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Lone Star State of Mind

Columbia/Tri-Star // PG-13 // April 1, 2003
List Price: $24.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]

Review by Don Houston | posted April 12, 2003 | E-mail the Author
Movie: Having lived in Texas since the 1980's, I have some knowledge of what the true "Lone Star State of Mind" is, although I've come to the conclusion that it's a lot more complicated than I ever thought. The movie centers on a set of characters who seem to be present in just about every small town I've ever visited. The lead is played by Joshua Jackson, who is the cool headed, self appointed guardian of his small set of family and friends. Joining him are such notables as Jamie King, as the hot tempered girlfriend, Matthew Davis as the gay friend who defies stereotypes, Ryan Hurst as the dumbest criminal this side of the Mississippi, and DJ Qualls, perhaps the funniest knucklehead ever to grace the big screen.

In the movie, our two dopey criminals get in way over their head when they rob a pizza delivery guy who happened to be carrying a drug lord's money and cocaine. They see it as a big pay day but our hero points out how it could very well be their death sentence. As his girlfriend keeps pushing him to leave the small town life behind, and his gay pal frets over losing his only true friend in a town of rednecks, Earl (Joshua) puts himself in the middle of all the problems the drugs cause, getting rewarded for his troubles with a couple of bullets and a whole lot of trouble. The way he handles it all in stoic fashion is definitely requires a Lone Star State of Mind.

Picture: The picture was presented in both Anamorphic Widescreen as well as a full frame version. It looked very clear with minimal problems.

Sound: The English track was presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and the French track was in 2.0 Dolby Digital. The English track was very crisp and clear, especially for such a modestly budgeted release as this.

Extras: Subtitles in English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai., 3 trailers

Final Thoughts: I liked this movie on several levels. As a comedy, it succeeds with both the subtle humor of Joshua and the circumstances (not to mention the lesser known cast) as well as the outright blundering comments of DJ and his pratfalls. As a drama, the movie has a lot more believability than the cooked up schemes of the drug related blockbusters most of us have watched over the years. I even watched it with a Texan that has more years in Texas than almost anyone on the planet and she thought the characters were not only true to life but a hoot (her words). Look for small roles by Thomas Hadden Church, John Mellencamp, and Rodger Boyce-each of which turn in great performances that compliment those by the main cast. Highly recommended!

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Highly Recommended

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