Review of God Bless America (2012) by Art S — 10 Jul 2014

There's a fine line between good taste and bad taste - and naturally director Bobcat Goldthwait cheerfully crosses it with this film about two people fed up with American culture who decide to kill annoying celebrities and right-wing commentators.

Of course, there are so many easy targets (Fox News, Reality Show Stars, Westboro Baptist Church Idiots, American Idol Judges) and the script takes a lot pleasure in ripping into them (with some wicked monologues).

Many of these people/groups are just so mean-spirited and rude and wrong and stupid that Goldthwait knows that the audience will get on board with the fantasy of destroying them. However, the movie does run out of steam, and although good-natured in many ways (!), it is still a bit of a bloody mess at times.

Let's face it -- it is weird to try to meld Bonnie & Clyde, Natural Born Killers, etc. with something more prosocial. Yet it may make sense as those on the left side of politics increasingly find themselves harbouring not only their usual good will toward all (particularly the stigmatized and downtrodden) but a growing impatience and, yes, intolerance toward all of the jerks out there.