Fans of movies such as "Half-Baked", "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", and "Orgazmo", should see this once in their lifetime. Don't be fooled by poor reviews. This movie is the best vehicle for Jack Black's obscure comedy I have seen to date (07/2005). Inter character relationships and general plot progression are over emphasized and simplified in a camp like fashion that, reminds me "Cheech and Chong". Sometimes this is done at a sacrifice to depth, but come on if I wanted to watch "Fight Club" or "Lord of the Rings" I would have. This movie only does one thing well, as so many movies do today, but that doesn't make it dull. I recommend this only to viewers who want to have some friends over, eat a big meal, get "into" the movie, and laugh at potheads being potheads.
52 Reviews
Where is this going?
dinojrfrk214 October 2001
Seemed to go nowhere in particular. Though, the 80s party at the end was hilarious. Get your groove on Jeremy! The rest of the movie was somewhat hopeless and the end with the spaceship. Give me a break! Why would he ever go back to that Serena any way.
In the time of chimpanzees, I was a monkey...
buschart8 July 2022
This is about as aimless as a movie gets - perhaps more accurately described as a series of slacker vignettes. Such a waste of a good cast, too! Jack Black was great, however (his song was probably the highlight for me). Nevertheless, this is pretty accurate as a 90s time capsule. So there's that...
Dirt-weed.
will-1625 June 2001
I have a soft spot for the Stoner genre - I can't help it. And, unlike some of the posters about this film, I really enjoyed "Half-Baked" - it was good-natured and humble. Though the cover for "Bongwater" gave me impression of those indie movies given a shamelessly misleading advertising "angle" by companies eager to earn back even a third of the money they spent on it, I took a chance because I like Jack Black and Luke Wilson and there's always room for one more stoner movie. Bad idea. Not a stoner movie (the drug sequences are uniformly embarrassing), not a comedy, and never affecting, "Bongwater" stinks; blighted with a strained script, unfocused direction, and the kind of nebulous yet righteously sadistic morality that belongs in a Joel Schumacher opus, not an indie film. Even more disturbing, this movie shook up my opinions about actors I'd always thought I liked. Luke Wilson, so laconically charming in Wes Anderson's movies, is wooden here, the usually amusing Andy Dick is boring, and comic god Jack Black appears in only one scene that even begins to make proper use of him. And then there's Alicia Witt - I liked her OK in "Cecil B. Demented," but her performance in "Bongwater" is so excruciatingly pretentious, bratty, and shrill (she must have attended the Liza Minelli school of acting) that I pledge to never again watch another movie in which she appears.
Bottom line: I'd take the most braindead of stoner comedies over this tone-deaf, small-minded, and almost utterly unfunny movie. Even if you're a Tenacious D completist, think hard before you spend money on "Bongwater."
Bottom line: I'd take the most braindead of stoner comedies over this tone-deaf, small-minded, and almost utterly unfunny movie. Even if you're a Tenacious D completist, think hard before you spend money on "Bongwater."
Bongwater or was that Sewerwater?
gstampoulos21 December 2008
If this is the author's and director's idea of a slice of life, they are clinically manic depressives. A sad, moody film at best, with ubiquitously aimless and unhappy characters who negatively interact with disastrous results. This film is billed as a comedy. What was so funny about losing your home to an allegedly premeditated arson or the drug induced, forcible rape of one of the main characters. Is this art imitating life? Jack Black was mildly amusing as the mountain man, weed farmer. However, even this segment of the film was rife with pathos. What was the point of living in the middle of nowhere with an entourage. If Black's character was so paranoid, why was he doing acid with a group of people right out of Woodstock? Is there no end to disconnected relationships, a plot less script, and scene transitions lacking any cohesiveness or logical chronology.
Was there a point to this movie?
gonzilla96920 July 2009
What a waste of a great cast. Figured I'd check it out because it looked like a good stoner comedy with a lot of fairly well-known actors. What it turned out to be was a pointless collection of boring intertwining stories about several characters with minimal connections with each other. Characters who start off looking like decent people but end up with not a single likable or interesting characteristic among them. Calling it a comedy was a stretch as well...the only thing that made me chuckle was Jack Black's song, which was basically Tenacious D. I waited for something big to happen but ended up with nothing more than 97 minutes of my life wasted.
