Outside Providence (film)
Encyclopedia
Outside Providence is a 1999 American film adaptation
of Peter Farrelly
's 1988 novel of the same name
. Like the book, the film is a fictionalized account of Farrelly's own experiences at Kent School
, a prep school
in Kent, Connecticut
.
), is a high school senior living in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
, in 1974. He hangs out with a group of friends, mainly to smoke marijuana at the water tower overlooking town. His friend, Drugs Delaney (Jon Abrahams
), suggests going out to a local bar called "The Edge,", which a sexually promiscuous classmate known as Bunny Cote is known to frequent.
Accepting the idea, Dunph and his friends head back to his house to pick up his bong
. Dunph tries to get his wheelchair-using younger brother, Jackie (Tommy Bone), to smuggle it out of the house, but they are slowed down by Dunph's father Pat (Alec Baldwin
), who insists that they all come inside and greet his poker-playing friends. While they are exchanging pleasantries, Jackie shows up with the bong wrapped in Dunph's jacket. The bong falls on the floor, and Pat picks it up asking what it is. Jackie tries to fool him by saying it is a horn..."a music horn". Pat's friend, Joey (George Wendt
), asks Dunph to demonstrate his playing abilities. Dunph tries, but blows air, and Pat, having heard enough, lets them leave. Pat's friends all know what the device is, but choose not to inform on Dunph and his friends.
After "The Edge", Dunph and his friends get into a car (with him at the wheel) and drive off, with a big cloud of marijuana smoke fogging up the passenger compartment. Unable to see where he is going, Dunph rear-ends the back of a marked police car, with its occupant inside. Kaveech, one of Pat's poker-playing friends, has influence with a local judge, and manages to negotiate a plea to keep Dunph out of reform school. He is shipped off to Cornwall Academy, a Connecticut boys' boarding school with a segregated all-girls' school nearby under the same name. As a condition of parole, Dunph must finish his senior year and graduate from Cornwall, or spend a year in jail. Though Dunph makes a sincere effort to stay out of trouble, it quickly catches up with him. The first incident is when Jack Wheeler (Gabriel Mann), a preppy blonde student who comes from an obviously privileged life, introduces Dunph to Billy Fu, a middle eastern exchange student with "the best reefer on campus". The trio fashions a bong out of a 55-gallon drum hidden in a large bush, and smokes about half a bag of marijuana. Dunph later learns that Billy Fu routinely misses classes and gets away with it, because his father promises to donate a large amount of money to the school, on condition that Billy graduates.
It does not take long for Dunphy to incur the wrath of Mr Funderburk (Timothy Crowe), his rigid dorm master, and Dean Bill Mort, who receives a letter simply addressed to the school, but meant for Dunph's eyes. The letter is from Drugs Delaney, revealing Dunph's hatred of the school and of Funderburk, who routinely assigns "work hours" to students who misbehave. Eventually, Dunph accumulates more work hours than he has class days. Dunph also manages to make friends with Jane Weston (Amy Smart
), whom Wheeler calls "hands down, the coolest girl in school". The pair eventually develop their relationship from friendship to romance, but the relationship is brought to a screeching halt one day. This is the second part of an earlier incident when Dunph's room, shared by a boy named Irving (nicknamed Jizz by his classmates due to a masturbation-related prank), is raided by Funderburk. Wheeler's room is also raided.
The incident bringing Dunph's and Jane's relationship to a stop occurs when Dunph, Jane, Billy Fu, Jizz and Wheeler are in Dunph's room smoking marijuana with a bottle of alcohol present. Wheeler excuses himself to make a phone call. Moments later, Funderburk bursts into the room, catching everyone in the act of getting high and drunk. Funderburk orders Jane out of the room just as Wheeler shows up, innocently saying he was checking to see if anyone was studying. Funderburk orders him out as well. In the midst of a morality lecture on how he intends to turn everyone in as an incentive for them not to repeat such an incident in the future, Dunph stops Funderburk in mid-sentence, telling him to "shut the fuck up". Funderburk calls Dunph outside. Dunph reveals his knowledge of the deal with Billy Fu's father, and if Funderburk reports everyone but Billy, Dunph will in turn, report Billy. Funderburk counters by producing the marijuana he confiscated in the earlier raid. Dunph offers Funderburk a deal, he will let himself be expelled if everyone else gets work hours. Funderburk accepts.
