User reviews

"Your relationship is...inappropriate," one of Carolyn's sadly superficial sorority sisters says to her in the course of "Pumpkin", and that statement sums up this superbly uncategorizable exercise to perfection. Nothing about "Pumpkin" is appropriate, from the soundtrack choices (the music in the fight scene between Pumpkin and Kent in particular), the casting (it was a near-shock to see Dominique Swain with her clothes on through the ENTIRE FILM for openers), the story itself and the shamelessly ambiguous manner in which it's presented. It works, though, thanks to a supremely conflicted and tender performance from Christina Ricci and the simplicity, sensitivity and sincerity of Hank Harris' interpretation of the title character. Life isn't just one thing, it's all things all at one time sometimes. Just like this movie.

Surprisingly sweet dark comedy is really too sentimental at heart to be the edgy piece it was promoted as, and the curious final results show definite signs of indecisive filmmakers (two directors!) at the helm. A sorority princess living in a privileged bubble has her existence turned upside-down after forging a loving relationship with a mentally challenged young man, losing her friends in the process. The direction is erratic, and the tone of the film changes from scene to scene, yet it is certainly unpredictable and the cast is game. I don't know if the focus of the movie was changed midway, but the later sequences have a sweet nuance to them, as if a big softie suddenly took over to see this thing through to a happy ending. And then there's that final shot which, in keeping with the rest of the picture, is amusingly bizarre. **1/2 from ****

She's one of the best young actresses, always searching for projects she's interested in and not stuff designed to make her a star. Pumpkin is one of the most unusual films around...similar to "Heathers" in many ways....but still remains its own movie. Christina Ricci is fabulous in the role of a sorority girl who finds her humanity after falling in love with a mentally challenged boy. It's part satire, part black comedy, part romance...and it has received criticism for this. But I admire a film that explores different genres...and when they are as entertaining as Pumpkin that makes it all worthwhile.

"Pumpkin" slips mercurially through the genres ending up somewhere around black comedy with farcical overtones and biting undercurrents as it tells of a privileged, superficial sorority sister (Ricci) who "gets real" and falls for a mentally challenged man (Harris) while coaching him for a Special Olympics type event. The film boldly treads on thin ice, clumsily at times, as it tramples social constructs from decorum to morality while managing to maintain a marginally interesting storyline. Probably a real achievement given the experience of the auteur, "Pumpkin" will likely end up a love it or hate it flick of modest significance. Worth a look as a curiosity if nothing more. (B)

Webster's New World Dictionary defines the word ‘retarded' as: 'slow or delayed in development, esp mentally.'

The movie's setup is certainly different from the typical ‘boy meets girl' formula. We've all seen the ‘nerd gets girl' bit. Well, this time it's taken to the ‘next level' if you will. The plot revolves around a stereotypical ‘prom queen' type of sorority girl falling in love with a mentally (and physically) handicapped boy, and how everything she once held dear falls apart because of it.

This is the sort of project that Christina Ricci has made a career out of doing. Namely, dark comedies. She plays against type insofar as she's considered a rather ‘edgy' actress, yet her role in this flick is that of the ‘popular girl'. A role in which is has obvious fun lampooning.

The subject matter would make one think that this would be a conventional straight drama, but it isn't, which is perhaps what elevates it above what could be typical tearjerker schlock. The film never takes itself too seriously, there's always a bit of ‘winking' involved. Take for instance when Ricci's character tries to kill herself by overdosing on Night Quill and Pepto-Bismol-only to succeed in making herself sick to her stomach.

However, while satirical, it does make good points on how the general public view and think about the mentally handicapped. How beneath the platitudes and seeming self sacrifice, most people still view them as ‘unequal' to the rest of us-people to whom mouth service is given, but true acceptance of is never a genuine consideration.

The way everyone turns on Ricci's character (her friends, her boyfriend, her parents) when it's made clear her feelings for her ‘special friend'-it's very poignant and very real (if not also very farcical). And one supposes that it's because of that blatant bias of others that make her make out scenes with said ‘special friend' so satisfying. She not only accepts him, but accepts him as a woman accepts a man. One has to admit, there's something oddly esoteric about seeing her have an implied sex scene with a ‘retard'. It sort of warms the cockles of one's heart.

‘Off beat' is the best way to quantify this film. It toes the line between full-blown farce and full on drama. Satirical yet genuine. And this is coming from a guy that usually avoids these types of flicks like the Bubonic Plague!

