Rating: 
Summary: Unusual, Dark Comedy
Review: Picked this DVD up at the library, believe it or not. Sounded interesting. Had NOT read the book, so we were able to take it at face value.My husband and I found ourselves laughing and getting into the lives of these quirky characters, even though they had very little for us to identify with. Jennifer Jason Leigh was very good, as were Mischa Barton and Bug Hall. The best part of this movie was the scenic views of Wyoming countryside. Okay, I read that it was actually filmed in Canada. But they did do a good job of presenting the natural side of their area. Overall, this was a good movie, although not in my Top 20 favorites. Worth watching, especially if you can check it out for free from the library. By the way, I know nothing about this, but apparently there is another movie (a prequel, at that) with the same characters from the trilogy by Tim Sandlin: it is called Floating Away. Not sure if I would see that one or not...
Rating:
Summary: Unusual, Dark Comedy
Review: Picked this DVD up at the library, believe it or not. Sounded interesting. Had NOT read the book, so we were able to take it at face value. My husband and I found ourselves laughing and getting into the lives of these quirky characters, even though they had very little for us to identify with. Jennifer Jason Leigh was very good, as were Mischa Barton and Bug Hall. The best part of this movie was the scenic views of Wyoming countryside. Okay, I read that it was actually filmed in Canada. But they did do a good job of presenting the natural side of their area. Overall, this was a good movie, although not in my Top 20 favorites. Worth watching, especially if you can check it out for free from the library. By the way, I know nothing about this, but apparently there is another movie (a prequel, at that) with the same characters from the trilogy by Tim Sandlin: it is called Floating Away. Not sure if I would see that one or not...
Rating: 
Summary: sex and comedy... great combination
Review: Skipped Parts is a sarcastic, amusing, and tender story of preteen wisdom, adult immaturity, and the fine line between. It's 1963 when 13 year old Sam Callahan and his divorced, misbehaving mother, Lydia, are banished to the hick town of GroVont, WY., by Lydia's southern father. Durring their stay in GroVont, Sam practices "making love" with Maurey Pierce, a friend from school, so they wont come off stupid as they get older. Both Sam and Maurey soon find out which results come from each action.
Rating:
Summary: Underrarted Charming Gem
Review: Skipped Parts, or Wonder of Sex its UK title, is an absolutely charming gem of a movie.
I was completely engrossed by this coming of age story, that is very rewarding for the viewer, offering some good script, tight direction and wonderful acting.
The unconventional relationship between a liberated mother and her teenage son on one hand and her occasional indian lover on the other, and the unconventional friendship between her son and his 'girlfriend', discovering sex together(which results in a pregnancy), this is all filmed with such care and seeming simplicity, yet without being judgemental. This is why it works so well.
The acting is top class! Jennifer Jason Leigh proving yet again that not only she is one of the best actresses around today, but that she chooses her roles very well. Bug Hall and Mischa Barton (who again does a very good job in TV's Once and Again) are very promising talented actors.
The teenagers attitude towards sex is charmingly naive and at times funny. When Barton's character is staying at sam's place after her pregnancy (since her father did not tolerate what happened), and he offers to sleep outside on the couch, she charmingly suggests to him ina straight faced manner..sleep on the floor in case I need you!.
So Skipped Parts is a very rewarding and sadly underrated film, that well deserves to be in your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Good comedy with sometimes shallow characterizations
Review: The "Skipped Parts" are, as you might expect, the little details of sex that are omitted from most stories. Two fourteen-year-olds decide to work out the details themselves, with a little advice from the boy's licentious Mother and a lot of free time together. The film begins with the Mother's rich politician Father exiling her and her illegitimate teenage son from their North Carolina home to Wyoming so they won't be an embarrassment during his political campaign. The story really belongs to the Mother and her new Indian boyfriend. She was about her son's age when she found herself pregnant and dealing with his concerns helps her sort out her own life. It is a lighthearted look at moral bigotry, responsibility, and mixed up relationships. This is a generally delightful, tasteful, and witty comedy compromised by sometimes shallow characterizations and blessed with occasional insights.
