Chuck&Buck

[Amazon Link]
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[3.0
stars] [IMDb Link]

Mrs. Salad often speaks of "hide in your sweater" moments, when it becomes painful to witness others' embarrassing behavior; you just want to bury your face in something soft to avoid seeing more.

This movie is full of those. Childhood friends Chuck and Buck are reunited after Buck's mother dies, somewhere in the 805 area code. But there's something seriously off about Buck; apparently sheltered by his mom for his entire life, he's mentally and emotionally still a pre-teen, and he's still sexually obsessed with his old buddy. Chuck, in the meantime, has a (female) fiancee and an important job in LA. Buck moves down there in an attempt to bring back what he sees as a happy time in his life.

What follows is not without laughs (it's billed as a comedy/drama), but mainly I alternated between hiding in my sweater and wondering if anyone was going to make it out alive; both major characters seem like their lives could crash and burn at any time.

Interestingly, the movie refuses to facilely portray homosexuality as a healthy adult lifestyle. Poor Buck is a poster child for maladjustment; Chuck wants nothing more than to get his childhood frolics safely behind him.

But the main reason I rented it was because of the presence of Paul Sand and Maya Rudolph—talk about a cast of my dreams! As it turns out, Maya has only a small role, and "Paul Sand" turns out to not be me.


Last Modified 2024-02-02 4:47 AM EDT