Why did u people make me watch this?
fallguy_jack20 April 2017
I don't have a high bar for stoner movies, I tend to like most of them for the usual reasons. I came upon this in a 4/20 list from the main page of this site and as i hadn't seen it(or don't remember), I read the load of positive reviews and thought "awesome, a good stoner movie I haven't seen!". You all lied. Shame on you.
This movie was almost terrible. A few amusing/reminiscent moments are all that separates this from total and utter garbage. Jack Black is not an actor I like, yet somehow manages to be the best part of this movie... with his 5 minutes of screen time.
Do yourself a favor and pick a different stoner flick.
This movie was almost terrible. A few amusing/reminiscent moments are all that separates this from total and utter garbage. Jack Black is not an actor I like, yet somehow manages to be the best part of this movie... with his 5 minutes of screen time.
Do yourself a favor and pick a different stoner flick.
Never been stoned than you won't understand
Christian196712 June 2005
Well I may have just indicated my past with this summary. Oh well. If you live in the NW of USA than you either know a stoner, are a stoner or are soon to be one. This movie is just as the title Bongwater says for stoners. It has some big name actors and they play the paranoid stoner role very well. This film is not an Oscar winner by any means but instead has a somewhat sad and mellow. It is a movie about lots of people that live in this part of the country. Just people that are lost and have no real future to look forward to. There only real joy is getting stoned or high on LSD in the woods. Not really a comedy more like a statement about a certain lifestyle. Problems abound and psycho women galore. Poor Luke Wilson the head stoner does a great job as your likable, lonely stoner. Jack Black plays a decent waster that would have been at all the Grateful Dead concerts. Brittany Murphy plays a rather horny psycho girl which is probably not far from the truth. Andy Dick and his gay partner have some pretty funny parts to add to the plot. It just is not a very happy movie though. Kinda like a stoners life it's just there and goes on until the cops or fire department shake things up. Crazy women and stoner dudes what a mellow life.
The stinkiest piece of filth I've ever seen.
blake_1929 May 2008
It starts out looking like it may be going somewhere, then quickly leads the main characters into a three-ring circus of remarkable stupidity which permanently destroys any likability of the characters. I'm a huge collector of stoner movies, but this is something I would not consider a valid addition. Bong Water is trash from the very deepest regions of the dumpster, and I wouldn't be caught dead with this on my shelf. I'm actually convinced this movie was created by a Partnership for A Drug Free America. If you're a Jack Black fan then I would say that you may think 5 minutes of the movies is OK because Jack Black continues his legacy of singing songs for retards. I really can't say enough bad things about this movie.
Not for everyone
verybored021 January 2003
Unlike many of the people here, I did enjoy this movie. It's not going to appeal to someone looking for Half Baked or any other stoner comedy, because it's really a romance. It has comedy elements tied in throughout the film and it does have its moments although nothing is totally laugh out loud funny. The characters are not nearly as ludicrous as half baked (people don't literally go flying out their windows when there stoned), but I felt they were more true to life. It is very much your typical love story backbone. The bottom line is if you hate love stories you will probably hate this. It's like the Chasing Amy of stoner films. I gave it a commendable 7/10.
Incredibly bad
yespat1 November 2003
It's hard to believe that with a cast as strong as this one has, that this movie can be such a dud. It's such an incredibly horrible film. How was it ever made? How did so many good actors wind up in such a terrible film? Don't waste your life. Don't watch even one moment of this film.
a wry commentary on the old days
chimchim27292 June 2003
Watching this film now, 5 years after it was built and after the massive collapse of the previous carefree era of Fun and only Fun, it seemed a hilarious satire of the self-absorptive allure of a particular flavor of substance saturated post-college scene. It reminded me of an updated Repo Man in many ways -- a celebration as well as a repudiation of hedonistic fun.
You have to enjoy a certain flavor of bludgeoningly subtle pointlessness to enjoy this movie. Personally, I thought it was great.
You have to enjoy a certain flavor of bludgeoningly subtle pointlessness to enjoy this movie. Personally, I thought it was great.
An interesting movie, uniquely character-centric, with a solid cast full of familiar 90's faces.
