Rating: 
Summary: WHOA!
Review: This movie was wonderful! There were a couple of scenes in the movie where I felt a little embarrassed and looked around, even though I was alone, to see if anyone was watching me. I did not understand why I felt this way until after I watched the movie and had a moment to reflect on what I saw and how I felt about it. I realized that I felt uncomfortable with the scenes (the car moment with the girl and the scar touching) because of the surroundings. I do not remember similar stories in NYPD blue affecting me in this strange way, probably because of the expectancy factor. Would just like to share that this movie was wonderful!
Rating: 
Summary: A surprising fantasy grounded in reality
Review: How can one movie be so surprising? John Duigan's "Lawn Dogs" is worth watching over and over again. While some of Duigan's movies, most notably "Sirens" fall flat, "Lawn Dogs" leads the pack that also includes the wonderful and equally under appreciated "Flirting" and it's predecessor, "The Year My Voice Broke." It is amazing to find movies that are truly well written and unpredictable. Sam Rockwell and Misha Barton give amazing performances. Rockwell has proven in so many roles that he can "act" and take on a new persona. His range is impressive from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to his goofy/smug role in "Galaxy Quest." Misha Barton is one to watch for in the future. Since "Lawn Dogs," I've only seen her in one other movie, "The Sixth Sense." The DVD of Lawn Dogs is great with clever menuing and looping of the scenes to the poignant soundtrack.
Rating:
Summary: This movie is an absolute must see.
Review: I never remember seeing this movie come out at the box office. This is one of those movies that has gone largely underappreciated just like American Beauty until it got all the media hype. I think this movie could do just as well if promoted correctly. It was absolute poetry on screen. You almost need an understanding of peotry and it's use of sybolism to recieve every message this movie is sending out to it's audience. And if you are like me then you will want to see it more than twice. I have to give this movie the highest rating possible and that is something that I rarely do, if ever.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent little movie
Review: Lawn Dogs works in the same territory as Pleasantville & American Beauty, but succeeds where they fail (IMO) because it operates from the viewpoint of real characters, making all the nasty details very clear & true, while the other films make use of broad predictable cartoon situations. Hope a lot more people get to see this gem!
Rating:
Summary: Brutally honest, and powerfully real.
Review: I watched this movie last year, during our "Free Sundance-Channel Weekend". It immediately struck me as a movie unlike any other, a movie that was dreamy yet down-to-earth, a movie that showed prejudice, pain, adultery, and emotion- without blinking an eye. And recently, when I found out that the girl who played 10-year old Devon (I apologize, I have forgotten the actors name) also played the dead girl in "The Sixth Sense", I went and watched "Lawn Dogs" again on a whim. Again, it mesmerized me. How well it all blended together, the little girl with her wagon walking down hazy summer streets, the old trailer of the man who everyone called "white trash", the shady dealings of Devon's upper-scale neighborhood, and the ignorance of the rich and prosperous. It struck me how the upper-class citizens would sit around and snicker at the lawn care "white-trash" while sipping brandy and cooking hot dogs. Normally, I'd recommend this movie to everyone, but after the second time, many parts struck me as shocking and very, very inappropriate. Of course, I believe this is what holds so much in the movie, the fact that the camera stands it's ground, unflinching to what is on screen. Many would find this movie extremely offensive, no matter how good it is. Do yourself a favor: Go and see this movie, but not if you take offense to nudity, aldultery, or language.
Rating:
Summary: James J Knox also known as captainjimk says it's awesome!
