Breakfast of Champions

Rating:
Summary: Avoid this at all costs!
Review: I work in a video store part time....I see tons of movies. This movie still rates to me as the worst movie I have ever seen. It was a struggle to get through. Don't believe that a strong cast can save this pointless drivel. Those that read the book from the author enjoyed it. All others have hated it. It's just that bad.. Save your money.....buy something else.

Rating:
Summary: Pure Dreck
Review: I rented this movie on the strength of the cast, i.e. Bruce Willis, Nick Nolte and Barbara Hershey. With such established actors, how bad could it be? Answer: Absymal. It is very rare that I come across a movie that has no redeeming value whatever. "Breakfast of Champions" is such a movie. If this is typical of Kurt Vonnegut's writing, then I am fortunate to have missed his work. This screenplay was inane, insipid, absurd and farcical, all while somehow being woefully unfunny. To attempt to describe the plot would be like waking from a confusing bad dream and trying to describe the disconnected and bizarre events to your dog. To try to find meaning in this story would be a validation of one's own insanity.

There was a lot of good talent wasted here. Nick Nolte was reduced to a blithering idiot, a real setback for what I consider a talented dramatic actor. Bruce Willis, who has the range to tackle an intelligent comedic role, is simply all wrong for this type of harebrained part. This is more Robin Williams' or Jim Carrey's style of fatuousness. The only correctly cast actor other than Glenne Headly was Albert Finney, who did a fine job of playing the eccentric Gilgore Trout (OK, I found some redeeming value, but not enough to hold my lunch). The camera work was awful. There was an abundance of weird shots, overuse of extreme close-ups, poor angles, wide angles, strange lighting, etc. The only thing I can say about the direction was it was consistent with the content of the script...dreadful.

Of the many thousands of films I have seen in my life as a Flickjunkie, this movie claims the title of the undisputed Champion of dreck. Perhaps it should be renamed Dreckfast of Champions.

Rating:
Summary: Good Flick, but be Warned...
Review: As the reader may know, this movie is based on the magnificent Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. novel. If you've read the book, then you'll be satisfied with the movie. If you haven't read the book, then you'll think the movie is horrible. Besides, the book is better.

Enter Dwayne Hoover, (Bruce Willis, in an odd role), a nut-case car dealer who seems to be looking for the meaning of life. Confused by the people arounfd him, such as his cross-dressing sales manager, (Nick Nolte), his kind of dumb secretary who's also his mistress (Glenne Headly), a maniacal super-fan who wants to work for Dwayne, (Omar Epps), etc., he decides to seek one of the artists at the upcoming Arts Festival. Enter Kilgore Trout, (Albert Finney), a has-been science-fiction novelist that's coming to the Festival. See the movie, or better yet, read the book to find out what happens next.

A pretty good movie. On one hand it's screenplay isn't that good and the main story works better in the book. On the other hand, it's got a spectacular cast (including Barbara Hershey, Lukas Haas, and the recent Oscar nominee Michael Clarke Duncan who makes a short appearance, among others) and it's weirdness makes "Brazil" look like "The English Patient".

If you are in the mood for a weird movie, see "Breakfast of Champions".

Rating:
Summary: BOC rocks
Review: I saw this movie in theaters, BEFORE reading the novel, and thought it was one of the best of 1999. In regards to all the criticisms, the film is clear without the narration and the performances are SUPPOSED to be flat, which echoes the theme of the film. A few months ago I read the book and saw the film again and still thought it was great. It's definitely not for everyone (my college friends couldn't stand it), but it does hit the mark with its intended audience.

Rating:
Summary: Not for suburban housewives...
Review: If you think that Titanic is a wonderful movie and you read John Grisham novels, this is not the movie for you. If you are intersted in something new and exciting, read Breakfast of Champions and then watch the movie. I agree that without Vonnegut's narrative the movie may be a bit confusing. That is why I recommend reading the book first. Both are sad, beautiful, schizophrenic fun for all.

Rating:
Summary: godawful
Review: I'm amazed at all the mostly positive reviews! I have read the book and loved it, but this film makes no sense. Without Vonnegut's point of view there's no guiding force behind the zaniness, and it's hard to feel sorry for director Alan Rudolph because he changed the book around so much (in the book, Celia is already dead and Hoover is much more violent- less PC- at the end) I feel sorry for all the actors involved because they embarass themselves- the only bright spot is Mark Isham's moody, mind-massaging score.

Rating:
Summary: A must for Vonnegut fans
Review: This film is definitely a must-see for Vonnegut fans, being that it focuses more on the zany details rather than the actual meaning behind them. If you have read the book, then you'll be amazed when all the characters come to life in a way only Vonnegut could have inspired. For those who have not yet gotten hold of the book, it's still a fun viewing. You have not seen a weirder movie.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie...but
Review: I thought this was a great movie, but I also read the book. If you read the book, and liked it, you will probably like the movie. I figured it wouldn't be able to follow the book to well but it really did, a lot better than I expected. However, if you havn't read the book you might think this is a really strange movie without much of a plot. They tried to cram everything from the book into the movie, which is good if you have the background knowledge of the book, but difficult to know what's going on if you didn't since there is a lot of different little side stories that take place.

Rating:
Summary: Nolte the only reason to watch
Review: Nolte's work in Breakfast of Champions is hilarious, but the rest is a mish-mash of wanna-be artistic hash. Think of Naked Lunch goes to the used car lot and you get the general idea. An effort to stick with for the most broad-minded viewer. Totally unwatchable for everyone else.

Rating:
Summary: VONNEGUT FAN FROM PENNSYLVANIA
Review: JUST FINISHED WATCHING "BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS" AND THOUGHT IT WAS FANTASTIC. IT CAPTURES THE TRUE VONNEGUT SPIRIT. A GREAT ENSEMBLE CAST AND FRENETIC PACE MAKE IT A JOY TO WATCH. I REALLY HOPE THEY RELEASE IT ON DVD!