Kame20002 October 2009
Bongwater, although its title misleads many people to think of it as a stoner film, is a solid drama/comedy title in the vein of films like Drugstore Cowboy, an 80's film featuring Matt Dillon, or Trainspotting, except with less drug use and more sexual promiscuity - Bongwater, in short, is not a drug-centric movie. However, it is interesting because of its cast. Its obviously bare-bones script requires careful acting from its stars to give it a little extra life. Overall, maybe not enough of that extra energy is awarded to the by-the-rules directing style, but ultimately, what comes out is a solid, engaging flick, worth watching all the way through.
He's no Kerouac
fytuc0224 June 2008
I lived next door to the author in 1980 when he first moved out to Portland from Downer's Grove, Ill. with two of his high school buds. He seemed like a normal-enough guy, though he had a lot of artistic pretensions. Within a few years, he jumped into Portland's post-punk music scene with buddy Phil and a few others, and a band that definitely wasn't headed anywhere, although it got him a lot of action, including a fling with Courtney Love in her Portland groupie days. He seemed to think his musical prospects were good enough to move to San Francisco, then N.Y.C.
I was surprised to hear that he got a publishing deal in '95 after the band crashed and burned. Courtney Love's name seemed to be the clincher. I have no idea how the movie came about, especially with this cast, but I doubt that Gus Van Sant was involved. Anyway, the reviewers here seem to be unsure whether the lack of narrative focus is intentional or not, so I would just say that this is the work of a fairly intelligent guy who wants to be a writer, or artist or something, but doesn't have anything to say. Like Kerouac without the Benzedrine.
I was surprised to hear that he got a publishing deal in '95 after the band crashed and burned. Courtney Love's name seemed to be the clincher. I have no idea how the movie came about, especially with this cast, but I doubt that Gus Van Sant was involved. Anyway, the reviewers here seem to be unsure whether the lack of narrative focus is intentional or not, so I would just say that this is the work of a fairly intelligent guy who wants to be a writer, or artist or something, but doesn't have anything to say. Like Kerouac without the Benzedrine.
"I don't sell nickel bags, spread the word."
glgioia14 April 2003
Warning: Spoilers
****Possible Spoilers**** Movie is all over the place, chilling just watching tube with a bunch of stoners, acid trip in the woods with some hardcore crunchers, an acquaintance rape in NYC at a shishi euro-party, an absurd art show, gay porn...by the end your apt to have forgotten a lot of what happened in the beginning. If you do remember, you might ask what was the point? Its focuses on the life and times of a pot dealer and his harmless crew, in Portland Oregon. And there's really not much else to say about the plot. Its how a stoner might find true love perhaps? But I found it engaging, completely non-cohesive, but in the end, damn entertaining. In fact, I've re-watched it more than once now, because I find some of the scenes and lines absolutely hilarious. Alicia Witt and Amy Locane are hot, and Wilson is an extremely likeable lead. On the nay side, Britany Murphy I cant take. She's only acting, I know, and she's playing a real annoying and unlikable character, but its her I always find distracting. Could that be because she's always playing an annoying and unlikable character, and playing them exactly the same annoying and unlikable way? Who knows. I want to see Tim Burton redo His Girl Friday and feature Britany and Leguizamo in the leads. Back to this film, I wholeheartedly recommend giving it a shot, especially if you can handle "out there" material. You will definitely laugh.
The most annoying/boring kind of angst
mikoshunga28 April 2006
There is nothing in this that the viewer could point to and call "good". The acting was dull and sedated. The sets and cinematography look like they were developed by someone grew up in a Starbucks and tried to make the perfect Gap commercial. Characters have no drive, motivation, or reason for us to care about them. There's such a lack of interest and tension that it's hard to follow the banal action and dialog. And the plot... if anyone finds it, I'm sure it would be as boring as everything else.
This isn't funny, it's not romantic, it doesn't reflect on the human condition. If you want a good stoner comedy, watch Half-Baked; if you want a good stoner drama, watch Trainspotting. The only reason I gave this 2 stars instead of one is because it's kind of fun seeing some familiar faces in the mid-late 90's cast. Which is a shallow reason to give the film even one star, but, then again, this is a shallow movie.
