Scorched
Encyclopedia
Scorched is a 2002 independent
comedy film
starring Alicia Silverstone
, Rachael Leigh Cook
, Woody Harrelson
, and John Cleese
. The film was directed by Gavin Grazer
, brother of Academy Award-winning television and film producer Brian Grazer
. Scorched follows the story of several disgruntled bank employees who all try to rob the same bank on the same night without knowing that others are doing exactly the same thing.
The film had a very poor financial performance at the box office
. From the initial budget of US $
7 million, Scorched earned back only $8,000 at the end of its theatrical run. It was pulled from its theatrical run after just one weekend in the theaters where it managed to earn a meager $666 per theater.
at Desert Savings Bank in a small desert town. Her boyfriend is Rick Becker (Joshua Leonard
), the bank manager who was informed by his superiors that he would be fired if the bank's ATM
s were to be robbed just one more time. Sheila and Rick have spent several years together in their on-again off-again relationship, in which he uses her until something better comes along; after Sheila pays for most of Rick's education, he leaves her for his tutor. Sheila decides to exact revenge on Rick by robbing the bank and getting him fired.
On the same night, Stuart (Paulo Costanzo
) and Jason (Harrelson), two other tellers from the same bank, have also decided to rob the bank. Stuart's plan is to steal $250,000 from the bank and bet the entire amount on one game of roulette
in Las Vegas
. Stuart, who is desperate for excitement in his life, is doing this on the suggestion of his friend Max (David Krumholtz
) even though the intelligent Stuart is usually the one talking Max out of his hare-brained ideas and get-rich-quick scheme
s.
Jason is a nature lover who lives with an orphaned duck. He was promoted to assistant bank manager, a position with much more responsibility but only a $0.55 per hour raise. He feels the bank owes him for years of loyal and underpaid service and he decides to get even by robbing the safety deposit box of a mean-spirited local millionaire, Charles Merchant (Cleese). Merchant, who got rich from making infomercials and selling videotapes on how to get rich quickly on the real estate market, is the person that shot Jason's duck's mother, therefore making easier Jason's decision to rob Merchant's safety deposit box.
Jason is not the only one with a plan for revenge against the local tycoon. A disgruntled clothing store employee, Shmally (Cook), takes her revenge against Merchant the same night by having Carter (Marcus Thomas
) help her throw eggs at Merchant's home. Carter Doleman is Shmally's friend and roommate and the bank's newest employee. Due to his inability to dress well and his lack of ability to get a job on his own, Shmally agreed to help him. When Carter was called for an interview at the bank, Shmally gave Carter a make-over, dressed him up properly and coached him on how to pass the interview. Anxious and excited about starting his first day of work, hesitant Carter lets himself be dragged out of bed by Shmally so that he can help her egg Merchant's house.
as of December 11, 2008. Film critic Peter Bradshaw
of The Guardian
gave the film one star out of five and called Scorched "a bigger and more disagreeable waste of time than rolling an enormous ball of solid ordure up a steep hill" while Angus Wolfe Murray of Eye for Film, who awarded the film the same star-rating, called it an "unmitigated disaster" and concluded that "a car wreck has more style". Rich Cline of ShadowsontheWall.com admits that Scorched has a "superb cast" who are "gifted performers" but that the film is still a "leaden mess", that it's "completely pointless" and concludes that "while the film is watchable, not a single plot thread comes to life". Critic Matthew Leyland of online service BBCi gave the film two stars out of five, calling it a "tepid revenge farce
" with an "undercooked plot" and observing that "attempts at zany humour turn pear-shaped". Sean Axmaker of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
called the film "amusing but tepid", called the script "lazy" and ultimately concluded that, with only "vaguely likable characters", Scorched is "aggressively amiable and utterly unmemorable". Of the rare favourable reviews was the one by Duane Byrge of the The Hollywood Reporter
in which he called the storyline a "raucously satisfying triumph of good over evil" and "a truckload of laughs" while concluding that "this wonderfully wayward comedy should make off with a ton of dollars, euros and other comic currency".
until July 25, 2003. The film suffered major financial losses during its theatrical run, earning only $8,000 (approximately 0.1%) from a production budget of $7 million. Domestically, the film was only in release for three days starting on August 3, 2003 and it played in only twelve theaters averaging gross earnings of $666 per theater. The earnings for the opening weekend, which turned out to be the film's last weekend as well, ranked the film as the 380th film of 2003 by domestic gross earnings.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
starring Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone is an American actress, author, and former fashion model. She first came to widespread attention in music videos for Aerosmith, and is perhaps best known for her roles in Hollywood films such as Clueless and her portrayal of Batgirl in Batman & Robin .-Early life:Silverstone...
, Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook
Rachael Leigh Cook is an American actress, known for her role in the romantic comedy She's All That and her This is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement.-Early life:...
, Woody Harrelson
Woody Harrelson
Woodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
, and John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
. The film was directed by Gavin Grazer
Gavin Grazer
Gavin Grazer is an American film actor and director. Grazer is the brother of Academy Award-winning film producer Brian Grazer...
, brother of Academy Award-winning television and film producer Brian Grazer
Brian Grazer
Brian Thomas Grazer is an Academy Award-winning American film and television producer who co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. Together they have produced many acclaimed films, including Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind .- Career :Brian Grazer began his career as a producer...
. Scorched follows the story of several disgruntled bank employees who all try to rob the same bank on the same night without knowing that others are doing exactly the same thing.
The film had a very poor financial performance at the box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
. From the initial budget of US $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
7 million, Scorched earned back only $8,000 at the end of its theatrical run. It was pulled from its theatrical run after just one weekend in the theaters where it managed to earn a meager $666 per theater.
Plot
Sheila Rilo (Silverstone) is a bank tellerBank teller
A teller is an employee of a bank who deals directly with most customers. In some places, this employee is known as a cashier. Most teller jobs require cash handling experience and a high school diploma. Most banks provide on the job training....
at Desert Savings Bank in a small desert town. Her boyfriend is Rick Becker (Joshua Leonard
Joshua Leonard
Joshua Granville Leonard is an American actor, known for his role in The Blair Witch Project.-Early life:Leonard was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Joann, an operator of a children's theatre, and Robert Leonard, a theater professor. He was raised in State College, Pennsylvania...
), the bank manager who was informed by his superiors that he would be fired if the bank's ATM
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
s were to be robbed just one more time. Sheila and Rick have spent several years together in their on-again off-again relationship, in which he uses her until something better comes along; after Sheila pays for most of Rick's education, he leaves her for his tutor. Sheila decides to exact revenge on Rick by robbing the bank and getting him fired.
On the same night, Stuart (Paulo Costanzo
Paulo Costanzo
Paulo Costanzo is a Canadian actor, who is best known for his roles in the 2000 comedy Road Trip, the sitcom Joey, which ran from 2004 to 2006, and as Evan R. Lawson in the current USA Network series Royal Pains....
) and Jason (Harrelson), two other tellers from the same bank, have also decided to rob the bank. Stuart's plan is to steal $250,000 from the bank and bet the entire amount on one game of roulette
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Stuart, who is desperate for excitement in his life, is doing this on the suggestion of his friend Max (David Krumholtz
David Krumholtz
David Krumholtz is an American actor best known for playing Professor Charlie Eppes in the television series Numb3rs. He appeared as Seth Goldstein in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and its two sequels, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas...
) even though the intelligent Stuart is usually the one talking Max out of his hare-brained ideas and get-rich-quick scheme
Get-rich-quick scheme
A get-rich-quick scheme is a plan to acquire high rates of return for a small investment. The term "get rich quick" has been used to describe shady investments since at least the early 1900s....
s.
Jason is a nature lover who lives with an orphaned duck. He was promoted to assistant bank manager, a position with much more responsibility but only a $0.55 per hour raise. He feels the bank owes him for years of loyal and underpaid service and he decides to get even by robbing the safety deposit box of a mean-spirited local millionaire, Charles Merchant (Cleese). Merchant, who got rich from making infomercials and selling videotapes on how to get rich quickly on the real estate market, is the person that shot Jason's duck's mother, therefore making easier Jason's decision to rob Merchant's safety deposit box.
Jason is not the only one with a plan for revenge against the local tycoon. A disgruntled clothing store employee, Shmally (Cook), takes her revenge against Merchant the same night by having Carter (Marcus Thomas
Marcus Thomas (actor)
-Filmography:-External links:...
) help her throw eggs at Merchant's home. Carter Doleman is Shmally's friend and roommate and the bank's newest employee. Due to his inability to dress well and his lack of ability to get a job on his own, Shmally agreed to help him. When Carter was called for an interview at the bank, Shmally gave Carter a make-over, dressed him up properly and coached him on how to pass the interview. Anxious and excited about starting his first day of work, hesitant Carter lets himself be dragged out of bed by Shmally so that he can help her egg Merchant's house.
Cast and characters
- Alicia SilverstoneAlicia SilverstoneAlicia Silverstone is an American actress, author, and former fashion model. She first came to widespread attention in music videos for Aerosmith, and is perhaps best known for her roles in Hollywood films such as Clueless and her portrayal of Batgirl in Batman & Robin .-Early life:Silverstone...
