Joe Dirt was a much better movie than I expected. I expected the movie to be one big joke at the expense of white trash, but instead, it was sort of like Forrest Gump.
At the beginning of the film, Joe Dirt (David Spade) was invited onto a radio show hosted by Dennis Miller playing the part of shock jock Zander Kelly. Kelly, who was short on material, wanted to make fun of Dirt on the air. Instead, Kelly got caught up in Dirt’s life story, and ended up inviting him back over multiple days to listen to the whole thing.
His story was simple: After his parents left an eight-year-old Joe Dirt at the Grand Canyon, he set out to find them. His search was made more difficult because he had no money and no car, and he couldn’t remember his family’s last name or home state.
Spade’s character is interesting—despite his hardships, Dirt is upbeat. He spouts aphorisms like "Life is a garden, dig it," and he keeps up his search for his parents no matter the obstacle.
Spade turns in a surprisingly good performance—it’s hard to believe that he plays a character with no sarcasm, but he manages. Another surprise is Kid Rock. Though his character doesn’t seem to be much of a stretch, it doesn’t seem like he’s trying to remember lines or reading off a cue card—he might have a future of being typecast into redneck/hick/white trash minor roles.
Look for Christopher Walken—the role was most likely written with him in mind, and it’s fun to watch.
All in all, this is a film well worth seeing, especially if you find yourself in a theater that doesn’t charge nearly $9 for a ticket.
