Alex is an art student in Venice, California on the fast track going nowhere. Envying his pals as they each discover their future paths, Alex finds his inspiration in the eccentric character, Gnome. Politically active Gnome is campaigning to liberate Hawaii from the domination of America. He is the perfect subject to carry Alex in to an industry that can make heroes of oddballs, the film business. Alex decides to chronicle Gnome's journey to the presidency. Political documentarian - how hard can that be? Against all odds, Gnome and Alex scrape together the money, a motley crew and filming is set to begin. All seems too perfect to be true. And it is. Undable to withstand the pressure of fame or a crack at the presidency, Gnome vanishes leaving Alex with only one shot of his film in the can. Devastated as his dream unravels, a frantic search revels that Gnome has gone forever, or so it seems. Encouraged by his paramour Maggie, Alex comes to terms with reality and manages to get an actual, if somewhat modest job, in the industry that he has learned to love - the film business.
THE SIZE OF WATERMELONS/USA, 1996, 92 MIN
DIRECTED BY KARI SKOGLAND
Where does a loser go when he doesn't know what to do with his life? For Alex, the answer is art school. He seeks direction and a life worth waking up for. Instead, he finds an alcoholic stupor and three eccentric classmates - Lizzie, a rampaging red head with mood swings as terrifying as they are seductive; Patrick, a wannabe rock star with ever-changing hair; and Gnome (Donal Logue, Jerry McGuire ), a local anarchist battling to liberate Hawaii from America's evil grip. Life improves but not the way Alex intended. Depressed and drifting, Alex locks onto a plan - he will chronicle Gnome's rise to power with a political documentary. Against all odds and their own ignorance, Alex and Gnome raise money, enlist a van full of film students and prepare to start shooting. Alex even finds the girl of his dreams (Ione Skye, Say Anything). But there are few details Alex didn't count on . . . Blessed with a rocking soundtrack, excellent acting and a tight script, The Size of Watermelons is filled with hilarious ironies. Its throwaway lines are funnier than most Hollywood scripts. And it flies by fast, so pay close attention for maximum enjoyment.
Alex knew he was different. Desperate to fit in somewhere he moves to Venice, California - a Mecca for misfits, determined that this is where he will finally make it. Featuring Ione Skye and Donovan Leitch. This is the director's first feature film. A moving drama about teenage Phil and his three friends who live in the town of Stevenage, Hertfordshire - a town that was specially built in the 1950's and 1960's to re-house the poor from England's inner cities. The hopes of a better life do not materialise for the citizens of Stevenage, and Phil struggles to escape, aided by his spirited Irish cousin. This film is the director's first full-length feature.
Liberty 9:15pm 7 May, Little 5:00pm 4 May
Out of the burbs to Venice, California... The Size of Watermelons follows the comic misadventures of Alex, a somewhat less-than-ambitious art student. His world begins to open with a widening circle of friends that includes Lizzie, a singer whose flaming red hair is no match for her mood swings, and Patrick, a rock singer who reinvents himself so often he probably forgot his real hair color long ago.
Envying his pals as they each discover their future paths, Alex finds inspiration in his eccentric friend, Gnome. In a political battle waged from the seat of his Pacific Rim empire, a Venice Beach comic-book kiosk, Gnome is campaigning to liberate Hawaii from the domination of America. He is the perfect subject to carry Alex into an industry that makes heroes out of odd-ballsÐthe film business.
Alex decides to become a filmmaker and chronicle Gnome's journey to the presidency. Political documentarianÐhow hard can it be? Isn't success born of a dream? Alex is not prepared for the rollercoaster ride that will take him from the bed of a beautiful woman to Las Vegas in a van full of (ugh) film students. Yet, against all odds, Gnome and Alex scrape together the money, a motley crew and filming is set to begin. Even Adam West gets in the act. It all seems too perfect to be true. And it is.
Out of the burbs to Venice, California...The Size of Watermelons follows the comic misadventures of Alex, a somewhat less-than-ambitious art student. His world begins to open with a widening circle of friends that includes Lizzie, a singer whose flaming red hair is no match for her mood swings, and Patrick, a rock singer who reinvents himself so often he probably forgot his true hair color long ago.
Envying his pals as they each discover their future paths, Alex finds his inspiration in his eccentric friend, Gnome. In a political battle waged from the seat of his Pacific Rim empire, a Venice Beach comic-book kiosk, Gnome is campaigning to liberate Hawaii from the domination of America. He is the perfect subject to carry Alex into an industry that makes heroes of odd-balls, the film business.
Alex decides to become a filmmaker and chronicle Gnome's journey to the presidency. Political documentarian - how hard can it be? Isn't every success born of a dream? Alex is not prepared for the rollercoaster ride that will take him from the bed of a beautiful woman to Las Vegas in a van full of film students. Yet, against all odds, Gnome and Alex scrape together the money, a motley crew and filming is set to begin. Even Adam West gets in the act. All seems too perfect to be true. And it is.
A former film editor and commercial director, KARI SKOGLAND has also directed two award-winning documentaries, as well as episodic TV series for MTV and Lifetime. She is currently finishing her second feature and is developing her third.
Kari Skogland has decided to go a different route by doing a movie called The Size Of Watermelons, and it's about college success while ignoring college.
The comedy, written by Rob Stefaniuk, is cheeky, sarcastic, caustic, superior in a subversive kind of way, and generally ragged in almost every way.
For all its eccentricities, the picture is also politely even-handed, which isn't much of a surprise since director Skogland -- from TV's Traders -- lived and breathed in the ever-changing but often moderate Canadian creative climate that is Toronto.
For our fast-times type, clueless, slacker misadventure, we must turn our attention not to Ryerson or OCA, but to a Venice Beach, Ca., art school. This is where intellectual and financial pursuit of happiness seems out of the question.
Pathetic apathetics incorporated include Alex (pretty boy Paul Rudd from Clueless), who still can't remember what he's looking for, while big lug Gnome (MTV's cab driver Donal Logue) gets lost in an alcoholic haze as an expression of his creative urge. Lizzie (Marissa Ribisi) is a festival of fringe, and an out-of-key rock singer.
The Donovan zone in Watermelons is brought to us by his acting kids -- Donovan Leitch as beatnik chameleon Patrick and Ione Skye, who tarts it up as Maggie, the slumming music video director.
The confederacy, led by Alex, focuses its lack of energy on making a documentary covering the political awareness of Gnome, which seems like a contradiction, and could be a non-starter since the cast and crew don't have the feeble funds to begin.
What we get in the meantime are some jokes, some situation comic lines, and some witty observations describing what it's like being less than you can be in the '90s.
This has nothing to do with a cameo by Adam TV-Batman West in a dream sequence.
Other than that, what Watermelons does well is make fun of film students.
Like lawyers, don't ya love when that happens?
Okay, so unlike most people in the US and Canada, I actually had a chance to see this movie in the theatre. It actually played for a week at the Cineplex Odeon Carlton Cinemas here in Toronto. I made plans to go watch it the first week it was on. Unfortunately, things happened which had higher priority, so I had to put it off. I finally had time to go watch it a week after it first played. I checked the listings and it had stopped its run at the Carlton! Another art film had replaced it. So, long story short (too late), I missed my chance. It seems like a really cool movie, and the local papers were pretty kind to it. It will be released on video in Canada on October 27, 1998, so keep an eye on your local video stores!
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