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God, Sex & Apple Pie
Warner Bros. // R // October 28, 2003
List Price: $24.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie
Independent films are often thought of as alternative films, that is, an alternative to mainstream, Hollywood movies. To me, alternative means different, but it seems that 90% of the independent movies that I see are all the same -- "slice of life" comedies that show how people "really" live. God, Sex, & Apple Pie may be the penultimate example of this homogenous breed of movies.
God, Sex, & Apple Pie wants to be a version of The Big Chill for Generation X. A group of thirtysomething friends gather at a secluded cabin for their annual get-together. But, this visit will not a particularly happy one. TV reporter Alex (Mark Porro) feels trapped in his career and marriage, and it's clear to everyone that he and his wife, Maggie (Katy Kurtzman) aren't getting along. Wall Street investor Tim (Greg Wrangler) has just received some disturbing news about his career. Artist Trent (Jerome Courshon) still has feelings for Tim's wife Bobbie (Penelope Crabtree), despite the fact that he is with a vivacious model named Debi (Andrea Leithe). Postal worker Ron (Phil Palisoul), has a history of alcoholism and never seems to be happy. As the weekend progresses, secrets are revealed, confessions are made, and life-long friendships suddenly hang in the balance as everyone begins to face their own problems.
If you've ever seen a "slice of life" independent film, or any movie at all for that matter, then you should know exactly what to expect from God, Sex, & Apple Pie. For all of its good intentions, the movie doesn't present one original thought. Not only is it borrowing from The Big Chill, but the relationships and situations could have come out of any film, and instead of resembling the latest art-house hit, God, Sex, & Apple Pie looks much more like a movie from the Lifetime Network, and without the profanity and brief nudity, it easily could have been.
The movie asks us to care about a group of obnoxious people and gives us little info on them, save for their stereotyped roles (banker, newscaster, artist, etc.) (Here's a question: Why can't the artist character ever be just a plain guy, instead of the flamboyant hippy type?) Every moment of this movie is trite and the sub-par acting doesn't help either. I'm not sure if these actors have a background in theater, but most of them don't know how to act for the camera, and many, such as Leithe, play their characters way too broad and grandiose. And for all of the "real" the movie attempts to feed us, the ending feels like a cop-out. God, Sex, & Apple Pie attempts to bring us a fresh "slice of life", but the results are more like leftovers.
Video
God, Sex, & Apple Pie comes to DVD courtesy of Lightyear Entertainment and Warner Home Video. The film has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 and the transfer is enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. The image is sharp, but the picture is very grainy, especially during the many daytime scenes. Also, there are occasional defects, such as black spots, from the source print. The colors are good, and the fleshtones look natural. I can't say for sure, but God, Sex, & Apple Pie looks as if it were shot on 16mm film, as the good color mixed with noticeable grain is usually a by-product of that format. If not, then this transfer is mediocre at best and could have benefited from more work.
Audio
The God, Sex, & Apple Pie features a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track. Somebody call the Dynamic Range Police! The music in this film is about three times louder than the dialogue, so any musical cue means a grab for the remote. Given that, the dialogue is completely inaudible at times. The music sounds fine, but it's clearly unwelcome as its compromising the dialogue. This movie supposedly relies on its witty banter, so it's unfortunate that the viewer must struggle to hear it.
Extras
The DVD contains a handful of uninspired extras. We start with an 8-minute reel which contains one blooper scene, and five deleted scenes, all of which are pretty lame, with one featuring fairly explicit sex. These scenes are letterboxed at 1.85:1 and look as if they were taken from a work print. There is a one-minute interview with actor/writer/producer Jerome Courshon in which he rambles about the movie, and a four-minute interview with production designer Colleen Devine, where she discusses the look of the film. "Making of 'Drinking Pictionary" Scene" has to be the most pointless extra ever, as it's a one-take shot-on-video scene of a one-take scene from the movie. So, it's essentially the same scene from the film, as seen over the cameraman's shoulder. Finally, we have the trailer for God, Sex, & Apple Pie, letterboxed at 1.85:1.
For all of the great independent films which have come along in the past, there are a dozen stinkers that try to follow a formula or pattern and get everything wrong. God, Sex, & Apple Pie has nothing new to offer the viewer and fans of realistic drama or edgy comedies will find it pointless and boring.
