Southern Belles

2005
5.5| 1h30m| en
Details

Bell and Belle want to break out of their trailer park lives and get up and out to the "Big City" of Atlanta. Just when they think they are on their way to getting a nest egg Bell falls for a handsome police officer named Rhett Butler.

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Reviews

Protraph Lack of good storyline.
Dotsthavesp I wanted to but couldn't!
Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.
Madilyn Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.
mgarza-9 The first time I saw this movie, I came into it where the girls were wearing matching pink suits. Something about it immediately grabbed my interest, and I was glued to the set.I managed to find it again and got to watch it from the beginning. Still love it! My only complaint is that it's too short. Well, there was also one little side storyline that came out of nowhere and was left hanging.The characters have a depth you wish could be explored further. I'd love to see a sequel that follows up with Belle and Margery. And maybe even Kevin.
PickMePickMe A simple unpretentious bit of fun that is carried mostly on the strength of the incredibly appealing cast.The two lead actresses are adorable and funny. They both have natural comedic timing that rises above the material they're given. Don't get me wrong, the writing is not bad, and is far more entertaining and fresh than most predigested pap coming from the big studios and starring Robin Williams or Jim Carrey, but it's undercut by the shove-it-down your throat direction.It seems as the filmmakers' motto was: "When in doubt, abandon all subtlety." For example, during one character's dialogue, they actually use a snare drum and cymbal on the soundtrack to punch up the joke! I'm not kidding. I didn't hear an actual rimshot, but probably only because the sound designer didn't have it in his FX library. It's from the horrid "Scrubs" school of comedy where they use cartoon sound effects to scream at the viewer: "THERE'S A JOKE HERE, PEOPLE!" It was odd, because the movie didn't deserve that sort of treatment at all, and the script was smarter than that. It's too bad the filmmakers didn't trust the material more and let the jokes live on their own. They also overused music - another sign of low confidence in the film. (An old rule of film-making is that the more music a movie has, the worse the script is. Music should enhance the moment, not try to manufacture a moment that ain't there. Think of any WB show like "The O.C." or "7th Heaven" and how they overuse the cheesy music.) If I'm using TV shows to compare to this movie, it's because this film was shot rather like TV. It was very dialogue-driven, and not very cinematic. The directors were also overly fond of using short lenses (giving the look a very wide feel). Short lenses can induce a sense of extreme closeness to characters, to the point of distortion. They are also used to give a sense of immersion in a world, but when the world they created is not very cinematic, then the technique is counterproductive.They were also fond of having actors look almost directly into the camera. A lot. I mean really a lot. The end result is that it reinforces the shove-the-movie-down-the-viewer's-throat feeling. The characters feel as though they are taking to the audience instead of each other.The strength of the film is the cast, especially the 2 leads, who have a joy of performance that's contagious and a real treat to watch. And the rest of the cast shines as well.Which is where the directors really did their jobs - they were smart enough to give their cast a big movie playground to run free in, and we as audience members benefit.If you like the TV show "My Name is Earl" or films where character's ambitions are comedically out of touch with their reality like "Raising Arizona", then you would most likely enjoy this diverting film.It's fast-paced, energetic, and has a cast that never disappoints, even when the script does.One odd side note, the film is set in the South, and the filmmakers put Confederate flags everywhere. I don't remember that many Confederate flags in the South, and it felt too goofy and kind of racist. But there were zero black people in the film, also unrealistic for the South.But then again, they also said grace before they ate, something I never see either. Maybe I'm just out of touch with Jesus and racism.Anyway, this is a good rental just for the performances.
jessicacarter7 This is just one dumb southern cliché after another, reused several times within the same movie. I'm sure the writer has never spent much time in the south, and based his story on all the other dumb movies from Smokey and the Bandit forward. The only reason it got two stars because of barely good performances from the tow lead actors. Clichés: confederate flags abound, Christians with an IQ of 80, car chases with the deputy, trailer life with an IQ of 90, redneck men with no IQ, girls with a dream for a big city, blah, blah. Many scenes lack energy, the editing is very loose. The directing is uninspired. I wonder if the director was trying to make a southern Napolean Dynamite. It didn't come off.
Jenn Brown If you're from the south, live in the south, or have spent any time there, you'll appreciate the irreverent humor in SOUTHERN BELLES.Two life long friends, Bell and Belle, decide to move to Atlanta. Bell is tired of working in the discount store from hell. But Bell has a boyfriend, a rap loving cracker who's car is under Bell's name. Only it's not so easy to leave town.SOUTHERN BELLES makes fun of the south and people in it with the sensibility of someone who's been there, with a lot of insight, and a lot of heart. Both lead actresses are well cast and thoroughly enjoyable to watch. It's not destined to be a blockbuster, but you're sure to leave with a grin.Look for the GONE WITH THE WIND references throughout the film.