(rated PG-13, 96 mins.)
At his local high school, Dizzy Gillespie Harrison (D J Qualls) is a ‘blip’, a low life, a loser. His father (Lyle Lovett) is a mono-toned, deadpan loser too. Dizzy’s life is a cycle of being beaten up by day and in a band by night. The band consists of some goofball pals where Dizzy leads with a David Cassidy wanna-be feel. One day, after landing himself in jail, he takes some tips from the boys at the local penitentiary. With a makeover, some attitude and a new school district, he changes into Gil Harris (reshuffling his birth name) becoming a cross between Brad Pitt and Anne Heche. Suddenly he’s no longer being stuffed into lockers, he’s the King of the hallways. But who are the students crazy over and how can he be liked as the real him? That’s what the movie addresses and seems energized with gusto to tackling. Unfortunately their efforts turn into overkill early on. It’s one prank after another and while anybody over the age of 22 will be bored, teen boys will love it. Qualls is a cross between David Spade and a generic Farrelly brothers character whose talents (he is funny) are clearly on target for this potty humor flick. However, he won’t be hearing from Merchant Ivory anytime soon. And, what was Lyle Lovett thinking?
