Pumpkin

Rating:
Summary: Who needs character develpoment? Look Deeper.
Review: Despite the obvious lack of character development, which it hardly needed, this movie was very touching, and at times funny, but not from the "American Pie" point of view that it seemed to be billed as in the previews. In truth the movie was not at all what it seemed, a shallow attempt at risky comedy, in fact I found it quite profound, and at times a bit deep. One of the points that reviewers have stated is that the movie needed more character development, and to that I ask where? With the exception of Pumpkin and at times Carolyn, all the characters where shallow, ignorant, and very stereotypical Southern California rich yuppies who care more about appearances and judge people by them rather than what is inside. And, in reality, that is all the story is about. Pumpkin, who is slightly mentally challenged, is really more introverted than retarded, this from years of repression from his shallow mother. Enter Carolyn, who despite being extremely intelligent, finds herself fitting in with the shallow crowd, being popular, vice being herself, but this separates her from the rest of the characters who, though popular, really have no moral standing and are too quick to judge the new romance between Carolyn and Pumpkin. In the end, though, we find that she has been the inspiration to all of the characters and amazingly, and painfully, they all learn a little something from her and finally begin to see though the shallowness of their past.
On a stranger note, there was one particular quirk in the movie I must address, because, from a humor stand point it is pretty funny, but from a drama/realistic stand point, not so much. After Carolyn's ex is humiliated by Pumpkin at the dance, he, the ex, runs off to his car. His car appears to be a charger or some other car of a similar make. He swerves, and next thing you see is supposed to be his car flying off the cliff, however it's a limo now, which after a few seconds bursts into flames and crashes on the rocks below. The next day he is in the hospital, not a scratch, bruise or burn on his body. So, was this a metaphor? a dream? a bit of "Hollywood" joking? or jus bad film making? I also found a bit of interest in the look of the film, how the characters all looked to be from the late 50's or 60's and a line that Carolyn says at the dance "Pumpkin's not riding on the back of the bus any more", seems to point that the movie may have originally been written as a interracial work, but as that is not the hot topic it once was, it was rewritten to be a bit racier by today's standards. But maybe it's just me.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Funny and Fresh!!!
Review: This movie truly made me laugh and ponder the rituals of Sorority life in modern day Alpha Universities... I had a great time watching this movie over and over again, and if you havnt seen this movie, you must stop and see it!!!
Every aspect of this movie was notable, especially the directing and acting.. wich is simply groundbreaking and fresh!!

Rating:
Summary: Clever and Witty
Review: This movie is unique, warm, funny, and thought provoking. Stereotypes with college aged sorority girls, jocks, and the handicapped. When these groups from opposite ends of the social spectrum intersect it creates new and uncomfortable emotions, controversy, laughter and pain. This is an intelligent and comically melodramatic film. Cristina Ricci plays her role perfectly. If you are easily offended, have a hard time understanding sarcasm, witty social commentary, or storylines that are outside of the norm then you are not likely to enjoy this film.

Rating:
Summary: Please do not waste your money on this movie
Review: This was horrible. I don't know how it got rated as hysterically funny or even in the comedy category. Stupid? yes. Funny? No

This movie was insulting to handicapped persons and overweight persons (of which I am neither). It was insensitive, stupid, poorly filmed, whatever a movie shouldn't be, Pumpkin was. What Pumpkin was NOT was entertaining.

Please do not waste your money buying this movie. Don't even waste your money renting it (like I did).

Rating:
Summary: average customer review --- 3 stars
Review: "Hysterically funny!" -The Washington Post. This is NOT a comedy. I thought it was suppose to be a drama. It is a comedy? How much was the Washington Post payed to say that. I'd like one review to name 3 funny things in this film. Name 3 things that made you laugh. Otherwise, I may have had a second chuckle.

The romance is not great at all. She feels sorry for him one minute then they want to get marry.

Later, the guy changes so much. He starts nice, then goes mean, then nice, then mean, then nice again? What is going on with him. Pumpkin was alright. I felt sorry for him, but he improved a lot over the film.

Not that great. Not funny. Not real plausible(believable).

Rating:
Summary: It wasn't that bad.......
Review: Although Pumpkin wasn't my favorite film, I did enjoy it. But then again, I didn't expect it to be my favorite film. However, I am fan of Christina Ricci. And I thought that this film displayed her charms and abilites as an actress quite well.

