Crazy on the Outside
Encyclopedia
Crazy on the Outside is a 2010 comedy film
starring and directed by Tim Allen
. This is Allen's first time directing, and is notable for reuniting Allen with co-stars from many of his previous films (Weaver from Galaxy Quest
, Liotta from Wild Hogs
, Grammer from Toy Story 2
and Bowen from Joe Somebody
).
) has been paroled from prison for being involved in movie piracy
. He is picked up by his eccentric sister Vicky (Sigourney Weaver
) whom is revealed to be a habitual liar (she claims it's so people aren't hurt by the truth).
He arrives at Vicky's home where he plans to spend some time putting his life back together when it's revealed that his mother was told (by Vicky) that he went to France
instead of prison. Due to a heart condition, Tommy keeps the story leading to a euphemism where France means "prison" (Vicky's husband asks Tommy if he thinks he'll go "back to France
" soon).
During dinner, Gray (Ray Liotta
), Tommy's old partner from the movie piracy business, shows up and his sister runs him off.
The next day, Tommy meets with his parole office, Angela Popadopolous (Jeanne Tripplehorn
), who requires him to work at a pirate-themed restaurant called "Pirate Burger" as part of his parole. He informs Angela that he wants to start up his father's painting business instead, but is told that he is required to work at the restaurant.
While on the job, he sees Christy (Julie Bowen
), his "dead" girlfriend come up to the drive-through window. Realizing Vicky lied to him, he takes the delivery car to see his girlfriend where they have a night of sex. The next morning, it is revealed that Christy is engaged to Frank (Kelsey Grammar) and Tommy is forced to escape the apartment.
Since he took the delivery car without permission, he is fired from "Pirate Burger" and risks going back to jail for breaking the terms of his parole. He is given another chance and goes back to work at Pirate Burger.
That night, he is 'kidnapped' by Gray and Gray tries to get him to get back into the piracy business. Tommy refuses stating that he wants to "go straight".
Tommy is called to make a delivery. He arrives at the apartment of Angela. Her son is trying to play matchmaker to get her to start dating again. While there, he notices that the apartment is in need of a paint job.
Tommy decides to show Angela the kind of work he can do so, with the help of two ex-con coworkers (Rick
and Edgar
) from Pirate Burger, he breaks into Angela's apartment while she's away and repaints the living room.
Meanwhile, the fictional story about Tommy's "France" trip continues to evolve including a relationship with Simone, a French astronaut
who was killed on the launchpad so that Tommy's mother would not fly everyone to France to meet Simone (who does not exist).
Angela is furious at Tommy for breaking and entering but understands what he was trying to do and doesn't press charges. She sets him up to paint a judge's home. While doing the job, Angela shows up to check on Tommy's work and invite him to observe her son's little league team. The judge's wife, later, impressed by the work, invites Tommy to paint the upstairs as well.
While getting tools together, Edgar and Rick prepare the upstairs for painting and knock the judge's wife's diamond ring off the dresser. Edgar, wanting to do something nice for Tommy, steals the ring and gives it to Christy as a "gift from Tommy".
Tommy, who doesn't know that the theft occurred, joins Angela at the little league game and they begin to express feelings for each other. They set up a formal date.
When Tommy arrives at Angela's apartment for the date, Angela is furious over the theft and demands the ring back. He goes to Pirate Burger to confront Edgar and Rick, but they have disappeared. He steals the delivery car (his vehicle refuses to start) and calls Edgar and Rick. They inform him of the ring's location and he drives to Christy's house to get the ring back. After a short confrontation with Frank and Christy, he gets the ring and returns it to Angela.
The manager of Pirate Burger presses charges on Tommy and he goes back to jail. Gray shows up at the prison to bail him out and, disillusioned with his attempts to "go straight", Tommy joins back up with Gray.
While this happens, Angela's son shows up at Vicky's house wanting to see Tommy, but he is not there. Vicky finds Tommy with Gray at the airport and makes up a story about Angela's son going missing.
Tommy chooses to abandon Gray at the airport (after Gray pushes Vicky to the ground) to find Angela's son. When he shows up at Angela's apartment, he finds out that Vicky has, again, lied to him. His concern for the well being Angela's son, however, softens Angela's animosity towards Tommy. He invites (at the behest of Vicky) Angela to join in a dinner at Vicky's house.
Angela shows up for the dinner. A story Vicky told Tommy's mother about Angela being Tommy's "grief counselor" falls apart when Angela informs her that she is actually Tommy's parole officer, which also causes the France story to fall apart.
The movie ends with Vicky trying to act surprised but no one is buying it.
reports that 8% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 12 reviews, with an average score of 2.6/10. The film has been deemed "Rotten" by the aggregate.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
starring and directed by Tim Allen
Tim Allen
Tim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
. This is Allen's first time directing, and is notable for reuniting Allen with co-stars from many of his previous films (Weaver from Galaxy Quest
Galaxy Quest
Galaxy Quest is a 1999 science-fiction comedy parody about a troupe of human actors who defend a group of aliens against an alien warlord. It was directed by Dean Parisot and written by David Howard and Robert Gordon. Mark Johnson and Charles Newirth produced the film for DreamWorks, and David...
