Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

From the director who brought us "Kid Safe", an educational drama that teaches kids what to do in emergency situations, comes "Stuck", a movie about grown-ups doing everything they possibly can do WRONG in an emergency situation.The frightening thing is that this tale is no joke. At the heart of the story is a true event that happened in Texas in 2001 (the woman's real name is Chante Jawan Mallard). But I strongly advise you NOT to look it up until after you've seen this movie, otherwise the fun of this bizarre, unbelievable movie will be shadowed by the harshness of reality. The Texas case has been retold & dramatized several times, but this is the first time I've seen it done with a funny-ish presentation which effectively diffuses its disturbing nature and makes it "entertaining".I loved this movie. It's not exactly a thriller, not a comedy, not a straightforward drama but a very psychotic mix of all three. The DVD description tries to make it look like a tense thriller while the trailer makes it look like a comedic romp. Yes, it has elements of both, but the best way to take this movie is as a total surprise, no expectations of any particular genre.So I won't say much about the plot except that it's got a dash of Stephen King's "Misery", a bit of the Coens' "Fargo" and a squirt of Ira Levin's "Deathtrap". It's basically a story about having the absolute worst day of your life. And I don't mean just getting fired or dumped or a speeding ticket. I'm talking about a day so bad that Job from the bible would buy you a drink.Normally movies like this stress me out, but this one crosses so far into catastrophe that it becomes surreal, detached, and darkly humorous. So you can shut off your sympathies and just watch the fun. Each actor was excellent, beginning with Stephen Rea (keyboardist for Strange Fruit in the movie "Still Crazy"!) playing the role of a schlep who can't get a decent break if it hit him at 40 mph, literally. Then there's Mena Suvari (American Beauty, Caffeine) who plays an average girl who somehow taps into her inner psycho. Her slow, neurotic descent makes the her character more believable and engaging than the real Mallard ever was. But for my money the show-stealer is Russell Hornsby in one of his earliest big screen roles, playing the part of a tough guy drug dealer who, in reality, can't defend himself against a chopstick. Russell's character is what injects the comedic element into this otherwise nonstop tension piece, adding to the film's unique quirky personality.In addition to the aforementioned classic films, I would suggest this movie to people who enjoyed "Heathers", "Super" and an obscure diamond called "Don McKay" with Elizabeth Shue as the crazy femme fatale. All of these films are memorable for their genre-stretching approach to murder & mayhem, and "Stuck" fits right in with the best.

A woman accidentally hits a homeless man with her car, causing him to be lodged into the windshield, and then drives home like that. If it weren't based on true events, it would be hard to believe that any person could be so evil as this woman. And to think that she's a nurse! Poorly acted and directed, this exploitation film is mainly a curiosity piece because it's based on fact. The filmmakers could have tried to make the characters something more than one-dimensional caricatures. There is too much emphasis on gore, as the director tries to milk (bleed?) the situation of a man embedded in a windshield for every bit of gruesome effect.

Tom(Stephen Rea) has lost his job, been thrown out of his apartment and is minding his business, walking along his merry way, and bam, a woman, Brandi(Mena Suvari), drivers her car into him, and as a result he gets stuck in her windshield. Mena's life was, up to this point, was going great; so awaiting a promotion at work she celebrates with a few drinks which would be a major problem with the law, and so she drives home to hide her car in the garage with Tommy boy sticking from the glass. The suffering victim does not die from his injuries and when Brandi goes back to check on him, with her boyfriend Rashid, they discover that he has freed himself, so the fun loving couple decide to kill him.Stuck then turns almost keystone black comedy with the three battling each other with pens, hammers, guns and anything available with which to do each other harm. The film is supposedly based on a true story making it even more entertaining.

This movie was clearly based on the Texas incident involving an African American, Chante Jawan Mallard, and a homeless white man, Gregory Glen Biggs. The first half of the movie led you down that path. Final half was totally off target and failed to show the true horror of the real story. Leaves you with the false impression that there is justice in the end when in the real case there was none. Gregory Glen Biggs dies horribly, Chante Jawan Mallard gets a 50 year sentence and will be free in 2027 with good behavior. Hope she becomes a neighbor of the screen writers. I felt lied to from the ending created by the writers and fail to understand why the real story would not have been enough to base the entire movie on. Chance to exhibit real stupidity, selfishness and inhumanity goes by and we are no better off in the long run.