Hello World...I don't normally do this...I don't normally comment on films that I haven't seen and I don't normally pick movies apart like many of the movie geeks that I know and certainly consider myself in league with. BUT...

I feel that I have to. A film called ORANGE COUNTY starring Colin Hanks and the drama humor, stooge Jack Black is going to be gracing theaters this Friday. Now this movie looked bad enough, with it's "seen it all before" plot and redundant humor, BUT..., and this is where Mushy really gets peeved, they are claiming that this film is about ORANGE COUNTY. As some reading this may know, myself, Brian, and many of the other LOE family live in Orange County, Ca.. We all live in different parts of OC and therefore each of us really gets a "taste" of the other's town when we visit one another. Now, I was fine with this movie having a complete lack of any reality to the place that I call home, I was fine with it making it seem like OC is the WASP capitol of the world. I was fine with all of it...UNTIL I saw Colin Hanks on JAY LENO talking about the film. Not only was he very smug and condescending, this guy referred to his character wanting to leave the "bubble-gum" place that is my fair county. This is why I felt compelled to write a letter of this magnitude. Call it what you will...say that I am unjustly attacking a film that I have not seen, whatever... AT LEAST I DID NOT MAKE A FILM ABOUT A REAL PLACE, CALL THE FILM THE NAME OF THE REAL PLACE AND THEN TRY AND PASS IT OFF AS ACTUALLY BEING ABOUT THE PLACE WHEN IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE MR. HANKS, THE DIRECTOR, THE WRITER (who I hear is from OC,and if he is he should be ashamed of himself), THE PRODUCERS OR ANYONE ELSE ACTUALLY INVOLVED WITH THE FILM SPENT ANY TIME IN THIS PLACE THAT I LOVINGLY AND WITH MUCH PRIDE CALL MY HOME. Here are my grievances...

GRIEVANCE #1 -

In the trailer for ORANGE COUNTY, Hanks' character uses the term, "carving waves" to describe how he spends his time. NO SURFER WHO I HAVE EVER KNOWN HAS EVER USED THAT TERM TO DESCRIBE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OCEAN. I have lived here for 24 years and that vernacular has never even been used BY ACCIDENT. If the writer really hails from OC, then I have to ask, "Who does HE know that uses that term?" Okay...on to the meet and potatoes of my anger...

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GRIEVANCE # 2 -

{@@@newline@@@}{@@@newline@@@} This film seems to portray OC as this beach town...are you aware that there is a part of OC called SANTA ANA? Did you know that 70% of the people that occupy SANTA ANA speak both English and Spanish. Is this in the movie? Based on the trailer it doesn't seem like it. Is it in that movie that 10% of that population in SANTA ANA ONLY SPEAKS SPANISH? Again, I doubt it. What about the fact that much of the population of COSTA MESA, jokingly refers to it as COSTA MEXICO?

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GRIEVANCE #3 -

{@@@newline@@@}{@@@newline@@@} Maybe the film should be called Corona Del Mar, Balboa Island or Laguna Niguel or something a tad more appropriate, since the film seems to only take place in those locales. I am willing to bet that this movie about Orange County doesn't even show the vast Persian, Indian, Iranian groups, etc... that do in fact live in those areas. It's as though these people who made ORANGE COUNTY live in LA and feel that they've somehow got the market cornered on multiculturalism. They look at OC and think about how it was (until about 1984-1985, I would say) and that is what they go off of. Maybe I am mistaken, maybe ORANGE COUNTY is a period piece of that time in OC's history, BUT I HIGHLY DOUBT IT.

GRIEVANCE #4 -

Do the people involved in the film even know about places like Fountain Valley, Garden Grove and Huntington Beach? Are they aware that there is an area in HB called THE SLATER SLUMS(on Beach and Slater) that is in such bad shape, it probably rivals many barrio areas in LA? Are they aware of the huge Asian populations in GARDEN GROVE? If not, take a ride down Brookhurst street going toward the 22 FREEWAY and tell me how many shops and stores you'll be able to pronounce correctly? THIS IS ORANGE COUNTY. These are all places that make up this area.

GRIEVANCE #5 -

The poster shows Mr.. Hanks with two oranges for eyes. Now, I can remember back when the city of Irvine was filled with Orange Groves. That was in a part of that city called, Northwood, I believe. Let me just say this, THERE AREN'T MANY ORANGE GROVES THERE ANYMORE. Most of them were cut down to build new homes and apartments for the ever increasing populus of people that were moving there. And where have many of these people come from? Diverse countries and LOS ANGELES just to name a few places!!! I am sorry to be so upset, but this film is so insulting and the attitude that I have seen from the trailer and the press on it is one of callous disregard for the place they're supposedly portraying. Last summer, the OC REGISTER published an article about the diversity in my lovely county. The title of the article was, ORANGE COUNTY: THE FUTURE HAS A NEW FACE. Unfortunately, the makers of ORANGE COUNTY probably didn't bother to read that little nugget. It most likely didn't fit into their agenda of painting this place as a white, republican dominated, intolerant hub. It didn't serve "the story." Now I know that many reading this must think..., "Calm down javascript:void(0|Mush, it's only a movie." And you know what? You're right. It is ONLY a movie. BUT...

Isn't it a little irresponsible to make a film (especially by the guy who created such an original work as The Zero Effect; Director Jake Kasdan) about a real place, call the movie the name of that real place and then present the film in interviews and in media junkets as actually being a true depiction of that place? It would almost be like making a film about LOS ANGELES, calling the film LOS ANGELES and then just showing the crime and poverty that is prevalent in that city. It seems to be sort of missing something, doesn't it? Now remember, I have not seen this film, and for all I know it could touch on all the grievances and points that I have expressed.

BUT...

Does anybody really think it does?

See you at THE MINUTE...javascript:void(0|~Mushy from Mushy's Movie Minute

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