, Liotta from Wild Hogs
Wild Hogs
Wild Hogs is a 2007 comedy film directed by Walt Becker and starring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, and William H. Macy. It was released nationwide in the United States and Canada on March 2, 2007, though preview film screenings were held in select areas on February 24, 2007.-Plot:Doug...
, Grammer from Toy Story 2
Toy Story 2
Toy Story 2 is a 1999 American computer animated film directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Lee Unkrich and Ash Brannon. It is the sequel to the 1995 film Toy Story, released by Walt Disney Pictures and the third film to be produced by Pixar...
and Bowen from Joe Somebody
Joe Somebody
Joe Somebody is a 2001 American comedy-drama film written by John Scott Shepherd and directed by John Pasquin. The film stars Tim Allen as a man stirred into action by a workplace bully...
).
Plot
Thomas Zelda (Tim AllenTim Allen
Tim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
) has been paroled from prison for being involved in movie piracy
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
. He is picked up by his eccentric sister Vicky (Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
) whom is revealed to be a habitual liar (she claims it's so people aren't hurt by the truth).
He arrives at Vicky's home where he plans to spend some time putting his life back together when it's revealed that his mother was told (by Vicky) that he went to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
instead of prison. Due to a heart condition, Tommy keeps the story leading to a euphemism where France means "prison" (Vicky's husband asks Tommy if he thinks he'll go "back to France
Recidivism
Recidivism is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have either experienced negative consequences of that behavior, or have been treated or trained to extinguish that behavior...
" soon).
During dinner, Gray (Ray Liotta
Ray Liotta
[File:Ray Liotta is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Henry Hill in the crime-drama Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese and his role as Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams...
), Tommy's old partner from the movie piracy business, shows up and his sister runs him off.
The next day, Tommy meets with his parole office, Angela Popadopolous (Jeanne Tripplehorn
Jeanne Tripplehorn
Jeanne Marie Tripplehorn is an American film and television actress. She was brought to the public's attention through her supporting role in the 1992 film Basic Instinct, and since 2006 has starred opposite Bill Paxton in the HBO drama Big Love.-Early life:Tripplehorn was born in Tulsa,...
), who requires him to work at a pirate-themed restaurant called "Pirate Burger" as part of his parole. He informs Angela that he wants to start up his father's painting business instead, but is told that he is required to work at the restaurant.
While on the job, he sees Christy (Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen
Julie Bowen is an American film and television actress. She played Carol Vessey on Ed and Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She is best known for playing Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011...
), his "dead" girlfriend come up to the drive-through window. Realizing Vicky lied to him, he takes the delivery car to see his girlfriend where they have a night of sex. The next morning, it is revealed that Christy is engaged to Frank (Kelsey Grammar) and Tommy is forced to escape the apartment.
Since he took the delivery car without permission, he is fired from "Pirate Burger" and risks going back to jail for breaking the terms of his parole. He is given another chance and goes back to work at Pirate Burger.
That night, he is 'kidnapped' by Gray and Gray tries to get him to get back into the piracy business. Tommy refuses stating that he wants to "go straight".
Tommy is called to make a delivery. He arrives at the apartment of Angela. Her son is trying to play matchmaker to get her to start dating again. While there, he notices that the apartment is in need of a paint job.
Tommy decides to show Angela the kind of work he can do so, with the help of two ex-con coworkers (Rick
Malcolm Goodwin
Malcolm Goodwin is an American actor. He has appeared in American Gangster, Breakout Kings, Detroit 1-8-7, Leatherheads,The Longshots and Crazy on the Outside....
and Edgar
Jon Gries
Jonathan Francis "Jon" Gries is an American actor, writer and director. He is also credited under the names Jon Francis and Jonathan Gries. He is known for his role in Napoleon Dynamite as Uncle Rico, and more recently as recurring character Roger Linus on Lost...
) from Pirate Burger, he breaks into Angela's apartment while she's away and repaints the living room.
Meanwhile, the fictional story about Tommy's "France" trip continues to evolve including a relationship with Simone, a French astronaut
French space program
The French space program includes both civil and military spaceflight activities.The French space program dates from 1961, when President Charles de Gaulle created the Centre National d' Etudes Spatiales to coordinate French space activities...
who was killed on the launchpad so that Tommy's mother would not fly everyone to France to meet Simone (who does not exist).
Angela is furious at Tommy for breaking and entering but understands what he was trying to do and doesn't press charges. She sets him up to paint a judge's home. While doing the job, Angela shows up to check on Tommy's work and invite him to observe her son's little league team. The judge's wife, later, impressed by the work, invites Tommy to paint the upstairs as well.
While getting tools together, Edgar and Rick prepare the upstairs for painting and knock the judge's wife's diamond ring off the dresser. Edgar, wanting to do something nice for Tommy, steals the ring and gives it to Christy as a "gift from Tommy".
