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Outside Providence was written by the Farrelly Brothers, known for the outrageous comedies Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, and There's Something About Mary. On the surface, OutsideProvidence seems to be of the same ilk--there's a three-legged,one-eyed dog, physical humor with a kid in a wheelchair, and a character nicknamed Jiz, among other things. But despite all that, the movie is an almost-gentle coming-of-age comedy, something like a suburban New England Amarcord with a lot of unrepentant drug humor. The plot doesn't sound promising: pothead Tim Dunphy (Shawn Hatosy) gets sent to prepschool by his father (Alec Baldwin), who wants to keep him out of trouble. But a fair amount of smoking and boozing goes on at that school, too, despite the watchful eye of the administrators. Dunphy also falls for Jane (Amy Smart), a richer and smarter girl whom he wins over. All this could just as easily be the plot of some mediocre Porky's rip-off, but the Farrelly Brothers' script has the grit of real experience, while the direction (by Michael Corrente) and acting carefully avoid smirks and easy gags; the movie is funnier for it. Baldwin initially seems miscast, but over the course of the film delivers a solid performance; Hatosy and Smart are sincere and unaffected. The result is a low-key, modest, but genuinely affecting movie about surmounting class differences and coping with loss--that also has a lot of jokes that push the boundaries of political correctness. Quite a balancing act. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Not Your Typical Farrelly Brothers Movie, But Still Good!
"Outside Providence" is a surprising movie. Since it came from the Farrelly brothers, I was expecting little more than the type of humor that was the staple of "Dumb and Dumber", "Kingpin", and "There's Something About Mary". What I got is a very well done if not predictable "coming of age" story.

The film is set in 1974 and features Shawn Hatosy as Tim Dunphy, a stoner sent away to a private school by his single father, played by Alec Baldwin (who calls his son "Dildo). I'm not a fan of Baldwin's but was mightily impressed by his performance.

At school, Tim finds a new circle of friends (not abandoning his old ones) and falls for fellow student Jane (Amy Smart). He also struggles against an uptight, mean-spirited dorm master. The comedy is politically incorrect and sometimes even gross, as you might expect from a Farrelly brothers film, but the coming of age story gives this movie some degree of substance that has been lacking in their previous films. Although the plot is almost painfully predictable, "Outside Providence" succeeds in being interesting and entertaining.

The VHS version of this film also features an alternate ending. After seeing it, I'm glad the brothers stayed with the first. It resolves all of the questions that come up in the movie in a much more satisfying way.

One reviewer described this movie as "charming". I think that says it right. Perhaps one of the reasons I think so is that I graduated from high school at about the same time as Tim and his friends and can really identify with the struggles they go through. I consider this to be an exceptional motion picture (which also includes an exceptional soundtrack featuring a great collection of songs from that era).

A Delightful Suprise
From the minds behind "Dumb and Dumber" and "Theres Something About Mary" comes another raunchy landmark comedy, but one with heart.

Seemingly repetitive, a teenage boy is sent to a prep school after a car accident involving a parked police car, several friends, and unspecified amounts of narcotics. Throughout his journey he encounters friends, foes, and of course, love.

The same coming of age tale every weekly movie aims for, however superior to most thanks to several key factors.

Alec Baldwin, who was perhaps cast merely to attach a well known name to the movie, pulls off a surprisingly tricky role as a rock solid father who is confused and disappointed with his life. One of the movies most effective scenes is a short one, involving this star-stunned actor teaching his son how to knot a tie.

The script is not only amusing, but it also provides a lot of emotional depth to the story through simple and idealistic lines. Written with cunning craft and executed superbly by the cast, it provides a solid backbone for the movie and proves to be effective in conveying the situations.

What truly brings this movie together, though, is the charming charisma of newcomer Shawn Hatosy. Capturing the naive facial gestures, the sorrow- filled-eyes maneuvers, and that age old enlightmened maturity posture seems to be a natural gift to this young actor.

Along with those three factors, it is wise to note the crude and yet witty comedy often present in the Farrely Brothers works: obsessing with homosexuality, mocking social status, and the maniacal humiliation that comes with life. For some this genre of entertainment is not appealing, however I found their classic formula highly engrossing.

It is hard to say what the downside of this movie is, except that the ending left me somewhat unsatisfied. Perhaps thats merely because I was enjoying the film so much I simply did not want to end. Of course, given the flow of the movie, the ending was a natural and propable choice.

An all around impressive film from those fiendishly humorous brothers, "Outside Providence" is a landmark of their work.

FUNNIEST MOVIE EVER MADE!!!
If you want to see an extremely funny movie, then I highly recommend Outside Providence!! Many funny scenes, great cast, what else could you want?!!

Better the second time
When I first rented this movie, I fell into a trap. After reading the box, I was expecting "Something about Mary". That put me in the wrong frame of mind, and I thought the movie sucked since I was waiting for the big laugh.

Watching it a second time (years later), I like the movie. The acting is not over the top, very natural. Alec Baldwin seems a bit much at first, but his character develops. It is a good romantic comedy, on par with "The Sure Thing".

This is not "Kingpin".

Response to Mike Phillips
Just wanted to respond to the spotlighted review by Mike Phillips. ...These are stupid reason not to check out this movie. It is too short as the end comes abruptly and without revealing too much, there is a tragic twist at the end involving one of Dunpf's friends that really doesn't belong. The plot is thin, but the movie is enjoyable the watch and Alec Baldwin does well desite playing a poorly written character. This movie is not deep like a drama and you will not be laughing for hours afterwards, it is just entertaining which is more than some movies can say of late. That is good enough for me as long as you rent the movie or borrow it. I would not buy it as it will not be an outstanding piece of any collection, although I could see watching it again in a few months. ... Read more