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'Chumscrubber' character-driven tedium
By Sid Mahanta
When it comes to retreating from the modern world, I've never been a proponent of the electronic entertainment epidemic that has played a pivotal role in negotiating American pop culture for the last quarter century. Nor do I put much stock into the tidal wave of self-help media that has, more recently, peppered our airwaves and book stores. I also humbly acknowledge that my experience with the growing problem of prescription drug abuse (aka "happy pills") and its palpable effect on the suburban Cult of the Addicted is limited to occasional street corner story snippets. I must also admit my ignorance when it comes to suicide, the mother of all escapes and the ensuing emotional devastation it leave in its wake. Arie Posin's feature film debut, the surreal "The Chumscrubber," however, confronts these issues head-on. The film is a trip through yet another skewed, quirky, darkly humorous take on The Suburban Nightmare. "Chumscrubber" stars Jamie Bell ("Billy Elliot") as troubled teen Dean Stiffle, son of a well-known do-it-yourself psychiatrist - who wastes no opportunity to prescribe the latest new wonder drug to Dean - and vegetarian, vitamin-supplement-pushing mother (Allison Janney). The Stiffles live in the picture-perfect suburban paradise of Hillside, surrounded on all sides by gorgeous vistas, housing developments, clean air, the seductive allure of prosperity, and, apparently, rampant drug abuse. After discovering that his best friend Troy - one of the town's drug kingpins - has committed suicide, Dean keeps the news to himself. The news about Troy eventually gets out, cuing Dean to flee into medicated melancholy. Dean retreats, in part, from his friends: wannabe flyboy Billy; troubled, Wonka-faced, genius Lee; and Crystal, the cute, sort-of-punky female of the group who attempts to charm Dean into handing over the drugs. The story of the teenagers is balanced against that of the adults, which, in addition to the elder Stiffles, include the grating Terri and her fiancee Michael (muchos kudos for Ralph Fiennes); Crystal's desperately lonely mother Jerri (Carrie-Ann Moss); Terri's still heart-broken and angry policeman ex-husband Lou (John Heard); and Troy's grieving mother Mrs. Johnson (Glen Close. Audible sigh - of love.) The Texan strives to present all information fairly, accurately and completely.
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