This isn't funny, it's not romantic, it doesn't reflect on the human condition. If you want a good stoner comedy, watch Half-Baked; if you want a good stoner drama, watch Trainspotting. The only reason I gave this 2 stars instead of one is because it's kind of fun seeing some familiar faces in the mid-late 90's cast. Which is a shallow reason to give the film even one star, but, then again, this is a shallow movie.
don't watch it stoned, don't watch it at all
IceSkateUpHill7 July 2006
The title leads viewers to believe that this is a fun movie to watch and probably much better when watched under the influence, but it is not good at all. One 15 minute sequence with Jack Black beautifully playing one of his songs and tripping on acid while venturing through the woods does not save this movie at all. Every actor in this movie has gone on to do better things, except for the main girls I could not think of one movie where I had seen them before. I hate to bash movies but I also hate not being able to find something decent in movies. The film is sad, not very funny and had such potential with its awesome cast. If it were redone and written over it could be awesome. If you want a good movie to see stoned, watch Grandma's Boy, or Half Baked or Dazed and Confused, but this is not a movie to be seen at all.
this movie is terrible
exreckid4 February 2002
absolutely nothing about this movie is funny, interesting, or relevant. besides two characters getting together at the end, nothing is ever resolved, and there is no plot. and by the way, what is the deal with the cover of the dvd? it has a female ass in daisy duke shorts... where was that scene in the movie? no one ever wore daisy dukes in this film! surprisingly enough, almost all of the acting in this film is good, and jack black plays a full song (could be a tenacious d track... don't know though)... those are the only redeeming values, though. overall, it's just a waste of time.
You Must view this movie form many different perspectives...
wolfariousw6 July 2006
To Start in order to understand this movie you have expand your mind to that Of not only a pothead but a pot dealer, an artist, a drug user, a pagan, and most importantly a conservative. I have read many comments stating that the movie sucked...and that they were so disappointed by how awesome the cast was in a bad film. I feel that you have to stand back and view the film through the characters eyes. one at a time. Really the movie to me is about the constant struggle a habitual drug user has to grasping there own personal reality. sure the movie really had no plot, but dose life really have a plot? sure its presumed to be a comedy...and I'm sure that some people found it hilarious. The Movie to me is about struggle..plane and simple. Ari
NOT A GOOD MOVIE! STAY AWAY!
HeadBangerBLR22 August 2001
This Film Was One Of The Worst Films I Have Ever Seen. This Movie Drags On and On and I Almost Turned It Off, But I Gave It A Shot. I Wasnt Expecting Anything Great, But I Was Expecting More Than This. Good Thing I Work At A Video Store and Saw This For Free, Because I Would'nt Spend One Dime On This Movie. I Gave This Movie a 2, Only Because I Have Seen Worse. If I Were You I Would Stay Away From This, Very Far Away.
Sweet and quirky!
ericathompson91019 September 2012
I really enjoy this movie because I totally wasn't anticipating a stoner movie. It's not like cheech and chong or harold and kumar. It's not funny or stupid or pointless wacky humor like those other movies. I like to describe it as a romance that makes more sense if you watch it as if it were a comedy. It's totally a literary movie, actually it was originally a book. It has the feel of a book that is more about character than story as it kind of wanders around aimlessly just like you do when you are a 20-something. It totally represents the hipster vibe and culture of Portland back in the 90s too which is interesting to see. If you like independent films like Candy or Slacker, you'll love Bongwater.
One of the worst pieces of independent trash I've ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mattymatt4ever11 October 2002
Movies like this give independent films a bad name! This simply a boring compilation of vingettes, with no structure whatsoever. I wouldn't be surprised if the screenwriter was completely stoned. If you want to see a good stoner comedy, watch "Half Baked." It's no award-winner, but at least it made me laugh. The film was obviously made on a micro-budget. Every scene either takes place in someone's house, someone's apartment or some outdoor location. If the writing was good and the dialogue was interesting, I would've ignored the film's budget (like in the case of Edward Burns' films), but obviously that's not the case this time around.
I quote Robert DeNiro from "A Bronx Tale" when I say, "There's nothing in the world worse than wasted talent." Everybody in the cast is talented. Luke Wilson, Alicia Witt, Brittany Murphy, Jeremy Sisto--all talented performers! And they all have been in much better movies. The actors give it their all, but they couldn't go too far with such a lame script. The only scene I found interesting was Jack Black's cameo, where he sings a song about being in the woods. And of course, there was the brief strip club scene at the beginning, which I also found appealing.
The characters are uninteresting and the story barely exists. Many movies are awful, but at least you understand their intentions. What was "Bongwater's" intention? The world will never know.
