Review of Vamsha Vriksha (1971) by Panta O — 31 Dec 2011

This film reminded me on my high-school days when we were looking for crazy and shallow movies with lots of funny situations in impossible surrounding... and they will still remind us on someone while raising a middle finger to all the "traditional values" which everyone is preaching...

The dysfunctional Burnett family - Bunnie, Jack and their twin 17 year olds Eric and Kelly - were perfect set up for that type of movies... especially when a freak accident leaves Bunnie with a case of amnesia! There are all kinds of twists in this comedy in which Burnetts get an unexpected second chance at happiness. We have a slew of past relationships, kids with guns, a suicidal lesbian teacher, a very zealous gun loving preacher, misinterpreted advances, corporate down-sizing, and one fateful squirrel... they together create enough mayhem to test the resolve, sanity and future of any family, and make you laugh - at least a little bit!

Cast includes Hope Davis (Bunnie Burnett), Dermot Mulroney (Jack Burnett), Max Thieriot (Eric Burnett), Britt Robertson (Kelly Burnett), Chi McBride (Simon Krebs), Evan Ross (Josh Krebs), Keith Carradine (Reverend Diggs), Madeline Zima (Mitzy Steinbacher) but most of the time they could not show what are they capable of under the director Vivi Friedman's leadership.