The Beach Bum

Last updated
The Beach Bum
The Beach Bum (2019 poster).png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Harmony Korine
Written byHarmony Korine
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Benoît Debie
Edited by Douglas Crise
Music by John Debney
Production
companies
Distributed by Neon
Release dates
  • March 9, 2019 (2019-03-09)(SXSW)
  • March 29, 2019 (2019-03-29)(United States)
Running time
95 minutes [2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$5 million [1]
Box office$4.6 million [3] [1]

The Beach Bum is a 2019 American stoner comedy film written and directed by Harmony Korine and starring Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher, Jimmy Buffett, with Zac Efron, Martin Lawrence, and Jonah Hill. The plot follows the adventures of stoner poet Moondog (McConaughey) in and around the Florida Keys as he tries to finish his new novel and fight for the respect of his daughter and his share of his wife's estate after she dies in a car accident.

Contents

The Beach Bum had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 9, 2019, and was theatrically released in the United States on March 29, 2019, by Neon. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some calling it "joyous" and others describing it as an "epic goof", though McConaughey's performance received near-universal praise. [4] The film was a box office disappointment, grossing only $4.6 million worldwide on a $5 million budget. [5]

Plot

Moondog, a substance-abusing poet, leads a hedonistic and pseudo-nomadic lifestyle in and around the Florida Keys while working on his new book. Despite perceptions that he is past his prime, he enjoys local notoriety as a legendary figure. His indulgent lifestyle is funded by his wealthy wife Minnie, which draws disapproval from their daughter Heather and agent Lewis. Throughout his journeys, Moondog engages in promiscuous relationships, while Minnie has a secret affair with his friend, R&B singer Lingerie.

After arriving late to Heather's wedding in Miami, Moondog's infidelity leads to a drunken altercation with the groom, Frank, in front of the guests. Later, Minnie reveals her affair during a conversation with Heather about Moondog's behavior. Meanwhile, Lingerie introduces Moondog to a potent strain of cannabis found in Jamaica, which he credits for his success. At the reception, Moondog reconciles with Heather and Frank before witnessing an intimate moment between Minnie and Lingerie.

Following a night of intoxicated karaoke and dancing with Minnie, Moondog survives a car accident but Minnie succumbs to her injuries. Half of Minnie's estate goes to Heather, while Moondog's share is frozen until he completes his novel. In response, Moondog seeks revenge by vandalizing Minnie's mansion with a group of homeless individuals. To avoid imprisonment, he agrees to a year of rehabilitation but later escapes with a pyromaniac named Flicker. The two engage in a night of debauchery before parting ways as Moondog makes his way back to Miami.

Back in Miami, Moondog encounters "Captain Wack," an old friend and alleged Vietnam veteran who offers him a co-captain position on dolphin tours. However, a tour with great white sharks results in Captain Wack sustaining a severe injury. As the law pursues him, Moondog reunites with Lingerie, who confesses to the affair but claims Minnie truly loved him. Inspired by a dream and experience shared with Lingerie and Jimmy Buffett, Moondog adopts crossdressing to evade detection.

The police close in on Lingerie's property, prompting Moondog to flee to Key West with Lingerie's assistance and a supply of the Jamaican weed. Motivated, Moondog completes his poetic memoir titled "The Beach Bum," which earns him a Pulitzer Prize. The lawyer informs him that his inheritance is unfrozen, and Moondog demands it in physical cash on a large sailboat. During a celebration, he sets the money on fire, causing an explosion. Moondog survives, but the crowd is preoccupied with the raining money as he drifts away on the boat, laughing.

Cast

Production

Following the release of Spring Breakers and time spent living in Florida, writer-director Harmony Korine penned The Beach Bum, which is "based loosely on a set of characters he was hanging out with in the Keys". [6] Journalist Zach Baron noted Korine "wrote the film swiftly, and then, as he did with Spring Breakers, Korine cast a mix of well-known actors", such as Matthew McConaughey, Jonah Hill, Zac Efron, [7] Martin Lawrence, Jimmy Buffett, Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher [8] —"and real-life Florida denizens". [6]

Speaking about the connection between the cast of Hollywood stars and the local grit of Florida, Korine said, "I like when they meet in the middle [...] Like when all the secondary characters, and all the locations, all the color, the sky, everything, it affects the main roles in a way. It's almost like a chemical reaction." [6] McConaughey described the character of Moondog as "a verb. A folk poet. A character in a Bob Dylan song dancing through life's pleasure and pain knowing every interaction is another 'note' in the tune of his life." [6] Similarly, Korine described the protagonist as a man that "lives for the second. There's no self-censor. He's just a sensualist. Whatever feels good, he just acts on it. So he does good, and he does bad." [6] The role of Moondog was written for Gary Oldman, but he turned it down.

