A revival of—or more accurately, prequel to—the titular 1999-2000 Comedy Central series, which was a sort of perverse takeoff on high-minded after-school specials, Strangers with Candy finds Amy Sedaris reprising her role as the homely, self-absorbed fortysomething boozer-user-and-loser Jerri Blank, here just released from jail and returning to the family nest to find her father not only remarried but also in a coma. To shock daddy out of his condition, dropout Jerri decides to go back to high school, where she has to contend with a wacko teacher (Stephen Colbert) and contemptuous classmates, but rallies the brainy geeks to join her in a science project, ultimately leading to a competition with a rival team of cheerleaders and jocks. Strangers with Candy's biggest flaw is that it confuses coarseness with humor—which may appeal to the show's fans but will turn off almost everybody else—and while there are a few funny bits, Sedaris fails to give Jerri any charm to offset the character's obnoxious personality, which is a bit of a problem given the fact that Jerri is virtually the constant center of attention. The only cast member who seems to make the right acting choice here is Dan Hedaya, who—as Jerri's father—is comatose in nearly all of his scenes. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary (by star and co-writer Amy Sedaris, costar/co-writer Stephen Colbert, and writer/director/costar Paul Dinello), 18 deleted scenes (20 min.), the “Atomic Car” music video by Delano Grove starring “Iris Puffybush” (Dolores Duffy), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a fans-only comedy.] (F. Swietek)
Strangers with Candy
ThinkFilm, 91 min., R, DVD: $27.98, Nov. 14 Volume 21, Issue 6
Strangers with Candy
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