| Flicks

FLICKS: The Beach Bum

Posted on 25 July 2019 by LeslieM

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Filmed in South Florida, The Beach Bum celebrates the dregs of society. Matthew McConaughey portrays Moondog, a successful poet with a trophy wife, Minnie (Isla Fisher). Moondog spends his days drunk and stoned on the streets of Key West. Living on the golden canals of Miami, Minnie is having an open affair with Lingerie (Snoop Dogg). Given their Woodstock culture, there is no conflict between the three individuals that a snort of cocaine can’t fix.

Moondog and Minnie hold a family reunion when their daughter Heather (Stefania LaVie Owen) gets married to a guy that neither parent likes. A dramatic event occurs and Moondog’s life is forever changed. But, then again, under the influence of alcohol, cocaine and marijuana, does Moondog even notice?

Released during the recent spring break, The Beach Bum garnered terrible local reviews. Now that this film is available on DVD, the critics have been kinder, much like the history of Caddyshack 39 years ago. Like Caddyshack and The Big Lebowsky, The Beach Bum has all the markings of a cult following.

The cinematography sells the South Florida scenery.  The boats on the river with the sun setting on the horizon, is a strong reminder how beautiful our neighborhoods are. The soundtrack features Classic Rock with snippets of Edgar Winter, Bertie Higgins, and, of course, Jimmy Buffet, who has a cameo in the movie. Yet, The Beach Bum is more spectacle than a realistic look at people who we would not like having next door to us.

[My column last week about the Golden Anniversary of Apollo 11 provided me much feedback on social media, local reaction and personal messages on e-mail. As a writer, it is thrilling to receive such a positive response, though no one noticed a mistake in my column — Ron Howard did not direct Apollo 11; he directed Apollo 13, an exciting film about not landing on the moon!]

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