Horacio Marquinez

Williams puts on a first rate performance in the third film from comedian, Bobcat Goldthwait. Lance (Williams) is a frustrated writer works as a high-school language arts teacher while struggling to get his work published or, at least, some recognition from his students or co-workers. To make matters worse, his teenage son, Kyle (Sabara) is a illiterate, juvenile, misogynistic, vulgar, insufferable jack-#!@%*# who strives to belittle and verbally degrade his father at every opportunity. After Kyle dies via, autoerotic asphyxiation; Lance covers it up with a (strangely articulate) fake suicide note. After the note gets leaked, Kyle is praised as a misunderstood literary genius and Lance's work is finally getting attention he always wanted, but can he live with how he obtained it? A cynical, pitch-black satire on the outside, but with a surprisingly warm and tender center that somehow works.

Yes, this movie does have its cliches and sappy moments, but I did enjoy the humor. Adrien Brody is great as the painfully shy Steven who lives at home, along with his dysfunctional family. Illeana Douglas is good as usual playing the high strung and sarcastic wedding-planner sister who has a stalker boyfriend. The highlight of the film is Milla Jojovich, playing Steven's hyperactive, foul-mouthed, tough, chick-rocker friend Fanny who sings in a local band - I guarantee you've never seen her this funny. She should do more comedy, she's very good at it. When Steven loses his job, he takes up ventriloquism and falls in love with his unemployment counselor. With the dummy and Fanny's help, he breaks out of his shell and learns to be less afraid of life.