John Lesher, Steve Golin, Charles-Marie Anthonioz, Mourad Belkeddar and Nicholas Lhermitte produced the film under the LeGrisbi Productions, Anonymous Content and Iconoclast banners. Rocket Science handled international sales commencing at the European Film Market in Berlin. [9]

Principal photography began in November 2017. Throughout the filming process, the cast brought their own creative direction to their characters. Snoop Dogg decided that rather than play himself, as written in Korine's script, he needed to take on a new character.

Additional strange inspiration came to Korine, as while eating a panini sandwich, the director thought that the pattern would "look good on Zac's face". The quote later went viral, when New Yorker columnist Lauren Leibowitz tweeted about the design for Efron's beard. [10] While appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live , McConaughey recounted how Snoop Dogg swapped out fake prop marijuana with "Snoop Weed". McConaughey said of the experience "the next nine hours were a whole lot of fun, but I don't believe we used one word in the English language". [11]

Release

In May 2017, Neon acquired distribution rights to the film. [12] It had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 9, 2019, [13] and was theatrically released on March 29, 2019. [14]

Reception

Box office

In the United States and Canada, The Beach Bum was released alongside Dumbo and Unplanned , and was projected to gross $2–4 million from 1,100 theaters in its opening weekend. [15] The film made $650,000 on its first day, including $200,000 from Thursday night previews. It ended up debuting to just $1.8 million, the lowest wide opening of McConaughey's career. [16]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 57% based on 125 reviews, with an average rating of 5.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The role of a lifetime for Matthew McConaughey, The Beach Bum is set apart by Harmony Korine's distinctive style, but that isn't always enough to offset the unfocused story." [17] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 55 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [18] Audiences polled by PostTrak gave the film an average 2.5 out of 5 stars and a 36% "definite recommend". [16]

Rolling Stone 's David Fear wrote, "Matthew McConaughey goes full 'just keep livin'' in this insane ode to fear, loathing and the art of the permanent happy hour." [19] Critic Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com noted "the shaggy dog nature of this film, one that mimics its protagonist's neverending belief that everything is just gonna be all right, all right becomes almost transcendent... The Beach Bum works by never losing its tonal statement that all that really matters is what matters to you...man." [20] A. A. Dowd of The A.V. Club gave the film a B−, noting how, "there's little plot and even less in the way of conflict... There's a collage quality to Korine's filmmaking—a sense that he's always just collecting moments, cobbling together scenes from the endless supply of improvised festivity that presumably erupted on set". [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snoop Dogg</span> American rapper and actor (born 1971)

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., known professionally as Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper and actor. His initial fame dates back to 1992 after guest appearing on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, "Deep Cover", and then on Dre's debut album, The Chronic, the same year. Broadus has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide. His accolades include an American Music Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and 17 nominations at the Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren G</span> American rapper and producer

Warren Griffin III is an American rapper, DJ, and producer known for his role in West Coast rap's 1990s ascent. A pioneer of G-funk, he attained mainstream success with the 1994 single "Regulate", a duet with Nate Dogg. He significantly helped Snoop Dogg's career during the latter's beginnings, also introducing him to Dr. Dre, who later signed Snoop Dogg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harmony Korine</span> American film director and screenwriter

Harmony Korine is an American filmmaker, actor, photographer, artist, and author. His methods feature an erratic, loose and transgressive aesthetic, exploring taboo themes and incorporating experimental techniques, and works with art, music, fashion and advertising.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassian Elwes</span> British film producer and talent agent

Cassian Cary Elwes is a British independent film producer and talent agent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zac Efron</span> American actor (born 1987)

Zachary David Alexander Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence as a teen idol for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the High School Musical trilogy (2006–2008). During this time, he also starred in the musical film Hairspray (2007) and the comedy film 17 Again (2009).

