Pups (1999)

Thanks for the memories!

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Pups is the story of two thirteen year-old friends who display all the classic symptoms of a crazy childhood - fascinations with violence, absentee parents, a disconnection with reality, a filthy mouth, and so forth. One of these kids, Stevie, after not going through with suicide via hanging by a noose tied to a ceiling fan, finds his mother's gun and suggests to his girlfriend that they rob a bank. Idiotic for sure, but they actually go through with, in a standoff that lasts a lot longer than necessary, considering the circumstances.Blurring the lines between reality and fiction, Stevie carries out his own personal war against the world and triumph of apathy waving a gun in the face of adults, and taking advantage of the standoff with police to order food and contraception, get drunk, and star on MTV as we, the audience all the while are wondering what is to become of this boy. The moment he held up the bank he reached the point of no return. And his girlfriend plays along with this temporary fantasy, enjoying a brief stint as a makeshift Bonnie to Stevie's Clyde. Meanwhile, the negotiator (Burt Reynolds) is both baffled by Stevie's requests and hoping that the kids will end their standoff.But the commentary of detached youth become so unbelievable as the circumstances of the plot verge on pure hokum. The interview with Kurt Loder, for example. The fact that at least five of the six adult hostages don't even try to overpower Stevie or his girlfriend, despite there being numerous opportunities to do so. And all the while, the portrayal of Stevie, more so than his girlfriend, attempt to portray generalization of youth that become increasingly condescending. Although, I was bothered by the script in the beginning as the dialog among the kids sounded more like something a writer read in a slang handbook.The acting wasn't all that wonderful and Burt Reynolds seemed more disinterested than vigilante. All in all, I'm mixed about this one.

Okay - let's dispel some misconceptions first. I have two teenagers, and work part-time at a high school, and the language/characterizations of the two leads (Barton and Van Hoy) were among the best parts of this. Yes, Virginia, young teens and tweens do overdramatize that much and use such language.The acting itself wasn't bad - I've seen Barton and Reynolds in better form, but let's face it - Sir Lawrence Olivier couldn't have done much better with this script.The idea was intriguing, and remotely plausible - for all I know, kids that young have tried bank (or at least armed) robberies - they do other violent crimes, too.So far, so good - fair cast, fairly well-cast, and while they often act irritating, it irritates, it does not cause disbelief.Unfortunately, that's as far as it went. "Daring", art-school camera angles, nihilistic vision, and remarkably absurd characterizations pretty much destroy this film. I mean, really - the frightened teller who is transformed into a happy-go-lucky jokester because someone blows soap bubbles, the FBI hostage negotiator who totally loses his cool repeatedly, the dozens of police who let a barely-pubescent girl walk out almost to the police barricades - and then back into the bank - if it was any worse, I'd believe that the writer/director uses a single noun as a name. Oh, wait - they do. Never mind.The audio is awful - much of the dialog is lost (and there are no English subtitles on the DVD). This would make a good study for a film-making class - finding the filmmaker's mistakes would be an easy yet worthwhile class project.Worthwhile for fans of Burt Reynolds or Mischa Barton, who trot out workmanlike performances, or those interested in Cameron Van Hoy - his character has a one-octave range, but he plays that range pretty well, and may do well with more multi-dimensional characters. Otherwise, this is best left to the terribly alienated artistic types who view the world in the same way as the writer/director, Ash.

An excellent film depicting the upsurge of 'meaningless' youth crime and the problems faced by the authorities when having to deal with it (is it OK to shoot children in this situation?).Maybe not completely realistic but engaging and thought provoking nonetheless.

I thought of Pups as a good movie. So what if it has bad acting. So what if they blur out F*** in every sentence. I liked it! I know most people hate it, and I know why and I respect your Opinions, but some people need to be a little open minded sometimes. Misha Barton is a great actress...but she was so bad in this film. And believe it or not....Burt Renolds was good in it. Has This world gone mad!!!My Rating: 8/10