Fishing with Gandhi

If you're the sort of person who thinks of the WWF as soap opera for rednecks, or who finds the esteem with which Nascar is held by a certain segment of the population to be mildly amusing, you might love this movie. Imagine Beavis and Butthead as young adults, except that their cultural horizons have been formed by monster truck pulls, hoedowns, the timeless art of Pit Bull breeding, pickup trucks, corndogs, chewing tobacco, and you have an incomplete, but somewhat descriptive, portrait of Roy and Gill, the two main characters of this film. They're such stupid but affable good old boys.

Gill and Roy pick up a hitchhiker in their `brand new' (it's several years old, but to Roy and Gill, it's `brand new') Toyota pickup. The truck overheats every 20 miles or so, which gives the three time to get acquainted. The hitchhiker is longhaired hippie type who's returning from his mother's wedding. Roy and Gill think he's `touched in the head' at first, because he doesn't talk much (Roy and Gill talk completely hilarious rubbish non-stop); but they bond with him when they learn that the hitchhiker is returning from a wedding where his mother married his uncle. Roy and Gill immediately connect with the man, warmly offering him a corndog; and, instead of referring to him as `Led Zeppelin,' address him by his first name. It's a touching moment.

The unsuspecting hitchhiker undergoes a personal transformation as he travels with Roy and Gill. It's so heartwarming to watch. Why, at the outset, he has about as much force of personality as a mouse fart. By the end, he can mess with a person's head along with the best of them. His neck is much redder than it was at the outset, which, in this context, it a very good thing. And he has a gun.

I like this movie so much, I plan to buy it. It bent me sideways several times from sheer uncontrollable laughter, forcing me to rewind for lines I had missed.

This is a film that almost defies description; and it really has to be seen to be appreciated. It's a page out of real life, a portrait of Americana which, like life, is best when experienced first hand. It's `Fishing With Gandhi,' a biting bit of satire written by William Birdthistle, James Reichmuth, John Reichmuth and Gabe Weisert, and directed by Gabe Weisert. It's a film that grabs you by the ears and demands attention; about ten minutes into it, you get the feeling that you're sitting in a bar, eavesdropping on the conversation of the guys at the next table. And it's the kind of stuff you've heard every day of your life if you've ventured out your own front door for any period of time, especially in certain quarters of society, like maybe a place called the `Silver Dollar Saloon' or `The Roadhouse Bar and Grill.' Because these are regular folks, engaged in the kind of inane prattle that make up a good part of the conversations you're likely to hear in the above mentioned venues, or if you've ever worked in such places as a warehouse, on the dock at the post office, at a concrete factory or in a quarry. But you also get a taste of the flip side of that coin-- and which you find is not all that different-- in those involved with the likes of Investment Banking or simply cultivating a garden.

The story, such as it is, follows Danno (Dan Klein), who is hitchhiking from Seattle (where his mother has just married his uncle) to his home somewhere in California. When he hits Oregon, he scores a ride with Gil (John Reichmuth) and Roy (James Reichmuth), two good ol' boys with a pickup truck that breaks down every few miles, which is okay, because it gives them time to talk. Meanwhile, waiting for Danno at home are his roommates, Giles (William Birdthistle) and Stephen (Gabe Weisert), who, thinking Danno is probably on a real downer because of the Seattle thing, plan to cheer him up by throwing a pot luck for him upon his return, complete with streamers, which will give it all a festive look. Now, if only any of them had some friends to invite. And, more importantly, if they only knew when, exactly, Danno would be arriving. It's a complicated time for Giles and Stephen, who so want to do the right thing, while unbeknownst to them Danno is involved with two of the most uncomplicated guys you'll ever run into-- and from whom he'll learn much before he gets home, including what Gil and Roy refer to as the `Fishing With Gandhi.'

The portrayals of Gil and Roy are so authentic it's almost frightening; and whether you live in Oregon, or Iowa, or Texas or just about anywhere else, the chances are pretty good that you know these guys, or at least know someone who lives next door to them. And as they speak their little philosophies about things like diseases you can pick up from dogs, how many different ways you can die in your sleep (152) or what the best wrestling moves are (complete with a demonstration), you slowly begin to realize that if Beavis and Butthead were real and grown up, they would be Gil and Roy. Think about it. Ever known anyone who lived for that next bottle of beer and never had a conversation that didn't include something about Steelhead fishing or gutting an animal? Well, come on over and spend some time on the road with Gil and Roy. By the way, truck driving IS serious business. Just ask Roy; he's the one who flunked out of truckers school.

Switching gears, Weisert cuts to Giles and Stephen, men of a more refined palate, but whom (as we also quickly discern) do not have a clue. About anything. How the world works, how to conduct themselves socially, how to throw a pot luck. So there's two facets of society represented here, either/or to which you will be able to relate, or at least be able to identify. And the way Weisert puts you in the room-- or in the truck-- with these guys, it's like he picked them out, set the camera up in their proximity and just let it roll. it's banal, it's boring-- and it's hysterically real. If you try to analyze it, there's nothing here of real interest, and yet this film is absolutely engrossing; a true character study filled with insights into human nature that are bound to cause some reflection on the part of even the most jaded viewer. `Fishing With Gandhi' is that kind of film. It takes you down the road and says, `Here it is, brother,' for better or worse, take it or leave it. It's unique; it's an oddity; it's quirky; and it's definitely not for everyone. But for those who are ready for something completely different and want a challenge and some laughs, this one's worth checking out. It's all a part of the magic of the movies. I rate this one 6/10.

We have watched this move a dozen times and still love it. It is low budget and has bad sound at times, but it is so funny. It's like if your best friends were funny as all get out and made a student film. It is weird, but if you don't like it, there is something wrong with you. If you judge the movie on its own merits instead of comparing it to well financed movies, I'm sure you will enjoy it.

There are really two parts to the movie and they are different in character. In one part Danno (Klein) hitchhikes home with Roy and Gil (the Reichmuths). Now, I am not going to describe Roy and Gil; that is not possible. I can only say that we had to watch the movie three times in a row because we all laughed so hard at them that could not hear the next joke. The second part concerns Danno's roommates as they prepare for his homecoming. This part of the movie is not nearly as funny, at least not in the guffaw inducing Roy and Gil way. The third time we watched it though, we all appreciated the characters and humor more.

This has become a classic with us and we still quote it after five years.

In spite of its rather poor sound quality, this is one of the funniest films i've seen (~45 times). Borrowing some character and plot elements from Hamlet, and adding a few of its own, Fishing With Gandhi explores the farcical reality of coming to grips with grief and the failures of language in dealing with difficult emotions. The dialogue is intense and often outrageously funny (note, for example, the twins' memorable discussion of "electrical heart explosions"), and the characterizations weirdly familiar. Granted, due to the poor sound quality it took me ~10 viewings to figure out exactly what was going on - but that's really part of the joy of this film: every viewing offers new discoveries, most of them hysterical.

This is laugh out loud funny. It is Sling Blade meets Dumb and Dumber, think about that for awhile. The twins in this movie are incredible and their subjects of conversation are beyond belief. Of course, this is a rather low budget film and sometimes the audio is less than perfect, which is sad, because you really want to hear all of the brilliant lines being spoken. This movie details the adventures of Dan who is returning from Oregon, where he has just attended a wedding, his mother marrying his uncle. Dan is given a ride back to California by two brothers that are, let's just say, "touched." The rest is for you to enjoy. This is not rocket science, just good fun.