Satires are not always comedies, just like comedies are not always satires. Examples: "Robocop", "District 9", "Starship Troopers", "Stepford Wives" ...these are all brilliant satires; yet they are not comedies.

I think it's misleading for Pumpkin to be advertised as a comedy. Sure, it's packed full of subtle humour, but like the films I mentioned above, its intent is probably not to make us laugh out loud. Its intent is to give us an offbeat look at society without taking itself too seriously. So if you go into this film expecting something "HYSTERICALLY FUNNY" (says the Washington Post), you might be disappointed.

Another caveat: this film is not about disabled people--not like, say, "Shine" or "My Left Foot". True, the plot is about a sorority girl who gets into an "inappropriate" relationship with a mentally challenged boy, but that's just a metaphor for what the film is really hitting us with. The film simply uses this metaphor to illustrate the screwed-up norms of human society. Pay attention early on to the speech Christina Ricci gives about how sororities & fraternities end up dividing us, labeling us and creating differences where none really exist. I believe that encapsulates what this film is trying to tell us about our world, and you'll realize it's a lot more than just a romantic comedy.

In order to fully appreciate this film, you CANNOT take anything at face value. Everything ...even the wooden acting or the melodramatic pill scene or the exploding car (lol)... is designed to be over-the-top, showing us a bizarre world and giving a little wink to the audience. Almost every scene will have you wondering if the filmmakers were being ironic, and that's the beauty of unravelling a film such as this. It's very subtle but well executed, almost like Hitchcock's brand of humour in Strangers on a Train which, similarly, pokes fun at the veneer of polite society hiding the screwed-uppedness beneath (in fact, "Pumpkin" has a tennis scene that's reminiscent of the tennis scene in the "Strangers").

I'm not sure if everyone will like Pumpkin but I sure did. If you're a fan of the 4 satires I mentioned in my 1st paragraph, I think you'll like it. If so, I highly recommend the Mexican film "Casi Divas" (2008) about a cut-throat talent competition, and the Spanish movie "El Crimen Ferpecto" (2004) about a man trapped in a department store overnight. Along with "Pumpkin", these are light-hearted gems that make us think hard about the human condition. Oh don't forget "Heathers" (1988) which fits right in with the bunch, though a bit on the darker side.

This is what happens when you make a movie without deciding what sort of movie you're making. Half of Pumpkin wants to be a an over-the-top, artificial satire like Heathers or But I'm a Cheerleader, and the other half wants to be a sweet movie of a shallow girl who grows from her experience with a mentally challenged boy. While it might be possible to make the film's premise work with either of these approaches, you can't use both of them. Scenes that are comedically exaggerated are followed by scenes of painful sincerity. Some actors appear to think they're in a satire while others think they're in a drama, so even individual scenes seem askew. The film probably would have worked best as pure satire, but one suspects the director thought the underlying issues were important and wanted to hammer them home dramatically. As a drama it fails because it makes no sense, Ricci's character isn't given anything convincing to react to; the situation is simply absurd. This is a classic example of failed direction.

Oddly enough, my girlfriend loved this.

As I watched the film "Pumpkin" recklessly and fearlessly go from somewhat absurd situation to complete and utter silliness, I got the sense that it was made with a sense of joy that few movies are made with these days. The fact that the film refuses to wink at the audience or play funny music during all the absurdity, makes it all the more impressive. Everything in this movie subverts itself - - in the big satiric moments, this is obvious (the car crash after which Kent's face is unscratched), but one must look closely at what seem to be serious or sentimental moments to realize that these are indeed hilarious and subversive moments as well (the romantic dialogue between Carolyn and Pumpkin is completely absurdist if you keep in mind Pumpkin's "problem.")

Indeed, most Americans are used to films cueing them as to when they are being serious and when they are being funny and audiences are trained to watch for this. Because "Pumpkin" doesn't do this, a lot of its humor probably goes over the heads of people not used to anything this "poker-faced" - - especially when done with such sweetness.

The reviews I've read try to condemn "Pumpkin" by pigeonholing it into one genre or another - - either the mean-spirited sharp satire of Todd Solondz or the over-the-top buffoonery of the Farrelly Brothers - - but "Pumpkin" is neither. Indeed, when you realize that "Pumpkin" fits in no box and, in effect, challenges our notion what a movie should be, you're set free and you begin to laugh at what is the funniest film I've seen in a long time.