The story follows Carolin, a sority girl who sees the world through rose colored glasses and doesn't question a thing in front of her, and is perfectly happy that way. That is, until she meets Pumpkin, a mentally disabled guy whom she is helping as a charity for her sorority. Her and the rest of her sority sisters are helping his team prepare for an sort Special Olympics. And Pumpkin is immediately taken with her. She is drawn into him because he is different, mysterious. But according to everyone she knows, and everything she's been taught, it would be wrong to become involed with "someone like him". She first tries to play matchmaker with him and one of her friends from class, but that doesn't work out as the girl takes it as an insult. And this is where her world begins falling apart, and everything she thought she knew, just doesn't make sense anymore.

I wasn't entirely pleased with this movie, obviously its a satire, and its just making fun of people who are prejudice about those that are different from us, and it goes to the extremes on that. But for the most part the characters besides Caroline and Pumpkin seemed so phoney, but then I guess that was probably the intention.

Pumpkin(the movie) did make me think though, I was wondering just how many people I've known that are actually like those in the film. And to tell you the truth, I've met a quite good number of people who do act similar to those in at her school and sorority.

Obviously the film isn't meant to be taken completely seriously, but it does deal with that serious issue of discrimination and segregation.

I think what made this film really worth watching though, was the acting. Everyone all around in my opinion did a very good job, and Christina Ricci and Hank Harris as Carolin and Pumpkin are very good together.

Though Pumpkin is quite flawed, I think it is still worth viewing, if only once, just to see how Christina Ricci can really shine, even in a movie that's only about average.
I give it 3.5 stars.

*Enjoy* & God Bless ~Amy

Rating:
Summary: The worst movie I have ever seen
Review: Not even worth one star. I have never been so discusted in my whole life. I am in shock that anyone could think this movie is either realistic, touching, or meant to be taken seriously. It wasn't funny, but I found it in the comedy section. If I hadn't rented it I would have broken the disc and thrown it right in the trash. Please do not watch this movie unless you want your intelligence to be insulted by this extremely sickening movie. The story might have had a small chance of being pulled off, but the people who produced this film have managed to create a disgrace, and the acting was so pathetic I wanted to scream!!! Nothing in this movie was believable.

Rating:
Summary: Why was Christina thinking?
Review: Bad, bad, bad. I have never felt compelled to write a review of a movie before. However, after watching Pumpkin, I felt that I had to let the viewing audience know that this movie sucks...really bad. First off, I am a huge Christina Ricci fan, but what was she thinking when she agreed to star and produce this film? I couldn't even finish the film for I felt that if I did, bad karma was going to hit me. The producers should be pelted with garbage for their complete exploitation of developmentally disabled populations. To the film crew, you suck and so does the movie.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: This movie was pretty good for the most part. At times it was very unrealistic and dissapointing. It was made for the Sundance Film festival which explains it's quirkiness. But if you are a fan of independent movies and the Sundance Channel then you will deffinately love the movie Pumpkin. Basically a two Sorority's are competing against eachother for a contest and one which is lead by Carolyn (Ricci) have the job of coaching mentally challenged athletes. Crolyn ends up with a mysterious young gentleman Pumpkin whom opens up new realizations to her life. This movie is weird, dark, and amusing.

Rating:
Summary: Pumpkin - Good concept, bad script
Review: I agree with Jeff Shannon.

Pumpkin could have scored higher for me because the concept has never been done before. It's unfortunate that the script was not well written. No matter how great the actor, a bad script is hard to execute. Christina Ricci is an able actor, but she has great difficulty pulling off sincerity. Her transformation from spoiled sorority girl to sensitive human isn't believable. The script skims the surface of each character, without really developing who they are and why they act as they do. It goes from one unbelievable scene to the next, and although I stuck with it to the end...hoping that something would change...my initial instinct in the first 10 minutes to "stop watching" should have been followed. It's a real disappointment to me when such a challenging film topic isn't done well. I'm also surprised that Francis Ford Coppola (who funded the movie) didn't help the two young filmmakers out a little more. With some guidance from him, this would have been a great film.

By all means borrow the movie (or rent it), but if something tells you to stop it early on, don't perservere. Turn off the DVD and doing something else. Unless you are a screenwriter...then by all means watch it, and then go develop a script that does justice to this challenging topic.