Guilty Pleasures: Joe Dirt
By Felix Quinonez Jr.
January 24, 2013
BoxOfficeProphets.com
But even so, we all have our guilty pleasures. I’m talking about that song you stop humming when someone walks into the room. Or maybe it’s that movie you claim your significant other dragged you to. Whatever the case, we all have guilty pleasures and that includes me, of course. With this column I’m going to try to encourage people to stop being embarrassed for liking things they normally wouldn’t or that aren’t considered cool. I’m going to do this by celebrating movies that are my personal guilty pleasures.
There are some things that just make it impossible to take someone seriously. If you’re talking to someone wearing a fanny pack or sporting a mullet, chances are you’re going to pretend to listen but really you’ll be snickering to yourself. And when the main character of a movie has one of the most ridiculous and distracting mullets…ever, it’s very understandable that some audiences will find it hard to give that movie a fair chance. This was the case with Joe Dirt, (2001) starring David Spade and directed by Dennie Gordon.
The character’s hairpiece is so ridiculous that at first glance it seems like the movie should have been a very short and bad skit on SNL. And when you see the character tossing said mullet in the air like a girl from a ‘80s music video, it seems that the filmmakers weren’t interested in making a good movie. And this is why Joe Dirt was written off by many people who just saw its trailers. But that’s too bad, because beneath the ridiculous mullet there is pretty funny movie with a likable cast, funny performances, that is - at times - surprisingly moving.
The movie begins with Joe Dirt (David Spade) working as a janitor at a Los Angeles radio station. Joes is not exactly Mr. Popularity at his workplace and everyone gives him a hard time. One day as he’s being bullied, popular DJ Zander Kelly (Dennis Miller) takes notice of Joe. Zander is so taken back by Joe’s appearance that he has to talk to him. In fact Zander is so fascinated that he decides to put Joe on the air to tell his life story.
Not surprisingly, the tone of the radio interview is initially mocking. Zander can’t resist having fun at Joe’s expense and the audience laughs along. But as Joe recounts his story, he slowly wins over the listeners and Zander. They - and hopefully the movie viewers - become emotionally invested in Joe’s journey. And of course as he talks about his life, we get to see things unfold through flashbacks.
Joe’s story begins when he was left behind by his family at the Grand Canyon. He believes that this happened by accident and has since devoted his life to being reunited with his family. Not surprisingly, Joe had a very colorful life and got into many misadventures.
After his parents left him, Joe wound up spending time in several foster homes until he was old enough to strike out on his own. Eventually he settles down in a small village where he seems to have found a life he could be happy with. He quickly becomes friends with a local hottie named Brandy (Brittany Daniel). She inexplicably falls in love with him - must be the mullet - but Joe doesn’t see this and he seems to be more interested in playing catch with Brandy’s dog.
As is often the case, the happiness doesn’t last too long, and one day Brandy’s dog is killed. This rekindles loneliness inside of Joe and he resumes his quest to be reunited with his family. Joe’s adventure sends him all over the country. Along the way he takes many odd jobs and meets some interesting people. Joe works as a janitor at a high school, at a gator farm and even gets taken hostage in a scene that parodies Silence of the Lambs surprisingly well. Eventually the story comes full circle and we wind up in the present day when Joe is on the radio show.
By this point, Joe has slowly won the hearts of the radio listeners and he soon becomes an overnight celebrity. His newfound fame lands him on the MTV show TRL and his parents see him. Joe is finally reunited with his parents. Unfortunately, he soon learns that his parents aren’t as sweet as he had imagined them all this time and they are actually trying to use his fame to promote themselves.
As I mentioned before, the movie is surprisingly moving and Spade does a great job of portraying the character’s longing to find his family. He expresses this sadness well enough that when he eventually realizes that his parents only reached out to him to exploit his fame, it is genuinely disappointing. But Joe’s heartbreak eventually leads him to realize that he had what he was looking for all along in the form of Brandy and the many friends he made.
Although Joe’s life and journey are very colorful, it is the performances and characters that are special. Obviously when a movie lies squarely on the shoulder of its protagonist, it is important that the audience care about him. And Spade does a great job in the role. He puts away his trademark snarky persona and gives a more earnest heartfelt portrayal of the character. But the supporting cast is also surprisingly strong. Adam Beach is great as his trusty sidekick. He plays Tonto to Spade’s lone ranger and the two make a surprisingly good team. Although I never thought I’d praise Kid Rock’s performance in any movie he is great in his role. Kid Rock plays a redneck bully who tortures Joe and is in love with Brandy. Not surprisingly, the role seems tailor made for him. But the biggest treat in the movie is Christopher Walken as a former mobster in the witness protection program.
Like I said before, the character’s appearance must have been at least partially responsible for the way it was written off by most people. The problem is that “lowbrow” comedies all get lumped together and dismissed as juvenile. And although Joe Dirt does have its share of gross out humor, it also deals with some weighty issues. Joe goes through a journey in search of a place where he can belong. He misses the family he never knew and finds self acceptance along the way.
There is no denying that there is some dumb humor in this movie, but a lot of the time, it is actually really funny. So if you can look past the mullet, you’ll find an entertaining and surprisingly sweet overlooked gem.