Daddy and Them

Daddy and Them is a 2001 American comedy-drama film written, directed by, and starring Billy Bob Thornton. In addition to Thornton, it stars John Prine, Laura Dern, Andy Griffith, Ben Affleck, Kelly Preston, Diane Ladd, Brenda Blethyn, Tuesday Knight, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jim Varney in his final film appearance before his death in February 2000.

Daddy and Them
DVD release cover
Directed byBilly Bob Thornton
Written byBilly Bob Thornton
Produced byLarry Meistrich
Starring
CinematographyBarry Markowitz
Edited bySally Menke
Music byLarry Paxton
Marty Stuart
Kristin Wilkinson
Distributed byMiramax Films
Release date
June 6, 2001
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4 million

Daddy and Them was filmed in 1998 in the wake of Thornton’s success with Sling Blade and was originally planned as a theatrical release. The release was ultimately delayed by Miramax, who found the film not "commercial" enough. The film debuted at the Newport International Film Festival on June 6, 2001. Miramax eventually aired the film on Showtime in January 2003[1] and released it on DVD on January 13, 2004.[2]

Plot synopsis

Ruby and Claude Montgomery are a very insecure and jealous couple who must reunite with extended family in Arkansas when Claude's Uncle Hazel is jailed for attempted murder. The couple travels with Ruby's older sister Rose, with whom Claude had a previous relationship, and Ruby and Rose's mother Jewel, who continuously talks about Rose and Claude's past relationship, which irritates Ruby.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in Arkansas from August to October 1998.[3][4] Filming locations included various sites around Little Rock, including Pinnacle Mountain State Park and the interior of the Arkansas State Capitol.[5]

The song from the same-titled album "In Spite of Ourselves" used during the closing credits was performed by John Prine and Iris DeMent.[4][6]

Release

Daddy and Them initially had a theatrical release date planned for sometime in late 1999 or early 2000.[7] The release date was pushed back as Miramax wanted All the Pretty Horses, a studio film Thornton was directing at the time, to debut first.[3] It continued to sit on the shelf long after Horses premiered in late 2000. Thornton has commented that friction with Miramax during the production of Horses played a role in the shelving of Daddy and Them.[8][9]

The film had its world premiere at the Newport International Film Festival on June 6, 2001.[10]

Reception

Daddy and Them holds an 86% rating based on 7 reviews on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.[11]

Eddie Cockrell of Variety wrote, "Beneath its deadpan and often absurdist exterior, Daddy and Them feels like a very personal piece of work about how family really does come first, warts and all."[12] Brad Slager of Film Threat was more critical, writing, ”Plotless and pedantic, Daddy and Them is supposed to be a lighthearted look at family dysfunction in the Deep South, but the characters are not enjoyable enough to care about."[13]

References
  1. Goodridge, Mike (June 17, 2002). "Showtime gets US premiere of Miramax production Daddy And Them". Screen Daily. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  2. Millheiser, Matthew (January 21, 2004). "Daddy and Them". DVD Talk. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  3. Susman, Gary (April 18, 2002). "Will these stars' movies ever be released?". EW.com. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  4. "Daddy and Them - past updates". jpshrine.org. Archived from the original on August 5, 2002. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  5. "Daddy and Them". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  6. Bonin, Liane (November 10, 1999). "Singer John Prine tries acting with Billy Bob Thornton". EW.com. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  7. Caro, Mark (June 18, 2000). "Star Blecch". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  8. Germain, David (January 18, 2002). "Actor Thornton proves his worth at box office". The Associated Press. pp. C7. Retrieved October 29, 2022 – via Bangor Daily News.
  9. Labrecque, Jeff (April 15, 2014). "Billy Bob Thornton talks 'Fargo,' and why he'll never direct again". EW.com. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  10. "FESTIVALS: Our Town; Newport Enjoys Fest, While Small Films Find a Home". IndieWire. June 20, 2001. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  11. "Daddy and Them". Rotten Tomatoes.
  12. Cockrell, Eddie (August 29, 2001). "Daddy and Them". Variety. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  13. "Daddy and Them (DVD)". Film Threat. February 29, 2004. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
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