Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Micah Lloyd Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

Isbel A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

wes-connors After their drug-dealing boss is shot dead, three pot-smoking employees decide to continue growing and selling the marijuana. The all-star cast's main players are super-cool leader Billy Bob Thornton (as Jack Marsden), muscular ex-hippie Hank Azaria (as Carter) and photogenic young hunk Ryan Phillippe (as Harlan Dykstra). The three California men encounter danger, sexual partners and a bunch of cameo-appearing guest stars. Hanging around most often is attractive blonde Kelly Lynch (as Lucy). She likes well-built men..."Homegrown" is directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal. Not coincidently, a couple of cameos originate from the Gyllenhaal home. The director gets a fine crew, including photographer Greg Gardiner, to work with. It may look tousled, but Mr. Phillippe's hair is amazingly well-kept, for a stoner. Trouble with this film is you don't laugh at the comedy and aren't intrigued by the dramatic turns. Most likely, it's intended to be primarily a comedy. Having to look that up indicates a problem. The abduction sequence is the film's highlight.**** Homegrown (4/17/98) Stephen Gyllenhaal ~ Billy Bob Thornton, Hank Azaria, Ryan Phillippe, Kelly Lynch

Geoffreaux Three cannabis laborers in Northern California are taking care of business, when they witness the murder of their boss. They take their share of the profits and then retreat.After discovering that nobody has seemingly noticed, they go back to harvest the whole crop. Intending to sell their commodity, 'Jack' tries to impersonate their former boss. The scenery, and the attitudes seemed very real to me. I think that this is a very good drama. Although there were some funny parts, I would not describe this as a comedy. I would recommend this film to anyone, except hardcore "Drug Warriors".

roscopekoe Well, it's a weird movie. That Stephen Gyllenhaal seems to LIKE weirdness, really.The fact that the film is billed as a comedy should not be considered an indictment. A film is made because someone decided to try to share this particular story with you--NOT because he wanted to add another movie to some given drawer/shelf in a video rental store, nor because he wanted to make things easy for the marketing department.I know the film wasn't well-promoted, but looking at the movie itself, I think it's actually a pretty innovative piece of work.What really makes the film work is the ambiguity and (ok, I admit it) PARANOIA of it.If you've found yourself wondering what any particular scene adds to this movie, I fear you've fallen victim to lack of imagination. The characters never know "who knows what," and that is the single most essential premise of the movie. The film uses a far stronger perspective of first-person perspective than such bubble-gum fare as the Matrix. When the hapless dope-growers meet the first distributor they're looking to do business with, they don't know whether he's "in on everything." When BB Thornton talks to Sienna, he has no idea what SHE knows about the situation...and in fact, no matter how you choose to interpret that particular scene, you really ought to acknowledge that perhaps the "reality" (cinematically speaking) is the complete opposite of what you first thought when you watched it. Almost every meaningful dramatic scene in the film is completely ambiguous in possible interpretation. At least up until the climax.This is a film that truly does get better with repeated viewings, IF you have the patience for a movie that doesn't spell everything out for you. If you want a heavy musical score and a didactic moral "point," stick with Spielberg. He'll never disappoint. If you want to WONDER what the characters are really up to in a film, check this one out.The cast is terrific, the story is novel if not earthshaking, and the polish and presentation are first-rate. It has a few minor editorial flaws--I could've done without Lithgow's late appearance, or some of the "feel-good" moments laced into the script early on, but I certainly don't think someone else would have done a better job with the concept and script...unless Kubrick or Fassbinder were still alive.8.5 out of 10.

TheVid Actually, this oddball picture about California pot reapers in trouble is unpretentious and fascinating. Everyone in the cast are pros, and the screenplay has enough humor and intrigue to keep it refreshing. A good, late-night sampler.