Movie Info

Shelved for two years before its limited theatrical release, Waking Up in Reno is the kind of comedy that makes you feel guilty for laughing. T...(read more...) he lowbrow fun begins when Arkansas car dealer Lonnie Earl (Billy Bob Thornton, perfectly cast) cheats on his wife Darlene (Natasha Richardson) with Candy (Charlize Theron), the wife of his best friend Roy (Patrick Swayze). When the couples pack up Lonnie Earl's ill-fated SUV to see the monster-truck jam in Reno, Nevada, Roy's meager sperm count and Candy's surprise pregnancy result in a series of marital repercussions. Stuck in a no-man's-land between road-trip farce and redneck parody, this comedic misfire trades in dimwit stereotypes and white-trash condescension, showing its age with a thankless hot-Latina cameo by Penélope Cruz. It's painless enough to be watchable, and Thornton's character is a likeable fool as he surveys the damage he's caused. Watch carefully, and you'll find plenty of mostly unfulfilled promise along with a half-hearted chuckle or two. --Jeff Shannon

Director: Jordan Brady

MPAA: R

Running Time: 91 min.

Release Date: Oct 25, 2002

Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Brent Briscoe, Charlize Theron, Chelcie Ross, Natasha Richardson, Patrick Swayze, Penelope Cruz, Wayne Federman