Independent films are often thought of as alternative films, that is, an alternative to mainstream, Hollywood movies. To me, alternative means different, but it seems that 90% of the independent movies that I see are all the same -- "slice of life" comedies that show how people "really" live. God, Sex, & Apple Pie may be the penultimate example of this homogenous breed of movies.
God, Sex, & Apple Pie wants to be a version of The Big Chill for Generation X. A group of thirtysomething friends gather at a secluded cabin for their annual get-together. But, this visit will not a particularly happy one. TV reporter Alex (Mark Porro) feels trapped in his career and marriage, and it's clear to everyone that he and his wife, Maggie (Katy Kurtzman) aren't getting along. Wall Street investor Tim (Greg Wrangler) has just received some disturbing news about his career. Artist Trent (Jerome Courshon) still has feelings for Tim's wife Bobbie (Penelope Crabtree), despite the fact that he is with a vivacious model named Debi (Andrea Leithe). Postal worker Ron (Phil Palisoul), has a history of alcoholism and never seems to be happy. As the weekend progresses, secrets are revealed, confessions are made, and life-long friendships suddenly hang in the balance as everyone begins to face their own problems.
If you've ever seen a "slice of life" independent film, or any movie at all for that matter, then you should know exactly what to expect from God, Sex, & Apple Pie. For all of its good intentions, the movie doesn't present one original thought. Not only is it borrowing from The Big Chill, but the relationships and situations could have come out of any film, and instead of resembling the latest art-house hit, God, Sex, & Apple Pie looks much more like a movie from the Lifetime Network, and without the profanity and brief nudity, it easily could have been.
The movie asks us to care about a group of obnoxious people and gives us little info on them, save for their stereotyped roles (banker, newscaster, artist, etc.) (Here's a question: Why can't the artist character ever be just a plain guy, instead of the flamboyant hippy type?) Every moment of this movie is trite and the sub-par acting doesn't help either. I'm not sure if these actors have a background in theater, but most of them don't know how to act for the camera, and many, such as Leithe, play their characters way too broad and grandiose. And for all of the "real" the movie attempts to feed us, the ending feels like a cop-out. God, Sex, & Apple Pie attempts to bring us a fresh "slice of life", but the results are more like leftovers.
Video
God, Sex, & Apple Pie comes to DVD courtesy of Lightyear Entertainment and Warner Home Video. The film has been letterboxed at 1.85:1 and the transfer is enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs. The image is sharp, but the picture is very grainy, especially during the many daytime scenes. Also, there are occasional defects, such as black spots, from the source print. The colors are good, and the fleshtones look natural. I can't say for sure, but God, Sex, & Apple Pie looks as if it were shot on 16mm film, as the good color mixed with noticeable grain is usually a by-product of that format. If not, then this transfer is mediocre at best and could have benefited from more work.
Audio
The God, Sex, & Apple Pie features a Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track. Somebody call the Dynamic Range Police! The music in this film is about three times louder than the dialogue, so any musical cue means a grab for the remote. Given that, the dialogue is completely inaudible at times. The music sounds fine, but it's clearly unwelcome as its compromising the dialogue. This movie supposedly relies on its witty banter, so it's unfortunate that the viewer must struggle to hear it.
Extras
The DVD contains a handful of uninspired extras. We start with an 8-minute reel which contains one blooper scene, and five deleted scenes, all of which are pretty lame, with one featuring fairly explicit sex. These scenes are letterboxed at 1.85:1 and look as if they were taken from a work print. There is a one-minute interview with actor/writer/producer Jerome Courshon in which he rambles about the movie, and a four-minute interview with production designer Colleen Devine, where she discusses the look of the film. "Making of 'Drinking Pictionary" Scene" has to be the most pointless extra ever, as it's a one-take shot-on-video scene of a one-take scene from the movie. So, it's essentially the same scene from the film, as seen over the cameraman's shoulder. Finally, we have the trailer for God, Sex, & Apple Pie, letterboxed at 1.85:1.
For all of the great independent films which have come along in the past, there are a dozen stinkers that try to follow a formula or pattern and get everything wrong. God, Sex, & Apple Pie has nothing new to offer the viewer and fans of realistic drama or edgy comedies will find it pointless and boring.
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