When the boys are called to the Dean's office, they are surprised to learn that the only punishment was probation and work hours. Dunph eventually puts everything together and learns why: Funderburk gave him an even worse deal than they had worked out by having had Jane expelled from the school. Funderburk's actions also reversed her acceptance to Brown University the following year. Not long after, Dunph learns that Wheeler is accepted into Yale University by a letter of recommendation from Funderburk. Knowing that Wheeler was caught with marijuana during the first raid, Dunph concludes that Wheeler made his own deal with Funderburk to inform on everyone and have Jane expelled. Wheeler denies it, and Dunph threatens to throw Wheeler off the roof, where they are smoking marijuana one evening and Dunph reveals his knowledge of the situation. "Your life's gonna suck anyway," Dunph says to a visibly defeated and weak Wheeler. Dunph later makes his way into the Dean's office at Brown University, where he tells the Dean that he was the one responsible for Jane's expulsion from Cornwall, and that she was innocent of any wrongdoing. He convinces the Dean of Jane's innocence, which the Dean uses to influence the review board to overturn their decision to revoke Jane's admission.
The movie ends with Dunph graduating and even publicly defying Funderburk by refusing to shake his hand as customary at graduation, with his father and Jackie coming to school to pick him up. Dunph is given an acceptance letter from Rhode Island Junior College by his father. Dunph also reveals his intention to transfer to a "senior college...where people sleep over and shit."
, with interior scenes filmed in the Cranston Street Armory
in the west end of Providence.
The Brother Adelard Ice Hockey Arena at Mount Saint Charles Academy
was used for a brief scene.
Rotten Tomatoes
gives the film a score of 50% based on 74 reviews.
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of Peter Farrelly
Peter Farrelly
Peter John Farrelly is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and novelist. The Farrelly Brothers are mostly famous for directing and producing gross-out humor romantic comedy films such as, Dumb and Dumber, Me, Myself and Irene, There's Something About Mary and The Heartbreak...
's 1988 novel of the same name
Outside Providence
Outside Providence is an English language novel by writer, producer, and director Peter Farrelly, published in 1988.-Plot summary:Largely an autobiographical tale, the novel revolves around Timothy "Dildo" Dunphy, a ne'er-do-well from the city of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, which borders Providence...
. Like the book, the film is a fictionalized account of Farrelly's own experiences at Kent School
Kent School
Kent School is a private, co-educational college preparatory school in Kent, Connecticut, USA. The Reverend Frederick Herbert Sill, Order of the Holy Cross, established the school in 1906 and it retains its affiliation with the Episcopal Church of the United States.Students at Kent come from more...
, a prep school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
in Kent, Connecticut
Kent, Connecticut
Kent is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, alongside the border with New York. The population was 2,858 at the 2000 census. The town is home to three New England boarding schools: South Kent School, Kent School and The Marvelwood School. The Schaghticoke Indian Reservation is also located...
.
Plot
Timothy "Dildo/Dunph" Dunphy (Shawn HatosyShawn Hatosy
Shawn Wayne Hatosy is an actor with over 40 film and television credits to his name.-Personal life:Hatosy was born in Frederick, Maryland, the son of Carol , a loan officer, and Wayne Hatosy, a graphic designer and event planning director...
), is a high school senior living in Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...
, in 1974. He hangs out with a group of friends, mainly to smoke marijuana at the water tower overlooking town. His friend, Drugs Delaney (Jon Abrahams
Jon Abrahams
Jon Avery Abrahams is an American film and television actor.-Life and career:Abrahams attended Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn....
), suggests going out to a local bar called "The Edge,", which a sexually promiscuous classmate known as Bunny Cote is known to frequent.
Accepting the idea, Dunph and his friends head back to his house to pick up his bong
Bong
A bong is a filtration device/apparatus generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco,or other herbal substances.In construction and function a bong is similar to a hookah, except smaller and more portable...
. Dunph tries to get his wheelchair-using younger brother, Jackie (Tommy Bone), to smuggle it out of the house, but they are slowed down by Dunph's father Pat (Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
), who insists that they all come inside and greet his poker-playing friends. While they are exchanging pleasantries, Jackie shows up with the bong wrapped in Dunph's jacket. The bong falls on the floor, and Pat picks it up asking what it is. Jackie tries to fool him by saying it is a horn..."a music horn". Pat's friend, Joey (George Wendt
George Wendt
George Robert Wendt III is an American actor, best known for the roles of Norm Peterson and Tug Clarke on the television shows Cheers and Modern Men.-Early life:...
), asks Dunph to demonstrate his playing abilities. Dunph tries, but blows air, and Pat, having heard enough, lets them leave. Pat's friends all know what the device is, but choose not to inform on Dunph and his friends.
