Pumpkin

2002 parody

Rating: 14/20

Rating: Sorority girl Carolyn is forced to train the titular special needs athlete for the upcoming Olympics. She annoys her sisters, her boyfriend, and her family by falling for him.

This was recommended by somebody based on my love for Harold and Maude, and it really does seem like my type of movie. It took me a while to figure out what this even was--the soap opera acting, the terrible music, dialogue that couldn't be this bad unless somebody worked hard to make it this bad.

Pumpkin: Carolyn, why does the moon change?
Carolyn: I really don't know, Pumpkin. I'll try to find out for you, OK?

But wait just a second! That's it! Somebody wrote this like an after-school special written by a team of mentally-challenged people intentionally, and once you
figure that out, the satire does deliver. And I did laugh a few times. A bite out of a McDonald's cheeseburger made me laugh because of how it ruined a tender moment so greasily, and I loved a discovery that some really cheesy music was non-incidental. I also enjoyed the "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt" singalong, a reaction during a party crashing, a car crashing, the collapse of a poetry teacher, a Long Beach Tech meal, and an opening ceremony featuring sombreros and cowboy hats. Oh, and there's a Belle and Sebastian montage, something else that gives away that these people are in no way serious. Parts of this do seem to drag a little bit, and I imagine the film's style would be off-putting for most people. And it just doesn't feel completely complete, like something's missing. Or maybe it's that the movie goes too far without going far enough. I think you'd know what I mean here if you've seen this. Anyway, an interesting concluding bit of dialogue and final shot are good. This movie isn't nearly as good as Harold and Maude, but it's not going to be a complete waste of your time if you like that sort of movie.