Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

MarieGabrielle It seems this film was created with a certain assumption, and demographic in mind. As a person who has moved to the area (temporarily) I can only say- watch "I Walk the Line" instead.This film is a fraud. Producers have no story, so create a ragamuffin who is abused. I do like Dominique Swain, but this film is awful. No performance could transcend the dearth of material. I am only being honest. If you are really interested in decent acting, rural settings, and the theme of unrequited love, there are so many more choices.Seriously, if cinema has fallen this low that American audiences are expected to sympathize with a trashy, undeveloped and practically non-existent theme; then we may as well never pay money to see any drama offered to the American public. This is unadulterated trash, and any audience deserves better. One star for Swain.

Robin Cook My heavens, why such a low star score!! This was a very well done movie in all aspects of theater, given the storyline plot is one commonly hackneyed. This movie isn't in the Cat On A Hot Tin Roof notch, but it sure did play a close second in the intensity department! This wasn't of the style of Billy Bob Thornton in Chrystal or Redford in Gatsby, but you got the hillbilly gal semi-tushing her way into the wishful richer world and get out of her backwoods living. The direction, casting, styles and acting were all topnotch and keeps you anticipating more unto the very end. I do get weary of movies using cornfields as inexpensive scenes in these types (and others) of movies (and it was a little whacked to see a Kansas type cornfield not far from a swamp), but it fit well in this movie for the short use they made of it with Officer Avon and Flowers characters ... it was ideal for that particular important scene and it set a motif for next scenes very well. Photography was done very well with good angles, and for once! a decent background music score. I do get weary of dueling banjos even though I really like it, but it wouldn't be suitable to have an association of Deliverance here. It was just all very well put together and the movie just flows.Too many movies have come across with backwood hicks being stupid or racists and other such stereotyping. This movie put more meat into the character developments with serious and calculated depth. Even tho the Inez character obviously had a hard streak about her, her manipulations were upfront and honest, with rational reasoning to stomp her steps through the movie. You can't help but like, admire and pity her and yet be accompanied by dismay (and minor frustration, but not annoyingly so) of her intellectual limitations to step out of her bad situation with a better solution. However, that doesn't happen in life and this movie albeit intense, was a refreshing straying from stereotyping of a battered and abused woman. I liken this movie to the level of the movie Tim, with Mel Gibson, whereby the characters are portrayed with specific complex and simplistic limitations/boundaries giving the audience the decision of forming their own separate opinion(s) of each characterization instead of the director "telling" you this-or-that is what you should be thinking.Would I watch this movie again? I probably wouldn't rent it again, but would watch it again, but would need to be mentally geared for another viewing. This was a rather deep movie to take the first time around, and is probably why others gave it a lower score. I would recommend watching it, but would say if you're more into less mental type movies, this would not be your cup of tea.

jotix100 Zev Berman, the director of "Plain Dirty", or "Briar Patch" as it's identified in these pages, takes a big chance in bringing this Deborah Pryor's screen play to the screen. First of all, this is a courageous piece of film making, and the characters in the film don't exactly endear themselves to the viewer. The film is a moody attempt to present us people that are living at the edge of society with basically no redeeming qualities to them, yet, we are hooked into watching the movie until the end, no small feat Zev Berman pulls on his viewers.We were attracted to the movie on the strength of its excellent cast. Henry Thomas is an actor that is always interesting to watch. As Edgar, he is the man obsessed with Inez, a woman he mistreats endlessly. Inez, played by Dominique Swan, makes a good contribution to the film as the girl who can't take any more of the beatings she receives from Edgar. It's clear, from the start, that Flowers is secretly in love with Inez, but being such a sorry sight, knows he can't compete with Dru, the rich guy who wants Inez for himself. Both Artie Verveen and James Urbaniak are right on the money about how they play their characters. Also, Debra Monk, who is seen as the police officer Avon is, as always, excellent.The film sort of hypnotizes the viewer with the cinematography of Scott Kevan and the haunting score by Nathan Barr. While it's clear that this is a not a film for a lot of people, as demonstrated by the many negative comments to this forum, the least one can do is watch it with some degree of respect because the tremendous job by Zev Berman has accomplished with this movie.

samiyam Arie Verveen seems so filthy and stupid when the film begins and the sets and settings of the movie show such filth and unpleasant sights that the viewers begin to be disgusted. Watching the movie, I felt as if I was afraid to touch any surface and I felt that I needed a scrub-brush or a hose. These feelings, however, shouldn't allow the viewer to see that the movie is a fantastic psychological thriller under the surface. Arie Verveen, evoking the ghost of Brando, delves deeply into the character of his part to show how you never know what's what or who someone truly is until you get beyond the skin. Strong performances by Dominique Swain as the childlike bride, Henry Thomas as the brutal husband Edgar and Karen Allen as the modern-day witchwoman down the lane add depth to an already deep pond. An interesting viewing, I'm looking forward to more from Deborah Pryor, who provided a very well-made story.