Tommy, who doesn't know that the theft occurred, joins Angela at the little league game and they begin to express feelings for each other. They set up a formal date.
When Tommy arrives at Angela's apartment for the date, Angela is furious over the theft and demands the ring back. He goes to Pirate Burger to confront Edgar and Rick, but they have disappeared. He steals the delivery car (his vehicle refuses to start) and calls Edgar and Rick. They inform him of the ring's location and he drives to Christy's house to get the ring back. After a short confrontation with Frank and Christy, he gets the ring and returns it to Angela.
The manager of Pirate Burger presses charges on Tommy and he goes back to jail. Gray shows up at the prison to bail him out and, disillusioned with his attempts to "go straight", Tommy joins back up with Gray.
While this happens, Angela's son shows up at Vicky's house wanting to see Tommy, but he is not there. Vicky finds Tommy with Gray at the airport and makes up a story about Angela's son going missing.
Tommy chooses to abandon Gray at the airport (after Gray pushes Vicky to the ground) to find Angela's son. When he shows up at Angela's apartment, he finds out that Vicky has, again, lied to him. His concern for the well being Angela's son, however, softens Angela's animosity towards Tommy. He invites (at the behest of Vicky) Angela to join in a dinner at Vicky's house.
Angela shows up for the dinner. A story Vicky told Tommy's mother about Angela being Tommy's "grief counselor" falls apart when Angela informs her that she is actually Tommy's parole officer, which also causes the France story to fall apart.
The movie ends with Vicky trying to act surprised but no one is buying it.
Cast
- Tim AllenTim AllenTim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist, and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement...
as Tommy Zelda, the parolee, - Jeanne TripplehornJeanne TripplehornJeanne Marie Tripplehorn is an American film and television actress. She was brought to the public's attention through her supporting role in the 1992 film Basic Instinct, and since 2006 has starred opposite Bill Paxton in the HBO drama Big Love.-Early life:Tripplehorn was born in Tulsa,...
as Angela Papadopolous, a single-mom parole officer whom he tries to date - Sigourney WeaverSigourney WeaverSigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
as Vicky, she's Tommy's loving but manipulativePsychological manipulationPsychological manipulation is a type of social influence that aims to change the perception or behavior of others through underhanded, deceptive, or even abusive tactics. By advancing the interests of the manipulator, often at the other's expense, such methods could be considered exploitative,...
older sister - J. K. SimmonsJ. K. SimmonsJonathan Kimble "J. K." Simmons is an American actor. He is best known for his roles on television as Dr. Emil Skoda in NBC's Law & Order , Assistant Police Chief Will Pope in TNT's The Closer, neo-Nazi Vernon Schillinger in the HBO prison drama Oz, on film as J...
as Ed: Tommy's sister's sarcastic, taunting husband - Ray LiottaRay Liotta[File:Ray Liotta is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Henry Hill in the crime-drama Goodfellas, directed by Martin Scorsese and his role as Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams...
as Gray: Tommy's old partner in crime - Kelsey GrammerKelsey GrammerAllen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
as Frank - Julie BowenJulie BowenJulie Bowen is an American film and television actress. She played Carol Vessey on Ed and Denise Bauer on Boston Legal. She is best known for playing Claire Dunphy on the sitcom Modern Family, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011...
as Christy - Karle WarrenKarle WarrenKarle Warren is an American actress, known for her portrayal as Lauren Cassidy, the daughter of Judge Amy Gray, on the CBS hit drama, Judging Amy.She currently lives in Los Angeles with her mother and younger brother, Justin....
as Alex Luboja - Malcolm GoodwinMalcolm GoodwinMalcolm Goodwin is an American actor. He has appeared in American Gangster, Breakout Kings, Detroit 1-8-7, Leatherheads,The Longshots and Crazy on the Outside....
as Rick - Kenton DutyKenton DutyKenton Duty is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his recurring role as "Young Jacob" on the final season of the ABC primetime drama, Lost, and for his co-starring role as the flamboyant European exchange student, Gunther Hessenheffer on the Disney Channel comedy series, Shake It...
as Ethan Papadopolous - Meeghan Holaway as Tina
- Jon GriesJon GriesJonathan Francis "Jon" Gries is an American actor, writer and director. He is also credited under the names Jon Francis and Jonathan Gries. He is known for his role in Napoleon Dynamite as Uncle Rico, and more recently as recurring character Roger Linus on Lost...
as Edgar - Daniel BookoDaniel BookoDaniel Paul Booko is an American actor and Model. He has had roles in The O.C, Hannah Montana, and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, as well as in the film Bratz: The Movie. Born to Pastor Paul Booko of Riverside Church in Three Rivers Michigan...
as Cooper Luboja - Evelyn Iocolano as Denise
- Jeff Kueppers as Steve
- John Hayden as Judge Pierce
- Jean St. James as Mrs. Pierce
Reception
The film has received extremely negative reviews. Review aggregate Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 8% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 12 reviews, with an average score of 2.6/10. The film has been deemed "Rotten" by the aggregate.