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Outside Providence

Outside Providence

Romance · Comedy · Drama · 1999

In this coming-of-age comedy, Tim Dunphy is leading a go-nowhere existence, spending his days smoking pot and hanging out with his best friend, Drugs Delaney. But Tim's lazy days of getting high are jettisoned after a brush with the law convinces his blue-collar dad to send him to a Connecticut prep school. The one saving grace of the new school is Jane, a fellow student Tim falls for immediately.

Movie details

Outside Providence

“Tim's getting a future... whether he likes it or not!”

1999 Romance · Comedy · Drama 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.9 / 10

Community rating

In this coming-of-age comedy, Tim Dunphy is leading a go-nowhere existence, spending his days smoking pot and hanging out with his best friend, Drugs Delaney. But Tim's lazy days of getting high are jettisoned after a brush with the law convinces his blue-collar dad to send him to a Connecticut prep school. The one saving grace of the new school is Jane, a fellow student Tim falls for immediately.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Outside Providence?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Michael Corrente

Written by

Michael Corrente · Bobby Farrelly · Peter Farrelly

Shawn Hatosy

Shawn Hatosy

Tim Dunphy

Amy Smart

Amy Smart

Jane Weston

Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin

Old Man Dunphy

Jon Abrahams

Jon Abrahams

"Drugs" Delaney

Richard Jenkins

Richard Jenkins

Barney

George Wendt

George Wendt

Joey

Robert Turano

Robert Turano

Fran

Court is in session

Put Outside Providence on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.