackey	...	Stan Manley
Ralfe D. Reber	...	Golfer

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Wichita, Kansas, USA

Company:

Vestron Pictures

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When everyone is in the basement and discussing what they would do during their "last hour", a boom mic comes down in front of the painting just behind Howdy (Crispin Glover) right after Stephanie’s answer.

Soundtrack:

DANCE ETIQUETTE

One of the very best comedies of all time

This film is on my top 20 comedies list. This is a truly unique film. To the reviewer who said "I must be really missing something."--you are correct. You are missing something. If you don't have the kind of sense of humor this film requires, that's one thing. But don't give it a bad review because you think it's "looney" but isn't intended to be. Loony is an apt description of both what it intends to be and what it succeeds in being. I laughed much more often and much more intensely at this film than I do at most other funny films.

Michael Almereyda brought out the best in his cast in this, his first big film, for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit award for Best First Feature. Crispin Glover, as usual, is absolutely brilliant in some perfectly inexplicable way, and some of his very funniest lines ever were said in this film. Glover is clearly the best comic actor working right now. Harry Dean Stanton puts in an excellent comic performance. William Burroughs is incredible in a small role. Dylan McDermott was ideally cast, and Lois Chiles is completely excellent.

All of the above are perfectly funny in their own perfect way, but this is one of Crispin's finest performances--up there with his performances in River's Edge and Willard. If you are a Crispin Glover fan, but have somehow overlooked this film, you need to stop whatever it is you're doing and see this immediately.

But just remember to relax first, and maybe have a beer or something. This is a great film, but it is very unusual, and I recommend being in or inducing an appropriately silly state of mind before viewing.