Daddy and Them
Daddy and Them
R | 26 October 2001 (USA)
Daddy and Them Trailers

Ruby and her husband Claude are a working-class couple who live in suburban Arkansas. As crazy as they are for each other, their relationship is far from harmonious. (The lack of money doesn't help matters, either.) In fact, their whole family is fraught with unresolved conflicts. Then Claude's uncle is arrested on a felony charge, and everyone rallies round. Ruby's mother Jewel and flirtatious sister Rose (Claude's ex-girlfriend) even fly in from Tennessee; but, far from being a source of support, Jewel seems only to want to break up Ruby and Claude.

Reviews
SteinMo What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.
Helloturia I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.
Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%
AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
delluser1968 Billy Bob Thornton captures the slang and dialog of southern rednecks the same way Quentin Tarantino captures the slang and dialog of the inner city thugs. "Don't think I don't know things like that" "I can't have a goddamn car wreck in peace" "That line dancers eyes got as big as pie plates"(after car crash) Paramedic="They were all drunk" Claude="Did you hear that? We were all drunk" Ruby="Oh baby, thank God you were drunk" Claude="I was drunkest one of all!"The scene where the mother screams at her two daughters to quit fighting and "get in this car NOW!!!" was played out by my mother and sisters many times before I ever saw this movie.This movie is a creative dark comedy with great cinematography and a relaxing soundtrack. So funny on so many levels it gets better every time I watch it.
vpadgett Filmed in Little Rock, Arkansas, this film is a languid telling of a Southern family's domestic travails. All the characters appear to be enjoying themselves most of the time, except Ben Affleck and Jamie Lee Curtis. And John Prine, who seems to be enjoying himself all the time.Prine's gravelly voice is a treat. Wait for the credits to roll and you will finally get to hear him sing ("In Spite of Ourselves"—just right for this film).The soundtrack is stunning, especially the acoustic "Dixie," soft and reflective, strummed while Billy Bob reflects on himself.Don't miss the director's commentary. Billy Bob Thornton adds quite a bit of insight and detail to each scene. Pour a glass of wine, build a fire, and enjoy.
nates-2 I won't rehash what everyone else has said but make an interesting observation. The characters in "Daddy & Them" pretty well represent every individual in this world - in all our glorious dysfunction. Every once in a while, someone comes along that gives our idiosyncrasies a voice- brings us together even if just for a little while. The kind of things that we all know in our hearts but never hear anyone put accurately into words. In real life, one of these rare individuals is songwriter John Prine. I wonder if Billy Bob thought about this when he cast JP in the role of Alvin - an enigmatic oddity who ultimately nails the situation and brings everyone together, even if just for a little while?
anonymous-42 This is a flat-out great movie. If you've ever lived in the Deep South (deeper than Boca Raton) you'll love this film. I stumbled across it on DVD, although I'd never heard of its big screen release. The cast alone would make the movie worthwhile: Billy Bob, Andy Griffith, Laura Dern, Kelley Preston, Diane Ladd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Affleck, John Prine & Jim Varney.The haunting squalor of the Arkansas setting, which ought to be depressing, lays naked the cleverness of the dialogue. Billy Bob's ear as a writer is as flawless as his delivery as an actor. Andy Griffith deadpanning in his role as patriarch of a hopelessly dysfunctional Ozark family is the funniest freaking thing I've seen since Alan Arkin in "The In-Laws." Cameos by Jamie Lee Curtis & Ben Affleck as fish-out-of-water attorneys work wonderfully. Laura Dern's red-line energy is the perfect comic foil for Billy Bob's perfect understatement.This is a gem of a film and as real as a whacked-out comedy set in the South can be.