- Sheila Rilo: bank tellerBank tellerA teller is an employee of a bank who deals directly with most customers. In some places, this employee is known as a cashier. Most teller jobs require cash handling experience and a high school diploma. Most banks provide on the job training....
, Rick's girlfriend - Rachael Leigh CookRachael Leigh CookRachael Leigh Cook is an American actress, known for her role in the romantic comedy She's All That and her This is Your Brain on Drugs public service announcement.-Early life:...
- Shmally: clothing store employee, Carter's roommate - Woody HarrelsonWoody HarrelsonWoodrow Tracy "Woody" Harrelson is an American actor.Harrelson's breakthrough role came in the television sitcom Cheers as bartender Woody Boyd...
- Jason "Woods" Valley: assistant manager and nature lover - John CleeseJohn CleeseJohn Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
- Charles Merchant: local business man and millionaire, creator of infomercials - Paulo CostanzoPaulo CostanzoPaulo Costanzo is a Canadian actor, who is best known for his roles in the 2000 comedy Road Trip, the sitcom Joey, which ran from 2004 to 2006, and as Evan R. Lawson in the current USA Network series Royal Pains....
- Stuart "Stu" Stein: bank tellerBank tellerA teller is an employee of a bank who deals directly with most customers. In some places, this employee is known as a cashier. Most teller jobs require cash handling experience and a high school diploma. Most banks provide on the job training....
, Max's friend, desperate for excitement in life - David KrumholtzDavid KrumholtzDavid Krumholtz is an American actor best known for playing Professor Charlie Eppes in the television series Numb3rs. He appeared as Seth Goldstein in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and its two sequels, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas...
- Max: Stu's friend, full of get-rich-quick schemes - Joshua LeonardJoshua LeonardJoshua Granville Leonard is an American actor, known for his role in The Blair Witch Project.-Early life:Leonard was born in Houston, Texas, the son of Joann, an operator of a children's theatre, and Robert Leonard, a theater professor. He was raised in State College, Pennsylvania...
- Rick Becker: bank manager, Sheila's boyfriend - Ivan SergeiIvan SergeiIvan Sergei is an American actor known for his work in television.-Personal life:Sergei was born Ivan Sergei Gaudio in Hawthorne, New Jersey, and is of Dutch and Italian descent. Ivan attended Hawthorne High School, where he was a member of the graduating class of 1989, and was a quarterback on...
- Mark: a fireman, Sheila's new love interest - Marcus ThomasMarcus Thomas (actor)-Filmography:-External links:...
- Carter Doleman: Shmally's roommate, bank's newest employee
Critical reception
The film received generally negative feedback from film critics, scoring 17% on the aggregate review website Rotten TomatoesRotten 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...
as of December 11, 2008. Film critic Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw is a British writer and film critic. He was educated at Cambridge University, where he was President of Footlights.Bradshaw is a film critic for The Guardian...
of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
gave the film one star out of five and called Scorched "a bigger and more disagreeable waste of time than rolling an enormous ball of solid ordure up a steep hill" while Angus Wolfe Murray of Eye for Film, who awarded the film the same star-rating, called it an "unmitigated disaster" and concluded that "a car wreck has more style". Rich Cline of ShadowsontheWall.com admits that Scorched has a "superb cast" who are "gifted performers" but that the film is still a "leaden mess", that it's "completely pointless" and concludes that "while the film is watchable, not a single plot thread comes to life". Critic Matthew Leyland of online service BBCi gave the film two stars out of five, calling it a "tepid revenge farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
" with an "undercooked plot" and observing that "attempts at zany humour turn pear-shaped". Sean Axmaker of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
called the film "amusing but tepid", called the script "lazy" and ultimately concluded that, with only "vaguely likable characters", Scorched is "aggressively amiable and utterly unmemorable". Of the rare favourable reviews was the one by Duane Byrge of the The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
in which he called the storyline a "raucously satisfying triumph of good over evil" and "a truckload of laughs" while concluding that "this wonderfully wayward comedy should make off with a ton of dollars, euros and other comic currency".
Box office performance
Scorched was filmed in six weeks, ending principal photography on June 23, 2001 but was not released in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
until July 25, 2003. The film suffered major financial losses during its theatrical run, earning only $8,000 (approximately 0.1%) from a production budget of $7 million. Domestically, the film was only in release for three days starting on August 3, 2003 and it played in only twelve theaters averaging gross earnings of $666 per theater. The earnings for the opening weekend, which turned out to be the film's last weekend as well, ranked the film as the 380th film of 2003 by domestic gross earnings.
See also
- 2003 in film2003 in filmThe year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
- Cinema of the United StatesCinema of the United StatesThe cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
- List of American films of 2003