After "The Edge", Dunph and his friends get into a car (with him at the wheel) and drive off, with a big cloud of marijuana smoke fogging up the passenger compartment. Unable to see where he is going, Dunph rear-ends the back of a marked police car, with its occupant inside. Kaveech, one of Pat's poker-playing friends, has influence with a local judge, and manages to negotiate a plea to keep Dunph out of reform school. He is shipped off to Cornwall Academy, a Connecticut boys' boarding school with a segregated all-girls' school nearby under the same name. As a condition of parole, Dunph must finish his senior year and graduate from Cornwall, or spend a year in jail. Though Dunph makes a sincere effort to stay out of trouble, it quickly catches up with him. The first incident is when Jack Wheeler (Gabriel Mann), a preppy blonde student who comes from an obviously privileged life, introduces Dunph to Billy Fu, a middle eastern exchange student with "the best reefer on campus". The trio fashions a bong out of a 55-gallon drum hidden in a large bush, and smokes about half a bag of marijuana. Dunph later learns that Billy Fu routinely misses classes and gets away with it, because his father promises to donate a large amount of money to the school, on condition that Billy graduates.
It does not take long for Dunphy to incur the wrath of Mr Funderburk (Timothy Crowe), his rigid dorm master, and Dean Bill Mort, who receives a letter simply addressed to the school, but meant for Dunph's eyes. The letter is from Drugs Delaney, revealing Dunph's hatred of the school and of Funderburk, who routinely assigns "work hours" to students who misbehave. Eventually, Dunph accumulates more work hours than he has class days. Dunph also manages to make friends with Jane Weston (Amy Smart
Amy Smart
Amy Lysle Smart is an American television and film actress and former fashion model.-Early life:Smart was born in Topanga, California. Her mother, Judy Lysle , worked at a museum, and her father, John Boden Smart, was a salesman...
), whom Wheeler calls "hands down, the coolest girl in school". The pair eventually develop their relationship from friendship to romance, but the relationship is brought to a screeching halt one day. This is the second part of an earlier incident when Dunph's room, shared by a boy named Irving (nicknamed Jizz by his classmates due to a masturbation-related prank), is raided by Funderburk. Wheeler's room is also raided.
The incident bringing Dunph's and Jane's relationship to a stop occurs when Dunph, Jane, Billy Fu, Jizz and Wheeler are in Dunph's room smoking marijuana with a bottle of alcohol present. Wheeler excuses himself to make a phone call. Moments later, Funderburk bursts into the room, catching everyone in the act of getting high and drunk. Funderburk orders Jane out of the room just as Wheeler shows up, innocently saying he was checking to see if anyone was studying. Funderburk orders him out as well. In the midst of a morality lecture on how he intends to turn everyone in as an incentive for them not to repeat such an incident in the future, Dunph stops Funderburk in mid-sentence, telling him to "shut the fuck up". Funderburk calls Dunph outside. Dunph reveals his knowledge of the deal with Billy Fu's father, and if Funderburk reports everyone but Billy, Dunph will in turn, report Billy. Funderburk counters by producing the marijuana he confiscated in the earlier raid. Dunph offers Funderburk a deal, he will let himself be expelled if everyone else gets work hours. Funderburk accepts.
When the boys are called to the Dean's office, they are surprised to learn that the only punishment was probation and work hours. Dunph eventually puts everything together and learns why: Funderburk gave him an even worse deal than they had worked out by having had Jane expelled from the school. Funderburk's actions also reversed her acceptance to Brown University the following year. Not long after, Dunph learns that Wheeler is accepted into Yale University by a letter of recommendation from Funderburk. Knowing that Wheeler was caught with marijuana during the first raid, Dunph concludes that Wheeler made his own deal with Funderburk to inform on everyone and have Jane expelled. Wheeler denies it, and Dunph threatens to throw Wheeler off the roof, where they are smoking marijuana one evening and Dunph reveals his knowledge of the situation. "Your life's gonna suck anyway," Dunph says to a visibly defeated and weak Wheeler. Dunph later makes his way into the Dean's office at Brown University, where he tells the Dean that he was the one responsible for Jane's expulsion from Cornwall, and that she was innocent of any wrongdoing. He convinces the Dean of Jane's innocence, which the Dean uses to influence the review board to overturn their decision to revoke Jane's admission.
The movie ends with Dunph graduating and even publicly defying Funderburk by refusing to shake his hand as customary at graduation, with his father and Jackie coming to school to pick him up. Dunph is given an acceptance letter from Rhode Island Junior College by his father. Dunph also reveals his intention to transfer to a "senior college...where people sleep over and shit."
