Strangers with Candy

Of all the TV shows adapted into movies, this has got to be in the top 5. It certainly is one of the most inspired, at any rate. You know there's a movie based on hit show "24," simply because the show is fucking amazing.

Sorry, I just like that show a lot.

Anyways, the origin of this movie stems from the production of the television show. When Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello were writing, producing and performing in the show, they had a lot of material that wouldn't necessarily fit into a 22-minute episode. They saved it, and at the right time, put the material together into a feature length film.

Most of the original cast has returned, including Jerri Blank's step mother, Principal Onyx Blackman and so on. The only missing pieces are the character Guy Blank, Jerri's walking catatonic father played by Roberto Gari, who sadly passed away before he was able to appear in the film, Orlando, Jerri's loyal friend, and Jerri's step brother. Even Stu the meat man shows up.

The story is a prequel to the TV show, picking up how Jerri reconnects with her father after getting out of jail and forcing her way back into the school she ran away from. The basic plotline other than that is that Principal Blackman, in order to keep the funds given to him by the state, he must show some improvement in student performance. This translates into having one of his students win first place at the science fair. To ensure that his school wins, Blackman brings in a famous science fair winner, which upsets the school's science teacher Chuck Noblet, played amazingly by Stephen Colbert.

One of the amazing things about the television show was the morally bereft faculty and staff that inhabit the school, and thankfully this element remains. After all, the whole idea is a satire about public education by way of cheesy after-school specials where the main character learns the exact opposite lesson they're supposed to. For instance, to try and settle a gambling debt, Blackman offers his debtors a shiny new schoolbus filled with young cheerleaders.

Along the same lines is the obvious political incorrectness that made the show controversial. For instance, when choosing science fair teams, Blackman (there's a joke right there) assigns all the Chinese students to the team he obviously wants to win.

The other thing that played well in the show was how well all of the actors play off of one another. You can really tell by all of the performances that this was a labor of love, and they really just plain enjoy what they're doing. Hell, you can catch Colbert's amazing performace Mondays through Friday's after "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" on his "The Colbert Report."

This show, despite its ending, had a lot of fans. Plenty of whom are more well-known actors and actresses. How else would you get such random performers as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ian Holm, Matthew Broderick, Allison Janney, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kristen Johnson all in the same movie?

One of the downfalls, from the point of view of someone who's seen every episode of the show, was the repeated lines tossed around. For instance there's the line "I'm not pushing you away, I'm pulling me towards myself." There were a bunch of other ones, I just can't remember them right now.


All in all, this movie is fall-out-of-your-chair hilarious. Its outrageous satire and political incorrectness make it a gem among comedies. You can go watch toilet humor and gimmicks that get worn out five minutes into the film like White Chicks or Clerks II, or you can enjoy Strangers with Candy. It's up to you.


Can I make a suggestion, though? Watch Strangers with Candy.