Review: James J Knox thinks that Lawn Dogs is a very unique movie. Thecharacters in the movie are very interesting and entertaining. TheDirectors filming techniques and sound effects also make the movie great. Check out my page for my email address if you have any questions. [...] Buy the movie, you will watch it over and over. Jim
Rating:
Summary: A Poetic Slice of Americana
Review: At the centre of John Duigan's beautiful and lyrical film is a brilliant performance by Sam Rockwell. As Trent the "white trash" living in a trailer, he gives a knowing and intelligent performance as a man, who has lived with this label his whole life. And the more we get to learn about him, about his life during his school years, about his family and watch the relationship he forges with 10 year old Devon, the more interesting and sympathetic he becomes. There is no preciousness or cuteness to Duigan's film, its magic lies in its understatment and its sharply drawn characters. For once a 10 year old in a movie doesn't seem to be posing for an ad, but gives a strong performance as a girl wise beyond her years. And like in so many other films which unite outcasts, Devon and Trent become close friends. This is not what the film is about though, the friendship between them is only a hook to draw veiwers in, what this film is really about is class devide, stereotyping of people and misleading appearances. Christopher McDonald and Kathline Quinlan as Devon's parents are a couple who seem to be raising their daughter out of a parenting magazine. They are involved, worried and completely impersonal. But there is a subtext to this, the father who hates looking at his daughter's scar is a driven workaholic with all the right words but none of the feeling. The mother doesn't have a job so she vents off in other ways. As we watch these events develop to the powerful and poetic conclusion of the film we are completely absorbed from start to finish. What seperates this film from similar sounding dross like Digging To China is its genuine heartfelt investment in its characters rather then cheap heart tugging tactics. It is a wonderful film. Also recomended by John Duigan are Sirens, Flirting and The Year My Voice Broke.
Rating:
Summary: Magical!
Review: I rented this movie (VHS) on a whim about a year ago. It tookme by surprise. The script was genius. The cinematography wasabsolutely brilliant. The acting was nothing short of magnificent. It is so rare to find a film that displays excellence and perfection in every single aspect... this is what I found with Lawn Dogs. Lawn Dogs, for me, has become one of those special movies that is set apart from the others. It is that special book that you've read dozens of times, or that poem that somehow reaches into your heart. It reminds you about humanity, love, kindness, amusement, magic and fantasy... all the qualities that you had when you were a child. () I was really glad to see that it was available on DVD. I can't wait to receive my copy and watch it in its originally intended widescreen format.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, Stunning and Haunting
Review: This is Independent Film at its best. My only gripe is that it could not have been a Made in the USA film. But as early as the opening credits you sense a fluidity and spontaneity which would never have survived the Hollywood embalmers. My first viewing left me slack-jawed with wonder and awe. In the following weeks I watched it several more times, with each viewing discovering new depths of emotion. The story is the relationship between two people who go through the motions of social living, but exist as islands unto themselves. Now and then they burst out, as when he decides mid-traffic to take a dive into the river, and she climbs on her roof and sends out a raw howl, waiting for an answering wolf. These abberations further estrange them from a world which has already given up trying to fathom them. Of course they meet, and of course they fall in love. But their love comes by way of reluctant tenderness on his part, and flat, unwavering purpose on hers. She shares her mythical vision with him, and together they inhabit that world. She is amazing, as a character and an actress; she is everything dangerous and irresistible in women. Against his will she draws him inward, not as a seductress but as a sorcerress. By firelight she chants eerily while brushing his bare arm with the foot of a freshly-killed chicken. Her knowledge is not merely beyond her years, it's beyond anything she's known in this life. There are interesting subplots which rise and recede without artifice. The supporting cast has the same direct emotional link as the principal players do. No extraneous footage survived the clean editing of this work. Thus, you tend to remember all the more vividly those poignant, understated scenes. Much has been said about Mischa Barton, who plays Devon. I, for one, am convinced she really is a sorceress, because I can't otherwise explain her acting genius. As for Sam Rockwell, who plays Trent, I am reminded of a quote: Familiarity is cruel to beauty and kind to homliness. At first we see Trent much as the town sees him: white trash. But by the end of the film we forget his looks and see only his character. I've left out a lot, but this is the gist as I see it. Except that Devon is about 10, and Trent's about 30. And that's the rub. This film makes the mortal sin of giving a child independence, strength, courage and, yes, a child's degree of sexuality. To which I say God Bless the writer and director for unapologetically presenting a very incorrect film as the love story it is. That it happens to ring with clear and honest feeling only incites the puritans further. The attraction between Devon and Trent has an undeniable undercurrent of sexuality, part of which is caused by the difference in their ages. That's what lends such electricity to the film. I'll say right now it's the most romantic, exhilirating and touching film I've seen in years. And before you condemn me out of hand, see the movie. Then think of relationships you are familiar with and ask yourself which is more pure and joyous. You may be surprised.
Rating:
Summary: MUST SEE MOVIE!
Review: While channel flipping on my day off, I ran into Lawn Dogs about 15 minutes into it. Something about the movie just grabbed me, and I couldn't stop watching and I'm glad I didn't. A deep story about rich vs. poor and a look on society. Some might feel a little uncomforatble with the movie. I recommend it to anyone with an open mind.
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