Bongwater (1998)

I have seen this movie three nights ago and I can honestly tell you I liked it. If you are wondering should you watch it or not - I would suggest you to consider the situation and circumstances the first. "Bongwater" is not kind of a movie you would like to see with your girlfriend or after a family gathering evening. From the other side - if you are sitting there with your friends looking for a movie to brighten your evening up, or if you are alone maybe - go for it! "Bongwater" seems like a typical stoner's' movie, but I believe it's much beneath that. Calling it such would be equal to calling "That 70s Show" typical stoner's' stuff, hence this TV series became sort of a cult. "Bongwater" is kind of a movie that is going to make you laugh out loud while tickling your imagination about the same thing you are laughing at. If you see through it couple of times I believe you will find it much deeper than it seems at the first glance.David, starred by Luke Wilson, is a small-pocket, short-run dope dealer. The movie follows his ups and downs with emphasis on his unhappy relationship with Serena. Things are turning from bad to worse as movie progresses, in emerging ironic manner. If you are in a mood to laugh, brace yourselves. I found whole movie quite funny myself. Few scenes really knocked socks off my feet and I didn't expect to see that kind of scenes inside a movie produced back in late 90s.Bongwater is a great stuff to watch on a guys' night or if you are alone and wondering what to watch to make you cheerful. I am taking it three points away for slightly blurry plot at few places, as you will see it yourself. You might lose your end of the rope here and there as the plot is running down the rabbit hole and story switches ups and downs unexpectedly fast.If you want to laugh - you got it. If you want to relax - you got that one as well. In case you are looking for some sort of "Da Vinci's Code" stuff - look elsewhere.

I really enjoy this movie because I totally wasn't anticipating a stoner movie. It's not like cheech and chong or harold and kumar. It's not funny or stupid or pointless wacky humor like those other movies. I like to describe it as a romance that makes more sense if you watch it as if it were a comedy. It's totally a literary movie, actually it was originally a book. It has the feel of a book that is more about character than story as it kind of wanders around aimlessly just like you do when you are a 20-something. It totally represents the hipster vibe and culture of Portland back in the 90s too which is interesting to see. If you like independent films like Candy or Slacker, you'll love Bongwater.

I lived next door to the author in 1980 when he first moved out to Portland from Downer's Grove, Ill. with two of his high school buds. He seemed like a normal-enough guy, though he had a lot of artistic pretensions. Within a few years, he jumped into Portland's post-punk music scene with buddy Phil and a few others, and a band that definitely wasn't headed anywhere, although it got him a lot of action, including a fling with Courtney Love in her Portland groupie days. He seemed to think his musical prospects were good enough to move to San Francisco, then N.Y.C.I was surprised to hear that he got a publishing deal in '95 after the band crashed and burned. Courtney Love's name seemed to be the clincher. I have no idea how the movie came about, especially with this cast, but I doubt that Gus Van Sant was involved. Anyway, the reviewers here seem to be unsure whether the lack of narrative focus is intentional or not, so I would just say that this is the work of a fairly intelligent guy who wants to be a writer, or artist or something, but doesn't have anything to say. Like Kerouac without the Benzedrine.

To Start in order to understand this movie you have expand your mind to that Of not only a pothead but a pot dealer, an artist, a drug user, a pagan, and most importantly a conservative. I have read many comments stating that the movie sucked...and that they were so disappointed by how awesome the cast was in a bad film. I feel that you have to stand back and view the film through the characters eyes. one at a time. Really the movie to me is about the constant struggle a habitual drug user has to grasping there own personal reality. sure the movie really had no plot, but dose life really have a plot? sure its presumed to be a comedy...and I'm sure that some people found it hilarious. The Movie to me is about struggle..plane and simple. Ari