Waking Up in Reno (2002)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Jordan Brady

Writers (WGA):

Brent Briscoe (written by) &
Mark Fauser (written by)

Release Date:

13 December 2002 (Turkey)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

They're four close friends. Some closer than others.

Plot:

A romantic comedy about two trashy couples traveling to Reno to see a monster truck show.

Plot Keywords:

Monster Truck | Married Couple | Fertility | Beautiful Woman | Marriage Problems

Cast

Natasha Richardson	...	Darlene Dodd
Holmes Osborne	...	Doc Tuley
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Lonnie Earl Dodd
Patrick Swayze	...	Roy Kirkendall
Charlize Theron	...	Candy Kirkendall
Billy O'Sullivan	...	Lonnie Earl III
Galvin Chapman	...	Lane Dodd
Kelsey Chapman	...	Lacy Dodd
Cleo King	...	June
Chelcie Ross	...	Fred Bush
Brent Briscoe	...	Russell Whitehead
Mark Fauser	...	Boyd
Aszue Wilson	...	Mini-Mart Cashier
Hody Porterfield	...	Hodie at the Big Texan
Jo Harvey Allen	...	Waitress at Big Texan

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexual content.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Brazil:16 | Iceland:12 | Canada:A (Ontario) | Australia:M | Denmark:A | Germany:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | UK:12 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Amarillo, Texas, USA

Company:

Crossfire Sound & Pictures

Trivia:

In a deleted scene, Charlize Theron is listening to the Reba McEntire song "When You're Not Trying To" and Billy Bob Thornton walks out of the bathroom and makes fun of Reba. Charlize Theron throws a picture frame at him saying "Don't make fun of Reba you motherf***er". The broken picture frame is later blamed on the cat having too much catnip.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Candy and Darlene are sitting at the makeup mirror in the hotel visiting, the strap on Darlene's left shoulder disappears and reappears several times.

Quotes:

Donnie Earl: [in the convenient store] Yeah, ya just pile it on up here. Ole Lonnie Earl's got plenty of money. Yeah, I'm Mister Deep Pockets. Go ahead, Roy, put it on up here. Anybody else in here want me to buy them something?

Movie Connections:

References Parenthood (1989)

Soundtrack:

These Boots are Made for Walkin'

A Worthy Roadside Attraction

Wakin' up in Reno refers to more than just the alarm clock when two married couples take a road trip -- and an unexpected emotional detour -- from their home town of Little Rock to the "Biggest Little City in the World" for a monster truck rally. Roy (Patrick Swayze, "Forever Lulu") and Candy (Charlize Theron, "Sweet November") tag along with their best friends Lonnie Earl (Billy Bob Thornton, "The Gift") and Darlene (Natasha Richardson, "Blow Dry"), picking up a brand new SUV from the dealership that Lonnie Earl owns, and head off for the wild blue yonder. They're armed with a AAA Trip Tik, which is animated onscreen from time to time as we follow the bouncing auto from point to point on its way out west. Along the way, they stop at a few roadside attractions -- but only the ones Lonnie Earl wants to see, because he's got to keep to their schedule. This is very important to him, even after he eats a 72-ounce steak and winds up in the emergency room. Meanwhile, Candy is ovulating and Roy's got to accommodate her whenever her temperature drops to that magic number. Little does he know, Lonnie Earl may have already planted his seed before they left home. Lonnie Earl's wife, Darlene, doesn't know either -- but you think she might not care, as she hasn't let her husband touch her for the past two years.

This is a pretty simple story and there isn't a lot going on, but it's well directed, and particularly well written and well acted. It all comes together beautifully, and the four actors are completely believable in their could-be country caricature roles. Lonnie Earl's got the Van-Dyke look going on, complete with snakeskin cowboy boots and his faux snakeskin shirt, and Darlene starts off bumpkin-geek with her overalls and badly bleached hair. She later goes babe-chic when she takes the cheating Lonnie Earl's credit card, raids the expensive designer boutiques, and treats herself to a Tony Orlando concert. While none of the characters have especially good qualities, the actors who portray them make them likable and relatable.

While the subject matter is serious, Wakin' Up In Reno is played (mostly) for laughs, and there are plenty of them. It's too bad it's only getting a limited release, as this is one of the smartest, funniest adult comedies I've seen in awhile.