Movie Review: Reefer Madness, 2005
Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical, 2005
Written by Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney
Directed by Andy Fickman
Kristen Bell ... Mary Lane
Christian Campbell ... Jimmy Harper
Neve Campbell ... Miss Poppy
Alan Cumming ... Lecturer / Goat-Man / FDR
Ana Gasteyer ... Mae Coleman
John Kassir ... Ralph Wiley / Uncle Sam
Amy Spanger ... Sally DeBains / Statue of Liberty
Robert Torti ... Jesus
Steven Weber ... Jack Stone / George Washington
I love this movie with my whole heart. I really do. I have about five movies that I love with this sort of passion (O Brother, High Fidelity, Ferris Bueller, Pootie Tang, The Big Lebowski), and Reefer Madness has joined the ranks. It's a fun, funny, well-written, well-directed piece of sarcastic musical mockery aimed at the Drug Czars of the US. Not only is the story great, but the music is seriously masterful, especially considering it's a Showtime Original and not a blockbuster release (which may explain some of the greatness of the movie).
Alan Cumming's character narrates the story of Jimmy Harper (Campbell) as he becomes "addicted" to marijuana and ends up ruining the lives of those nearest to him, specifically Mary Lane (Bell), with his pot use. We watch as Jimmy falls for Mary Lane, and then for Mary Jane with the help of Jack (Weber) and his druggie friends, Mae (Gasteyer), Sally (Spanger), and Ralph (Kassir). Cumming reappears in different costume for nearly every song and transition in the story, from appearing as an organist as Mary sings her heart out to an absent Jimmy to appearing as a wicked pansexual Pan in Jimmy's pot-fueled fantasy. Therefore, Alan Cumming is my favorite actor of the year.
I saw this movie last year with the boyfriend and instantly loved it. Every single actor captures his or her character spot on -- especially Kristen Bell, especially after Mary's first hit -- and I finish the movie feeling totally satisfied with everything about it. I can't write a good enough review, seriously, to convey how wonderful this movie is. You should just rent it and watch it over and over again.
If you don't like musicals, you probably won't like this, though. My parents didn't "get it" when they watched it -- just remember that it's a poke at the "war on drugs" that this country has been waging for the last century for no very good reason beyond racist desires to put people of color in prison. The original Reefer Madness was too rife with unacknowledged irony for Murphy and Studney to overlook, apparently.
So instead of yammering on and on with this terribly organized review, I'll leave you with a couple of YouTube videos of some of the best songs (but not my favorite song -- I wouldn't want to give it away!):
Click to viewOverall: A+ Go find this movie right this second.