Scotland, PA (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:74
Fresh:44
Rotten:30
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: Though it's not as good as it could have been, Scotland PA shows cleverness at utilizing its premise.
Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Yahtzee, chicken nuggets, weed-smoking clairvoyant hippies, Shakespearean refrains, and jamming rock songs by Bad Company are some of the key elements of director Billy Morrissette's ode to MACBETH... Yahtzee, chicken nuggets, weed-smoking clairvoyant hippies, Shakespearean refrains, and jamming rock songs by Bad Company are some of the key elements of director Billy Morrissette's ode to MACBETH and early 1970s small town America. A comic interpretation of the William Shakespeare classic, SCOTLAND, PA tells the story of a fast food restaurant called McBeth's, an innovative establishment that offers drive-through service. However, the success of the restaurant's young owners, the stylish and popular local couple Mack and Pat McBeth (James LeGros and Maura Tierney) is largely due to the convenient murder of its former owner (James Rebhorn). When the quirky vegetarian Lieutenant Ernie McDuff (Christopher Walken) is assigned to investigate the murder, each of Scotland's strange characters--the tanning salon operator, the homeless guy that lives in a barn, the perpetually drunk barfly--come forward to share what they know about the case. Some of the funniest moments of the film come from the lieutenant's interrogations of the teenage sons of the late restaurant owner, the amped rock guitarist Malcom (Tom Guiry) and his poised, artistic gay brother Norm (Geoff Dunsworth). SCOTLAND, PA is a funny, light hippie movie with an excellent grasp of '70s music, decor, and dress. [More]
Starring: James LeGros, Maura Tierney, Christopher Walken, Kevin Corrigan
Starring: James LeGros, Maura Tierney, Christopher Walken, Kevin Corrigan, James Rebhorn, Tom Guiry, Andy Dick, Amy Smart, Timothy "Speed" Levitch, Geoff Dunsworth
Director: Billy Morrissette
Director: Billy Morrissette
Screenwriter: Billy Morrissette
Producer: Richard Shepard
Composer: Anton Sanko
Studio: Lot 47 Films
Reviews for Scotland, PA
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Offers more mild amusement than outright laughs... Full Review |
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This should have been a black comic masterpiece. Full Review |
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... can’t be dismissed as a vanity project Full Review |
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A slyly macabre fantasia that works on its own demented terms. Full Review |
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It's as nourishing as a Big Mac with fries. Full Review |
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It's a setup so easy it borders on facile, but keeping the film from cheap-shot mediocrity is its crack cast. Full Review |
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An uneven parody that sometimes amuses but just as often annoys. Full Review |
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Quite possibly the best "modernizing" of a Shakespeare tale in recent memory. Full Review |
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McBeth's personal karmageddon builds with comedy and tragedy in equal measure, without being as long as the original. Full Review |
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Very clever writing and great casting make this a comedy that's fun to watch even if you're not familiar with the source material. Full Review |
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If you keep a list of films you want to see one way or another, you would be doing yourself a service by keeping this film high up on that list. Full Review |
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It’s not exactly a gourmet meal but the fare is fair, even coming from the drive-thru. Full Review |
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There are some truly wacky parallels with Shakespeare's play. Full Review |
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Underachieves only in not taking the Shakespeare parallels quite far enough. Full Review |
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The combined talents of cast and crew create a new take on an enduring drama that pairs nicely with a side order of kitsch. Full Review |
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As flaccid and undistinguished as star James LeGros’s period wig. Full Review |
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This spawn of William Shakespeare and Ray Kroc has more fun with [the] thin premise than you might expect, mostly because of Maura Tierney. Full Review |
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A disappointment for those who love alternate versions of the Bard, particularly ones that involve deep fryers and hamburgers. Full Review |
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