Bobcat Goldthwait, in relative obscurity, has actually been doing the most interesting work of his career recently directing independent, envelope-pushing comedies. SLEEPING DOGS LIE is an unheralded masterpiece about perversion, relationships, and secrets. Now GOD BLESS AMERICA is a glorious revenge fantasy about the inanity of modern American culture, while also being a parody of its own "kill 'em all" attitude.
Frank (Joel Murray) has a lousy job--which he loses, an ex-wife and daughter who hate him, neighbors who drive him crazy, and a brain tumor that will kill him any day. And to top it all off, he can't find anything good on TV--nothing but horribly despicable people on reality shows. So when he's on the brink of killing himself, he decides to take a little trip and kill some of the worst aspects of America, too. He picks up a teenage accomplice, Roxy (Tara Lynne Barr) who joins in with a little too much enthusiasm. She also has a creepy Bonnie and Clyde romance fantasy about Frank, which he admirably rejects. But these moments, like the discussions about who deserves to die and who doesn't, kind of slow things down. It's at its best when it's a delirious revenge fantasy satire. And such serious moments make it a bit uneven. But the revenge part--that's a lot of fun.
Running Time: 105 minutes
My Total Minutes: 286,270
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