1st watched 11/24/2005 - 7 out of 10(Dir-Adam Larson Broder & Tony R. Abrams): Mostly believable drama about a sorority girl(played by Christina Ricci) who goes out of her way to give special attention to a challenged(aka. mentally retarded) young man, falls in love with him and then faces the wrath of society for doing so. Ricci is wonderful as the confused girl who's been brought up thinking everything in life is wonderful until she meets Pumpkin, who's life is not altogether wonderful and she actually begins to feel the pain in her own life and the the pain that he's feeling. This movie starts out looking like a very corny comedy, but abruptly takes a serious note when Pumpkin, played by Hank Harris, comes onto the scene. The movie fights hard not to be too melodramatic and for the most part succeeds. Ricci's character, Carolyn, immediately starts having a dramatic effect on Pumpkin's social and physical abilities as he improves everyday in her presence and this is seen by those around her and jealousy and curiosity ensues. She begins to care for Pumpkin in a deep way and doesn't know how to handle this so, of course, she sees a shrink. He's not much help though and she's left to figure this all out by herself. The only annoying thing about this movie is it's many emotional twists&turns in direction, mainly coming from Carolyn's twists and turns in her own thinking, but this is bearable because of Ricci's appeal and the understanding that this character is being put through the wringer with her own emotions mainly because of her confused up-bringing and the reaction from people around her. A nice suttle tweak at the end gives us the impression that her confusion will continue, even though the viewers get to have their wanted happy ending. All in all, the weakness in this movie comes from the direction(being done by two individuals, maybe this was part of the problem) but the players, especially Ricci & Harris, rise above it to make a meaningful drama about societies confusion towards the challenged individual and the rift that is there between them and the rest of society.

Julie Thurber (Marisa Coughlan) intends to lead the Alpha Omega Pi sisters to win against the Tri Omegas by helping mentally challenged athletes for the regional Games. Carolyn McDuffy (Christina Ricci) and Jeanine Kryszinsky (Dominique Swain) disagree with the handicap work. The perky Carolyn is assigned Pumpkin Romanoff (Hank Harris). She finds him to be endearing while he's in love with her. She tries to set up a double-date with Cici Pinkus (Melissa McCarthy) but it goes horribly wrong. She falls in love with Pumpkin horrifying everybody.

Its wacky satire is somewhat funny. The over the top sorority girls get a few laughs. It is Christina Ricci's absolute commitment to this character that truly sells it. She's hilarious. The love affair isn't given much preparation. That's probably the biggest problem. It's written as a given. Also I wish Pumpkin is a deeper character. He's a bit too simplistic. Nevertheless this is funny little dark satire.

I rarely bother commenting on a movie I've rated as low as this one, but for the benefit of those who were as intrigued by the trailer as I was, here are my thoughts.

This film has nothing going for it beyond its star, Christina Ricci. The acting is terrible, the writing weak, and it says all it has to say in about half an hour. The last half of the movie is like watching somebody dying of cancer.

Christina Ricci plays a conceited sorority girl who reluctantly participates as a mentor for the developmentally disabled. Her charge is Pumpkin, a "retarded" young man who is partially confined to a wheelchair and dominated by an overbearing mother. Ricci is touched by Pumpkin's sensitivity, and he's in love with her.

There are a few funny scenes in the beginning of the film, and there are tender moments as the little rich girl breaks out of her social bonds, but the film never decides what it wants to be - comedy or social commentary. It tries to have it both ways, and fails miserably.

Don't waste your time.

I'm not sure if this movie goes way too far, or not far enough. A dark teenage comedy, Pumpkin tells of the story of the perfection obsessed sorority girl Carolyn McDuffy who falls for Pumpkin, a mentally challenged boy she meets when her sorority house agrees to coach some `special people.' The film forces the viewer to look inward and confront their own prejudices, but it does so in such a strange and weirdly paced way that it is hard to recommend Pumpkin, although I think it is an interesting movie. I wish someone like Lloyd Kaufman would have directed it, someone who would take the gloves off and go for the jugular in every scene and really give this material some bite. A movie like this will only work if the filmmaker goes in completely committed to the idea. As it is Pumpkin seems to teeter on the brink of outrageousness, but pulling back every time to stay on the PC side of the fence. It's a shame because this could have been a truly wonderful and subversive movie.

Pumpkin has lots of individually interesting elements and moments, but they feel a bit scattered rather than cohesive. The result of that undercuts the overall impact of the experience, making it feel also a bit long, as there were several moments I thought we'd reached a conclusion only to have it continue. It did ultimately keep me engaged. If you have a genuine interest in Pumpkin and dark comedy in general then it's worth checking out, otherwise maybe not.

