Leaves of Grass may be the best movie that I have seen out of the 2009 crop to date. On the surface, it is very similar in style to the Coen brothers in that it features average characters who find themselves in dangerous situations which force them to confront their morals, bizarre supporting characters, and black humour including scenes of absurd violence but it is more than that. Tim Blake Nelson wrote an excellent screenplay and directed the film admirably.
Edward Norton plays both feature roles, a professor of classical philosophy in Rhode Island and his twin brother who grows marijuana in Oklahoma. Norton was very focused during filming and is comfortable with the challenge of performing a scene with himself. His mannerisms as the conservative Bill Kincaid are humourous and elicited many laughs from the audience.
The film is entitled Leaves of Grass because of the Walt Whitman book of poetry and slang term for marijuana. Brady Kincaid owns a massive grow-op in a small town named Little Dixie and his solution to his equally massive debt is to trick his brother to come visit him, under the pretense that he had been murdered by a crossbow arrow. When Bill comes home, he realizes that he has been duped but agrees to stay for the weekend in order to see his mother one last time.
Bill also meets Janet, a local high school teacher and poet. It is fitting that he favourite poet is Whitman, whose style she emulated with her poetry. The modern poet who broke convention is the one who convinces the classical thinker to change his philosophy on life. Gradually, throughout the movie, Bill becomes more tolerant of his family and hometown.
Hilarious cameos help make the movie. Richard Dreyfuss plays a villain who is admired by the Jewish community for his charitable donations but a brutal drug lord behind the scenes and Josh Pais portrays a neurotic, spastic orthodontist. Based on the reaction of the audience, Leaves of Grass is a worthy contender for the People’s Choice award at T.I.F.F. this year. ****