<i>Fight Harm</i> American film

Fight Harm is an abandoned project by Harmony Korine filmed in 1999. The premise was to verbally provoke passers-by into a fight. The rules were Korine couldn't throw the first punch and the person confronted had to be bigger than Korine. To Korine, Fight Harm was high-comedy reminiscent of Buster Keaton. "I wanted to push humour to extreme limits to demonstrate that there's a tragic component in everything." Filmed in New York, the project was abandoned following the injuries and arrests Korine faced while shooting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew McConaughey</span> American actor (born 1969)

Matthew David McConaughey is an American actor. He had his breakout role with a supporting performance in the coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused (1993). After a number of supporting roles, his first success as a leading man came in the legal drama A Time to Kill (1996). His career progressed with lead roles in the science fiction film Contact (1997), the historical drama Amistad (1997), and the war film U-571 (2000).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young, Wild & Free</span> 2011 single by Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa featuring Bruno Mars

"Young, Wild & Free" is a song by American rappers Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa featuring American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released on October 11, 2011, by Atlantic Records as the lead single from the soundtrack of the film, Mac & Devin Go to High School, in which the rappers star in. The track was written by Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Brody Brown, Snoop Dogg, and Wiz Khalifa. The track samples two other songs, "Toot It & Boot It" (2010) and "Sneakin' in the Back" (1974), songwriting credits were added for a total of seventeen. Produced by the Smeezingtons during a freestyle studio session and never meant to be heard; Aaron Bay-Shuck considered it a potential hit and asked the trio to finish it. After the song was finished, Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa were added.

<i>Spring Breakers</i> 2012 film directed by Harmony Korine

Spring Breakers is a 2012 American comedy crime film written and directed by Harmony Korine and starring James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine, and Gucci Mane. Gomez, Hudgens, Benson and Korine portray four college-aged girls who go on spring break in St. Petersburg, Florida and meet an eccentric local drug dealer (Franco) who helps them in a time of desperation, and their eventual descent into a world of drugs, crime, and violence.

<i>Doggumentary</i> 2011 studio album by Snoop Dogg

Doggumentary is the eleventh studio album by American West Coast hip hop recording artist Snoop Dogg. It was released on March 29, 2011 on the Priority Records record label. The album was produced by Battlecat, The Cataracs, Gorillaz, David Banner, THX, DJ Khalil, Fredwreck, Jake One, David Guetta, Mike Dean, Jeff Bhasker, Lex Luger, Meech Wells, Mr. Porter, Rick Rock, Rick Rude, Scoop DeVille, Scott Storch, Warryn Campbell, Kanye West, DJ Reflex, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Korine</span> American actress

Rachel Korine is an American former actress. Married to director Harmony Korine, she is best known for starring as Cotty in his 2013 crime film Spring Breakers as well as Betsy in Men Go to Battle (2015), and Junia in The Knick (2014–2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew McConaughey filmography</span>

Matthew McConaughey is an American actor who made his breakthrough by starring in the Richard Linklater-directed coming of age comedy Dazed and Confused in 1993. His first lead role was in the 1996 film adaptation of the John Grisham novel A Time to Kill. The following year, McConaughey played the lawyer Roger Sherman Baldwin opposite Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins in the Steven Spielberg-directed historical drama Amistad, and also starred opposite Jodie Foster in the Robert Zemeckis-directed science fiction drama Contact. In 1998, he appeared in the Linklater-directed comedy-drama The Newton Boys. During the 2000s, McConaughey was typecast as a romantic comedy lead in the films The Wedding Planner (2001), How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003), Failure to Launch (2006), and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009).

Beatrice Marie De Alba is an Academy Award winning Mexican-American hair stylist and make-up artist.

<i>Baywatch</i> (film) 2017 film by Seth Gordon

Baywatch is a 2017 American action comedy film directed by Seth Gordon, with a screenplay by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, from a story by Jay Scherick, David Ronn, Thomas Lennon, and Robert Ben Garant. It is based on the television series created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bonann and takes place within the same fictional universe. The film stars Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. The story follows lifeguard Mitch Buchannon and his team who must take down a drug lord in an effort to save their beach.

<i>Dirty Grandpa</i> 2016 film by Dan Mazer

Dirty Grandpa is a 2016 American buddy sports romantic sex comedy film about a lawyer who drives his grandfather to Florida during spring break. The film was directed by Dan Mazer and written by John Phillips. It stars Robert De Niro and Zac Efron in the leading roles, with Aubrey Plaza, Zoey Deutch, Julianne Hough and Dermot Mulroney in supporting roles. It was filmed on location in Atlanta from January 19 to May 9, 2015.

<i>Dumbo</i> (2019 film) 2019 film by Tim Burton

Dumbo is a 2019 American fantasy period adventure film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay written by Ehren Kruger. It is a live-action adaptation and reimagining of Walt Disney's 1941 animated feature film of the same name, which is based on the novel by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, the film stars Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green and Alan Arkin, and follows a family that works at a failing traveling circus as they encounter a baby elephant with extremely large ears who is capable of flying.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merry Jane</span>

Merry Jane is a cannabis-focused digital media platform launched by rapper Snoop Dogg in 2015, with media entrepreneur Ted Chung. The site features editorial content on the business and politics of the cannabis industry, original video series as well as a database for identifying cannabis strains and dispensaries.