As much as I LOVE Christina Ricci (my main reason for seeing this film), I was a bit disappointed in the film. Although it made me laugh in some places, I felt it was way too drawn out. The love they shared was touching, but the "drama" of the story, just left me feeling a bit limp. I was wanting this film to be as darkly funny as Election or Rushmore, but it never quite got there.

This movie has a completely absurd plot and features characters that are completely one-dimensional and not even remotely believable. If this was a comedy, that might not be a problem. Sadly, this movie just seems to take itself too seriously to come across as a parody. As a drama, it's about as well done as an Ed Wood feature, and as a comedy it just isn't funny; even the most unbelievable moments are presented dramatically and not comedically. The acting is god-awful; Christina Ricci's performance is like something you'd expect from someone performing at a small high school that had barely enough interested people to put on the show at all. I can't imagine any way of interpreting this movie as anything but a horrible failure that deserves to be confined to the dumpster of Mystery Science Theater 3000 fodder. I don't know if I could make a better movie, but I'd be hard pressed to make a worse one.

I can't believe that people can call this film "brilliant" with a straight face. "Daring" someone said? It boggles the mind.

I cannot think of a single redeeming feature for this film. The characters were unbelievable, the story insipid, the resolution trite and predicatable...amazing. It actually was so bad, I finally registered on imdb to leave comments. I couldn't keep quiet.

I've seen a lot of other comments from people that this movie was trying to make a statement. I've read comments that the movie was a brilliant dark comedy. I've heard people say it was a satire of the teen comedy genre...do you see a pattern? Neither do I. That's because this movie doesn't know WHAT it is trying to be! There are a few half hearted attempts at humor (which were far from funny) There were a few "touching moments" (which never worked in the slightest, since the characters were so one dimentional)

A perfect example is the love story between Carolyn and Pumpkin. First, she is digusted by him, then he SAYS HER NAME. The next scene, she is in love with him. Boom. Like that. Yeah, I can see that.

I'm so frustrated with this movie. Maybe that's what the director wanted. Maybe he wanted a reaction. I suppose, if that's the case, he's gotten what he wanted out of me. I just wish my disgust wasn't what he had been aiming for...

From being on here I've seemed to notice that people either love the movie or hate it. It seems about equal in the hate to love ratio. So if you want to watch you will be taking a jump and won't know if you like it or not until you've seen it. But for me, I am in the love section, so I would recommend everyone watches it at least once before judging it.

The movie centers around Carolyn (Christina Ricci), the beautiful, popular girl with the boyfriend all the other girls want. Everything is perfect for Carolyn, until her sorority decides to volunteer to help mentally challenged kids prepare for the Challenged Games so that they can win Sorority of the Year. Carolyn's partner is Pumpkin (Hank Harris), and while at first she is confused and scared of him, she soon finds out there is more to him deep down. A love interest in Pumpkin could make her looked down upon by everyone who surrounds her, and possibly ruin her perfect life.

A lot of people seem to like bashing the film, while others simply talk about how much they like it. Pumpkin is one of, if not, my favorite movie, so I would give it a 10/10 because it has everything I like; not because of the acting, filming, directing, etc. I'd recommend you to watch Pumpkin and decide how you feel about it.

I also find people think it is offending (haters) or sweet and touching (lovers). You can probably tell where I fit in. ;)

Pumpkin is a classic example of an irreverent, quirky, humorous film. Parts remind me of David Lynch, of the Cohen brothers, of Woody Allen. It's not perfect. Some scenes appear designed to elicit no more than groans. But...but...Pumpkin has its moments. It is at heart a sweet film that never forgets how cynical and superficial the world is. The principals do a wonderful job; Samuel Ball, in particular, is so over the top with his characterization of a collegiate jock/stud that when he occasionally expresses sensitivity or caring deeper than one stereotypically expects, it confuses and confounds. Christina Ricci continues her winning trend of nonconformist characters. Hank Harris is sweet as her mysteriously impaired love interest. All in all, it's a very pleasant film that will leave you chuckling and humming Gentle Waves' "Falling from Grace" well into tomorrow.

This movie takes a while to get used to. It's not exactly a conventional movie. I rented it because I like Christina Ricci and had heard that the movie was very good. In the end I'd say it was kind of cute but not a very special movie. Marisa Coughlan plays a sorority sister and has some funny scenes. I'd say rent it for cheap.