Rating:
Summary: Suprisingly Good
Review: The only redeeming quality in this film is Michael Greyeyes. If you are an admirer of his work as I am, it's worth a watch..otherwise skip, Skipped Parts. I think what I disliked the was the casting of Jennifer Jason Leigh in the part of the mother. Much more could have been done with this character. In my humble opinion I felt Leigh presented a "caricature" representation of this woman, who had some deep issues going on inside her.Apparently Hank (the Michael Greyeyes character) saw beneath her surface thus his falling in love with her and his desire to bring healing to her life. Too bad we only got to see a carton character of this woman. Perhaps Leigh recieved some bad direction, it just did not work.
Rating:
Summary: A great coming of age novel. Unforgettable!
Review: This is a great coming of age story that I have watched twice in one week since I decided to buy it on a whim. The story of Lydia and Sam and their exile to Wyoming, their unconventional relationship as mother and son is unforgettable. Lydia isn't a woman who is very good at being a mother considering she drinks quite heavily and goes home with men at the bar. When Sam meets a girl named Maurey, they both decide to start trying to figure out what sex is like. Lydia tells them how to have sex and from that point on, this movie is a strange, oddball journey. This film shows what can happen to kids who grow up too fast, but it does this in a way that is heart-warming and different than most films. I especially liked Michael Greyeyes' character, Hank Elkrunner. He plays a good guy who falls for Lydia only to have to deal with her wild ways. All of the actors in this film did a great job. And surprisingly, this film has a happy ending. All in all, a great, funny film that is sure to stay with you long after its over. Hilarious
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: This is a wonderful comedy. Bug Hall was especially great in this coming-of-age story about a 14 year old boy and girl.
Rating:
Summary: the brady bunch they aren't.
Review: THis movie is so funny it's almost ridiculous. a not your tipical family a wealthy very loose mother, a hard working indian, a 14 year old mother cheerleader and a 14 year old father ..can they live happily ever after in this movie they do. this movie has an all star cast. lidiya (jennifer jason leigh)who is falling in love a guy she just met a guy her daddy will not approve of, she's a loose mother of a teenage boy sam (bug hall) who has questions about sex is in love with the popluar chick maurey (mishca barton) head cheerleader beautiful, and she just so happens has a [jerk] for a boyfriend ( brad renfro). sam is trying to get along in an unsual family him and his moms wild ways catches up to her and gets bansihed from the family and moves to a small town where he doesn't fit in and he wants to get the hell out of town until he meets maurey a brash honest popluar girl they both realize they can help each other and they start discovering sex, than something happens maurey gets pregnant and everything goes to [heck] they are again out casts. but they thru as a family and they live happily ever after..or don't they you have to see?
Rating:
Summary: Read the book...
Review: This movie was in many ways for me a major disappointment. By itself, it is excellent, with great, oddball performances from its entire cast, and including wonderful cameo appearances by Drew Barrymore as the Dream Girl. I would have absolutely adored this genuinely bizzare but loving black comedy...if only I had not already read the book. The book by Tim Sandlin, also called "Skipped Parts" is one of the best coming-of-age stories I have ever read. It is funny, crazy, and poignant. The movie didn't capture even a tenth of the charm of the book, and also did not handle the relationship between Maurey and Sam very well. This is a result of trying to tone down what is in essence a story of two young children experimenting with sex. This made their story seem more like a by-the-books moralistic tale than the authority-be-damned, life-affirming tale that it really is. The characters in the book are understandable; the characters in the movie are understandable...only if you've previously read the book. So my advice is read the book first, and then see the movie. For a fan of the book, it contains enough great moments to make one smile. But I don't think this film will win any new fans who are not already familiar with Sandlin's work.
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