Alternate ending
An alternate ending is found on the DVD, which has Dunph leaving the graduation ceremonies, meeting Jackie and Clopsy, their three-legged dog. Also showing up is Jane, whom Dunph shares a passionate kiss with, which annoys Funderburk, who wastes no time in rebuking both Dunph and Jane. Dunph responds by punching Funderburk, knocking him to the sidewalk.Cast
- Shawn HatosyShawn HatosyShawn Wayne Hatosy is an actor with over 40 film and television credits to his name.-Personal life:Hatosy was born in Frederick, Maryland, the son of Carol , a loan officer, and Wayne Hatosy, a graphic designer and event planning director...
as Timothy "Dildo/Dunph" Dunphy - Amy SmartAmy SmartAmy Lysle Smart is an American television and film actress and former fashion model.-Early life:Smart was born in Topanga, California. Her mother, Judy Lysle , worked at a museum, and her father, John Boden Smart, was a salesman...
as Jane Weston - Alec BaldwinAlec BaldwinAlexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
as Old Man Dunphy - Jon AbrahamsJon AbrahamsJon Avery Abrahams is an American film and television actor.-Life and career:Abrahams attended Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn....
as Drugs Delaney - Jonathan BrandisJonathan BrandisJonathan Gregory Brandis was an American actor, director, and screenwriter.-Early life and career:Brandis was born in Danbury, Connecticut, the only child of Mary, a teacher and personal manager, and Gregory Brandis, a food distributor and firefighter. He began his career as a child model and...
as Mousy - Adam LaVorgnaAdam LaVorgna-Early life:LaVorgna was born near New Haven in North Branford, Connecticut. Raised with his three siblings in North Branford, LaVorgna has been appearing on television and film since the early age of three when he first appeared on the daytime series As the World Turns.Other television work...
as Tommy the Wire - Jesse LeachJesse LeachJesse David Leach is an American musician from Providence, Rhode Island, and is best known as being the former lead vocalist of Killswitch Engage and later for being the vocalist for the blues rock band Seemless...
as Decenz - Gabriel MannGabriel Mann (actor)Gabriel Mann is an American actor and former fashion model, currently starring as Nolan Ross on the ABC drama series Revenge.-Life and career:...
as Jack Wheeler - Jack Ferver as Irving "JizzSemenSemen is an organic fluid, also known as seminal fluid, that may contain spermatozoa. It is secreted by the gonads and other sexual organs of male or hermaphroditic animals and can fertilize female ova...
" Waltham - Richard JenkinsRichard JenkinsRichard Dale Jenkins is an American stage, film, and television actor. After beginning his career in theatre, Jenkins made his film debut in 1974, and appeared in supporting roles in numerous film productions in the 1980s and the 1990s. His breakthrough came in the 2000s for playing the deceased...
as Barney - Mike CerroneMike CerroneMike Cerrone is an American actor and screenwriter from Rhode Island. He has frequently worked with the Farrelly Brothers.Cerrone's brother Steve Cerrone is Mike's writing partner and known to be the funny member of the family...
as Cavwich - George WendtGeorge WendtGeorge Robert Wendt III is an American actor, best known for the roles of Norm Peterson and Tug Clarke on the television shows Cheers and Modern Men.-Early life:...
as Joey - Eric BrownEric Brown (actor)Eric Brown, , is an American film and TV actor of the 1980s.Brown is best known for his role as Phillip Fillmore in the coming of age motion picture Private Lessons and as Vinton "Buzz" Harper, Jr...
as English teacher
Production
The exterior prep school scenes were filmed at the University of Rhode IslandUniversity of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
, with interior scenes filmed in the Cranston Street Armory
Cranston Street Armory
The Cranston Street Armory is a historic building in Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1907 at a cost of $650,000.00, with the firm of M.J. Houlihan supervising its construction. The building was occupied by the Rhode Island National Guard from its opening until 1996...
in the west end of Providence.
The Brother Adelard Ice Hockey Arena at Mount Saint Charles Academy
Mount Saint Charles Academy
Mount Saint Charles Academy is a private Catholic junior/senior high school located in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence. -History:...
was used for a brief scene.
- A special premiere was held in Warwick, Rhode IslandWarwick, Rhode IslandWarwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
, a few weeks before the film's release.
Reception
The film was budgeted an estimated $7 million, with revenues of $7.3 million within a month after the film's release.Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gives the film a score of 50% based on 74 reviews.