<i>Serenity</i> (2019 film) 2019 film directed by Steven Knight

Serenity is a 2019 American mystery thriller film written, produced and directed by Steven Knight. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Diane Lane, Jason Clarke, Djimon Hounsou, and Jeremy Strong, and follows a fishing boat captain who is approached by his ex-wife to murder her abusive new husband. First announced in January 2017, principal photography on the film began on Mauritius that July.

<i>Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile</i> 2019 film by Joe Berlinger

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is a 2019 American biographical true crime drama film about the life of serial killer Ted Bundy. Directed by Joe Berlinger with a screenplay from Michael Werwie, the film is based on Bundy's former girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall's memoir, The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy. The film stars Zac Efron as Bundy, Lily Collins as Kendall, Kaya Scodelario as Bundy's wife Carole Ann Boone, and John Malkovich as Edward Cowart, the presiding judge at Bundy's trial. The title of the film is a reference to Cowart's remarks on Bundy's murders while sentencing him to death.

<i>Firestarter</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by Keith Thomas

Firestarter is a 2022 American science fiction horror film directed by Keith Thomas, from a screenplay by Scott Teems, based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, and a remake of the 1984 film of the same name. The film stars Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes, and Gloria Reuben. It is produced by Jason Blum and Akiva Goldsman under their Blumhouse Productions and Weed Road Pictures banners, respectively, alongside BoulderLight Pictures and Night Platform.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "The Beach Bum (2019)". The Numbers . Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  2. ↑ "The Beach Bum". South by Southwest . Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  3. ↑ "The Beach Bum (2019)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  4. ↑ Snowden, Heather (March 27, 2019). "Critics Are Divided on Harmony Korine's New Stoner Movie 'The Beach Bum'". South by Southwest . Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  5. ↑ "The Beach Bum is a biggest box office flop". Business Insider. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Baron, Zach (11 March 2019). ""Harmony Korine, Glorious Weirdo"". GQ .
  7. ↑ Sharf, Zack (December 15, 2017). "Zac Efron Joins Harmony Korine's 'The Beach Bum' Opposite Matthew McConaughey — Exclusive". Indiewire . Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  8. ↑ Kroll, Justin (October 27, 2017). "Isla Fisher to Co-Star With Matthew McConaughey in 'Beach Bum' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  9. ↑ Barraclough, Leo (February 7, 2017). "Matthew McConaughey to Star in Harmony Korine's 'The Beach Bum'". Variety . Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  10. ↑ Silvia, Erin. ""Zac Efron is sporting a bizarre beard for his latest role — and he looks unrecognizable"". Business Insider.
  11. ↑ Sharf, Zach (23 May 2018). "Snoop Dogg Switched Matthew McConaughey's Prop Weed for Real Weed on Harmony Korine's 'The Beach Bum'". IndieWire.
  12. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 17, 2017). "Neon & Vice Land Matthew McConaughey-Harmony Korine Pic 'Beach Bum' – Cannes". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  13. ↑ Kilday, Gregg (January 16, 2019). "SXSW: Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey to Premiere New Work". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  14. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (September 7, 2018). "'The Beach Bum' Red Band Trailer: Matthew McConaughey Livin' It Up As Moondog In Harmony Korine's Comedy". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  15. ↑ Anthony D'Alessandro; Nancy Tartaglione (March 26, 2019). "'Dumbo' Will Be Global Big Top Attraction With $137M+ Footprint". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  16. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 31, 2019). "'Dumbo' Hovers Low With $46M+ But Hopes On Matinees; Matthew McConaughey Hits Bottom With $1.7M 'Beach Bum'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 31, 2019.
  17. ↑ "The Beach Bum (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  18. ↑ "The Beach Bum Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  19. ↑ Fear, David (March 21, 2019). "SXSW 2019: The Beach Bum and Harmony Korine's Anarchy in the USA". Rolling Stone . Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  20. ↑ Tallerico, Brian (March 10, 2019). "The Beach Bum review". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  21. ↑ Dowd, A. A. (March 27, 2019). "Matthew McConaughey Gets in Touch with His Inner Beach Bum in a Crazed Comedy of Carefree Living". The A.V. Club . Retrieved March 27, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.