Humboldt County

source: Humboldt County

I rented this film a week or so back and just got around to watching it last night. What a pleasant and refreshing surprise. Definite to make the shelves of my home DVD collection. What resonated with me was how effortlessly this family totally embraced this introvert that was Peter, basically a stray that was dropped on their lap by Bogart. And the sense of community the main family and their friends depicted. It reminded me of my college days and just how wonderfully communal my friends at that time and others from this segment of our society tend to be. I too appreciated the intelligence of this film given the subject matter. Not your typical stoner film at all. The one thing I would liked to have seen to make the film even more of a gem, would've been to be able to witness an even deeper bond between Peter and Max. I don't feel like we got to see the full extent or depth of their relationship that ultimately cause Peter to transform as he did by the end of the film. Their on screen exchanges were my favorites and I just wanted there to be more of them. And while I can agree that there may have been some liberties taken with the film's background and even decision choices regarding some of the characters, it is a fictional story. Overall, I loved the main message that I perceived, about our ability to be receptive and implement change when it comes to self preservation. I live in the DC Metro Area, work for Corporate America and believe me, Humboldt County would be a refreshing change of pace. Great film!

This is one of the better movies I have seen lately. A coming of age story in the same vein as Garden State, this film has a rarely found mixture of comedy and drama that doesn't disappoint in either realm. Jeremy Strong plays Peter very well, but the breakout performances come from Chris Messina and Madison Davenport. Messina is able to show his character's confusion and frustration in trying to provide his daughter with the best possible life. The scene where Max encounters Peter shows the depth that this actor has. Great Movie, great soundtrack. If you want a smart film with good performances, this movie is it.

I'm not going to draw this review out any longer than it needs to be. The bottom line is this: "Humboldt County" is not a good movie. It's a glorified stoner comedy that thinks itself an insightful counterculture coming-of-age drama. And yes, it's as bad as it sounds To give a little background here, I saw this movie at a screening in LA. I didn't really know much about the movie before going in and I wasn't expecting much and it's a good thing, too, because it was pretty bad. Peter Hadley, the main character, has got to be one of the most boring protagonists I've seen on film. I don't know how anyone who isn't a mute is supposed to identify with him. The guy hardly speaks and when he does, it's barely audible. This guy is to whispering what Brando was to mumbling. The message of the movie, as I see it, is as follows: If your dad's kind of a jerk, drop out of med school and follow some strange chick you just met up to a marijuana farm in northern California, it just might change your life. Oh, brother! Overall, I'd say it's entirely too preachy to simply be called a stoner comedy and entirely too stupid to be considered anything enlightening. I hold absolutely no reservations whatsoever in saying to skip it.

I went into this movie not knowing much about it. I actually chose to go into it that way. My friend Guff knows Darren and Danny from high school and Guff is pretty cool so by association, I assumed they were too! :) I enjoyed the characters and their development throughout the story. One part that did confuse me was his decision to stay there. He went from missing the bus to being "part of the family" which in itself was cool. I guess I wanted more of Peter's personal thoughts about staying. In hindsight, he didn't really have any cemented thoughts about it. He was floating along in his other life and this seemed no different. He couldn't make up his mind in either "life" that he had. I really liked when Max's Dad finally said no to him when they were hiding from the feds in the woods. It was a brief moment of clarity for that character. I liked that. It didn't dwell on it too much. Overall, I was very pleased with this movie and have recommended it to friends and family already. I can't wait to see their next work. Dawn Guff's friend Austin

Humboldt County utterly surprised me. The depth of emotion is palpable. The story authentic. I had the privilege of living in Humboldt County and practiced in a small rural medical clinic for several years. I came to the tiny community on a wing and prayer and in watching the protagonist struggle to find relevance I saw true shades of authenticity. i found myself reminded so often of the daily surprises that greeted me not only in medical practice but in the journey to speak a new language. Peter's experiences rang true, and how can I say that do you ask? Because I lived it. And I don't mean smoking marijuana, I never tried it but like Peter was embraced and accepted nevertheless. As the characters were introduced I kept saying to myself, 'I've known you'. As for the reviewer giving a single star: it as if you never did 'live' in the community that you claim to have grown up in. You should not disparage what you do not understand. ... Anyway, the film makers got it right and if you've every wondered if a film was true to life in its portrayal look no further than Humboldt County.

HUMBOLDT COUNTY is a taste f the 60s and 70s drug culture when many disillusioned people, young and old, picked up and moved to the scenic wonder - and pot farms - of Humboldt County, California. Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs co-wrote and co-directed this little throw back in history and the result is a bit of nostalgia and some fine characterizations by a solid cast. Jerry Hadley (Jeremy Strong) is a medical student trumped by his medical school professor father (Peter Bogdanovich) into failing medical school, and the only apparent way for the fairly clueless and disillusioned Jerry is to try the world outside. He begins with a strange relationship with Bogart (Fairuza Balk) and ends up headed to Humboldt County where he encounters folks living off the profits (both mentally and economically) of growing marijuana. He becomes friends with the free spirits Max (Chris Messina), Rosie (Frances Conroy), Jack (Brad Dourif) and in the midst of the atmosphere, Jerry 'inhales' and begins to figure out where his life should actually be headed. The movie seems to be a bit of fluff, but written into the lines is a lot of wise philosophy - if you choose to take it that way. Good performances and a clever script make the movie a nice diversion. Grady Harp

I saw Humboldt County at South By Southwest, and I love it! It was well written, beautifully shot, and had an outstanding cast. I've never been to northern California, but after seeing this film, I really want to visit. This is the filmmakers' first film and I am blown away by the complexity of the characters and the film's surprising emotional depth. The characters are all interesting and honest, but flawed, just like the rest of us. There is a warmth among this cannabis farming family that is engaging and intriguing.(And it doesn't hurt that both Jeremy Strong and Chris Messina are deliciously handsome men.) Madison Davenport's performance as young Charity is also outstanding. I can't wait to see it again!

Saw this at the Idaho International Film Festival in Boise last night. Your standard fish-out-of-water-among-the-druggies movie; pretty predictable from the beginning. However, the characters were great and the setting beautiful. Seemed pretty obvious from the get-to that a) they'd get busted b) med student would stay c) Drugs are Bad. There was a lot to like about the lifestyle in general -- those trees, the fog, the sky -- though it reminded me of how annoying I always found stoners. :) I sort of expected one of the dads to get shot defending one or both of the sons. The dad reminded me of the dad in Dirty Dancing. Wonder how long he sat at that table waiting for the son to come back?

A very square medical student find himself (in both senses of the expression) in the forest with a bunch of hippies. Unpredictable plot, gorgeous setting and music. Wonderful characters and acting; Brad Dourif and Frances Conroy particularly great, and of course Bogdanovich. I could have hung out with these people for hours. It was a little bit like Garden State, but maybe more like the Graduate. And had more of a 70s vibe (in a good way) in its complexity and willingness to not explain and simplify all plot points... Best film I've seen in a while--and I see a lot of movies. My pick of the South by Southwest film festival.