Scotland, PA - Movie Review

Scotland, PA is Billy Morriessette's take on Shakespeare's MacBeth. I am not certain that William Shakespeare would be pleased to be listed in the credits. The idea to take a classic and turn it into an updated drama is certainly not new. Although the 1970s setting of MacBeth certainly adds an interesting aspect to the story.

Joe (James LeGros) and Pat McBeth (Maura Tierney) work hard in the fast food business. Joe has a lot of great ideas, but never seems to get recognition from the owner, Norm Duncan (James Rebhorn). When Norm hits on the idea to add a drive through to his restaurant, the McBeth's hatch a plan to take the old man out. There plan goes awry, but they manage to divert attention away from themselves in the short term.

The McBeth's turn their restaurant ideas into a cash cow. They are thriving with their drive through window and chicken nuggets. However, Joe's friend Banko (Keving Corrigan) is starting to suspect the pair. Between Banko and a nosy Lieutenant (McDuff, played by Christopher Walken), things begin to unravel. The McBeth's suffer from hallucinations brought on by their guilt and don't seem to be capable of holding their lie together as events spin out of control.

Billy Morrissette hit on a good idea with this film. Even if the concept has been done ad nauseum. I found the setting to be unique. The quirky references and 1970s feel were awesome. However, the story components were a bit uneven. The characters were not believable and the story didn't make sense at times. However, with an exceptional 1970s soundtrack, I found that I somehow managed to maintain interest in this otherwise lame film.

The performances weren't bad, but the script did not help much. Christopher Walken has an odd screen presence that I have always liked. He brings an instant quirky charm to his roles. He may seem typecast at times, but I like him. Tierney was awesome while LeGros was decent. Rebhorn played a pretty good straight-man for some cheap visual gags. They worked okay because of his deadpan delivery. Overall, the quality of the cast exceeded that of the script.

The single factor I most enjoyed about Scotland, PA was the setting. The 1970s was recreated with loads of subtle imagery. Even an old-school overhead projector was featured as a background prop in one scene. The vehicles, clothing and sets all had a campy 70s feel that was enhanced by the carefully selected soundtrack. The music added a fun element to the story that helped keep my mind off the forgettable script.

Scotland, PA somehow managed to earn an R rating from the MPAA. There was a strip club scene that did not have any actual nudity and a streaker at the end of the film that made no sense whatsoever (other than to give a nod to that ridiculous 1970s fad). There was drug content and some violence that wasn't very graphic. There was also some adult innuendo and plenty of "making out." Taken as a whole, I am not sure why this film received an R other than the streaker right before the closing credits. Without that scene, this would likely have gotten a PG-13. It should be fine for teenagers and above.

Billy Morrissette is no William Shakespeare. His writing left a lot to be desired. He was smart to place his story in the 1970s, where the music, sets and costumes were able to help carry the story. The performances were also better than the actual writing. It is a forgettable story, but a fun, quirky, campy trip back to the 1970s. This film is not for everyone, but I would mildly recommend it. 6/10.

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