My score: 2 (out of 10)
I quote Robert DeNiro from "A Bronx Tale" when I say, "There's nothing in the world worse than wasted talent." Everybody in the cast is talented. Luke Wilson, Alicia Witt, Brittany Murphy, Jeremy Sisto--all talented performers! And they all have been in much better movies. The actors give it their all, but they couldn't go too far with such a lame script. The only scene I found interesting was Jack Black's cameo, where he sings a song about being in the woods. And of course, there was the brief strip club scene at the beginning, which I also found appealing.
The characters are uninteresting and the story barely exists. Many movies are awful, but at least you understand their intentions. What was "Bongwater's" intention? The world will never know.
My score: 2 (out of 10)
Stunned by consensus
michaeloday5 February 2006
I just can't believe the poor rap this movie gets. I watch a great deal of movies and this is in my top 5 favorite movies. This is a movie that I can always watch. It's a smart stony movie that always delivers. There is a ton of very subtle, incredibly funny humor. Jack Black's role is very funny, and this is my favorite of all of Luke Wilson's movies. In my opinion this movie may take a few viewings to fully appreciate. The movie does sometimes have an odd feel to it due to it's being adapted from a novel. The movie skips and omits a lot from the novel, as movies do, and they fail to tie in essential concepts from the book that would make the movie's plot a little more cohesive. If you have not seen this movie, watch it. If you have, watch it again.
Not an Oscar-winning movie but still RECOMMENDED
alemspago913 February 2013
I have seen this movie three nights ago and I can honestly tell you I liked it. If you are wondering should you watch it or not - I would suggest you to consider the situation and circumstances the first. "Bongwater" is not kind of a movie you would like to see with your girlfriend or after a family gathering evening. From the other side - if you are sitting there with your friends looking for a movie to brighten your evening up, or if you are alone maybe - go for it! "Bongwater" seems like a typical stoner's' movie, but I believe it's much beneath that. Calling it such would be equal to calling "That 70s Show" typical stoner's' stuff, hence this TV series became sort of a cult. "Bongwater" is kind of a movie that is going to make you laugh out loud while tickling your imagination about the same thing you are laughing at. If you see through it couple of times I believe you will find it much deeper than it seems at the first glance.
David, starred by Luke Wilson, is a small-pocket, short-run dope dealer. The movie follows his ups and downs with emphasis on his unhappy relationship with Serena. Things are turning from bad to worse as movie progresses, in emerging ironic manner. If you are in a mood to laugh, brace yourselves. I found whole movie quite funny myself. Few scenes really knocked socks off my feet and I didn't expect to see that kind of scenes inside a movie produced back in late 90s.
Bongwater is a great stuff to watch on a guys' night or if you are alone and wondering what to watch to make you cheerful. I am taking it three points away for slightly blurry plot at few places, as you will see it yourself. You might lose your end of the rope here and there as the plot is running down the rabbit hole and story switches ups and downs unexpectedly fast.
If you want to laugh - you got it. If you want to relax - you got that one as well. In case you are looking for some sort of "Da Vinci's Code" stuff - look elsewhere.
David, starred by Luke Wilson, is a small-pocket, short-run dope dealer. The movie follows his ups and downs with emphasis on his unhappy relationship with Serena. Things are turning from bad to worse as movie progresses, in emerging ironic manner. If you are in a mood to laugh, brace yourselves. I found whole movie quite funny myself. Few scenes really knocked socks off my feet and I didn't expect to see that kind of scenes inside a movie produced back in late 90s.
Bongwater is a great stuff to watch on a guys' night or if you are alone and wondering what to watch to make you cheerful. I am taking it three points away for slightly blurry plot at few places, as you will see it yourself. You might lose your end of the rope here and there as the plot is running down the rabbit hole and story switches ups and downs unexpectedly fast.
If you want to laugh - you got it. If you want to relax - you got that one as well. In case you are looking for some sort of "Da Vinci's Code" stuff - look elsewhere.
Had potential
skankhunt-2805215 January 2019
Going into this I expected some good stoner comedy but that is not exactly what I got. This was a weird movie that started off alright but slowly becomes uninteresting and annoying. held my attention throughout but the ending reassured me That this is not really a movie to be taken to seriously, it could have been funny at least though. Jack black was in it for like 5 minutes and didn't really add anything to the movie. Brittany Murphy made the movie a little more watchable. This could have been funny but it's really just not, I'd give it a try if your really in the mood but other wise I'd pass
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