PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Daddy and Them (2001)

Daddy and Them (2001)

If you create a user account, you can add your own review of this DVD

Released 10-Feb-2004

Cover Art

This review is sponsored by
BUY IT

Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Romantic Comedy Dolby Digital Trailer-Train
Theatrical Trailer
Rating Rated M
Year Of Production 2001
Running Time 97:22
RSDL / Flipper No/No Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By Billy Bob Thornton
Studio
Distributor

Roadshow Home Entertainment
Starring Billy Bob Thornton
Laura Dern
Diane Ladd
Kelly Preston
Andy Griffith
Sandra Seacat
John Prine
Jeff Bailey
Jim Varney
Brenda Blethyn
Tuesday Knight
Ben Affleck
Jamie Lee Curtis
Case Amaray-Transparent-Secure Clip
RPI $39.95 Music Larry Paxton
Marty Stuart
Kristin Wilkinson


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame None English Dolby Digital 2.0 (320Kb/s)
English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
16x9 Enhanced
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles English for the Hearing Impaired Smoking Yes
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

     My sister-in-law-in-waiting comes from Mobile, Alabama. And that (and the fact that Billy Bob Thornton is one of my favourite performers, and his direction of Sling Blade was impressive) drew me to reviewing Daddy & Them - another BBT project. But dip me in honey and throw me to the Appalachians! This movie is TERRIBLE.

     It is a rambling, incoherent, insulting, inane waste of jolly good talent that makes Anna Nicole Smith look cool and sophisticated by comparison!

     In essence, this is a family reunion story where Claude and Ruby Montgomery (Billy Bob Thornton and Laura Dern) are thrust together with the other dysfunctional members of their clan in an attempt to help Uncle Hazel (Jim Varney) who's been accused of murder. But no sooner are they assembled than they begin dissembling each other - jealousies, feuds and bad blood flowing in a poisonous stream that catches every cliché in its wake.

      BBT must have pulled in a lot of favours in garnering his cast - it's a stellar bunch indeed, with the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis, Brenda Blethyn, Ben Affleck, Diane Ladd and Kelly Preston all along for the sorry ride.

      This is a film that looks like it got made backwards - as if they knew how they wanted it to end, and worked back to the beginning. In fact, the scene between Claude and Ruby at the end of the film hints at a kind of charm that is completely lacking from the remainder of the production.

Don't wish to see plot synopses in the future? Change your configuration.

Transfer Quality

Video

     The transfer is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 16x9 enhanced.

     Sharpness levels and luminance are actually reasonably good, with clean shadow detail and fine grain.

     The colours are rich, warm and accurate, with a broad palette utilised.

     The aliasing present in this production is very pronounced, sometimes strobing out the entire scene. Other artefacts are relatively minimal and unobtrusive.

     Subtitles are occasionally tardy and a little confusing with their split perspective, but they are generally accurate.

    This disc is a single sided, single layered disc.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     There are two audio tracks on this DVD. The default is an English Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. There is also an English Dolby Digital 2.0 track.

     With the obvious challenge with tuning one's ear into the accents, dialogue was generally quite good. Audio sync was also not a problem.

     The musical score was a somewhat predictable and stereotyped mash of bluegrassy twangy guitars.

     The surround presence was generally pretty mild, and there was virtually no subwoofer activity, but there was an added annoyance of several distortions, pops and crackles that were most irritating.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

     The menu is static and silent.

Theatrical Trailer

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

     There appears to be no difference in the 2 presentations, so it's a local choice.

Summary

     A waste of celluloid.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Mirella Roche-Parker (read my bio)
Sunday, May 30, 2004
Review Equipment
DVDSinger SGD-001, using S-Video output
DisplayTeac 76cm Widescreen. Calibrated with Video Essentials. This display device is 16x9 capable.
Audio DecoderBuilt in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Video Essentials.
AmplificationTeac 5.1 integrated system
SpeakersTeac 5.1 integrated system

Other Reviews
DVD Net - Amy F
The DVD Bits - Shane A