I love this film and have been wanting to own it. Now all I need is Freeway 2

I have been wanting to see this movie for years. I finally found a copy[...], of all places. Why doesnt any walk-in rental store rent this out? They rent out Cheech & Chong movies, but not this? Gimme a break, Hollywood & Blockbuster!! This movie isnt even glorifying drug use, like Cheech & Chong. Instead it is about finding yourself! The performences by Luke Wilson, Brittney Murphy, Jack Black, Andy Dick, and Jeremy Sisto are oscar worthy. Not to mention Alisia Witt.......HOT!! Highly Recommended!! And, you dont even have to be buzzed to watch this. Its that good!

I was hoping this film would be better, as the novel it is based on creates a story and world you don't want to have end. The novel has moments of brilliance, and moments when it fails, and I thought someone creating a film would take the opportunity to expand on the brilliance rather than the mediocre. Unfortunately that is not the case here. While there are glimmers of potential, most of the compelling elements of the novel either don't work as presented in this movie or are absent. The character of Mary in the book was endearing, here in the film she is annoying. Why change Courtney's name to Serena? And what's up with the UFO? There's no UFO in the novel, and it falls entirely flat here, especially when it is shown and is so fake looking. Sometimes the filmmaking seems lazy, as if a scene is just a bare skeleton, not fleshed out.

I'm disappointed. This film could have been so much more.

I'm not a stoner either and i love this movie. Seriously the best parts are the gay humor with Andy Dick and the ever so hot Jeremy Sisto.

A few years or so ago, I discovered this movie on cable. The title of Bongwater caught my attention and I had to see what it was about. Little did I ever suspect that it would become one of my favorite silly movies. Bongwater has an incredible cast though it doesn't seem like they had much of a budget. That's why I give it 4 stars as I think some things in the movie could have been fleshed out more. Jack Black is hilarious as the woodsy pot farmer, hence what I titled this review. If you haven't seen it yet, you'll see what I mean! Jamie Kennedy and Andy Dick also crack me up in this flick. Pull out the bong and pack it up...Bongwater is a great stoner flick you'll enjoy. Consider it a burnout bonus!

I stumbled across this movie on cable a couple of years ago, having nothing better to do I watched it. My first impression was that it would be just another stoner movie were nothing really happens. I was suprised though because not only does it have a plot it has a interesting plot. You don't have to be stoned, or even a stoner to enjoy this movie. One reveiwer said somthing along the lines of it looking like grade school kids made it. Well it is true it was an independent film made on the cheep but think it actualy adds something to the over all feel of the film, like your actualy there, scrapping through life with the characters. I guess I can understand why some people wouldnt get this movie, not enough bells and whisels, but if your up for something differnt give it a try. by the way, the movie was based on a book of the same name, also very good and differnt.

I cant speak for the last reviewer, who was obviously working his way through an english degree as well as his last bowl, but i will say i liked this movie. I am not a casual movie fan. I watch many movies, and the ones i like are not your usual hollywood blockbusters. I'm not going to sit here and defend my taste in movies, but if you liked the royal tannenbaums, bottle rocket, anything by todd solondz, or smaller independant movies then you should definately give bongwater a chance.
I say give this movie a chance because, for god's sake, it is named bongwater, and everyone who wrote a review for it was looking for the next coming of christ in a stoner movie. All I can say is that I am a mid twenties person, who doesn't want to brag about how much he's smoked in his day, or the quality of said smoke for that matter, but at a certain point you either grow up, or you end up on the couch until- well, you know the answer.
I watched this movie expecting nothing, and was plesantly surprised. It says more about a certain, lost twentysomething type than singles, or slacker, or reality bytes, or any other pretentious b.s. Andy dick, jack black and others turn in great, over the top performances...luke wilson is his usual great understated self. The soundtrack is great as well, particularly the fountains of wayne song.
If you hate this movie, you probably don't like independant cinema...as stated above, if you are looking for great "stoner cinema" please look under the Non Sequitur where you will find the words "great cinema" alongside up in smoke and how high.

i love this movie. i think it's fabulous. and i'm not a stoner...

I bought this movie because my brother told me that it was a good stoner movie that also has Jack black and Britany Murphy. It turns out this movie has little to to with buds and alot to do with a bud dealer(Luke Wilson) and a girl trying to control his life(Alicia Witt).

i see some reviews saying that this was one of the worst stoner movie they have seen, and it would be if that was what the movie was about. Think of this movie as stoner style love story instead of a movie about nothing but smoking natures finest and getting into trouble. I recomend renting it before you buy it.

(...)

hELLO EVERYBODY!
I LOVE THIS MOVIE! IT IS MY BROTHER ,RICHARD, WHO DIRECTED. HE'S AMAZING! I'VE MADE THIS O.C.'S CULT CLASSIC MOVIE. ALMOST ALL MY FRIENDS,COWORKERS, AND FAMILY, HAVE ENJOYED THIS MOVIE!
iT HAS EVERYONE FAMOUS IN IT,TOO. ESPECIALLY, JACK BLACK'S PERFORMANCE WITH A LITTLE TENACIOUS D INFLUENCE.
MY BROTHER DOES'NT LIKE ALL THE ATTENTION THAT HE RECIEVES FROM THIS FILM. IF YOU LIKED THIS ONE THEN LOG ON TO ATOMFILMS.COM AND FIND "TACO BENDER" IT'S HIS NEW SHORT FILM. FUNNY AS HELL!
CHECK YA LATER! ENJOY!

To dispell immediately what others may assert, I am indeed a stoner; I am a joker, a smoker, a midnight toker, etc. I own a fine collection of stoner films and my daily interactions often include a bowl and such a film.

That said, this movie is terrible. I cannot fathom how it received an average of 4 stars. Please do not tell me that I failed to understand the majesty of this film; I was high when I watched it.

I and the entire group of diehard potheads with which I watched it concur as to the massive suckage that was Bongwater. At first, I was upset that a movie so devoid of plot and meaning had taken the title Bongwater, which may have been used in true stoner films in the future. However, after reflecting on it with my roommate (who of course smokes), we concluded that the movie was aptly titled. After all, bong water is the leftover that nobody wants. At the movie's conclusion I said, "I need to smoke...for the first time in my life, I NEED to smoke." It was that bad. In fact, I was so upset that I couldn't even roll a proper J...and I normally get compliments for my rolling skills.

My roommate at this point interjects, "You sound too self righteous; nobody will listen. He gave it a one because he couldn't give it a zero and I suspect the rest of the reviews to be complicated attempts to deceive others into watching this film so that they can revel in their deception. Free Chong and free yourself by not becoming a prisoner to this smelly, rancid Bongwater."

To summarize, Bongwater is NOT a stoner movie in the great tradition of Up in Smoke, Half Baked, or even How High. Rather, it seems to be a poor attempt at capturing the life of a stoner, by somebody who has never touched the stuff. As evidence, I submit the scene where Luke Wilson fills up the chamber of his bong with smoke then...instead of taking the massive rip...he puts down the bong. What self respecting smoker would let a perfectly good hit go stale like that?

i have had this review on here for some time now, and i feel compelled to change it due to a change in heart. when i first reviewed it, i praised its realism and originality, and gave it a 5.

this is 6 months later. i purchased the dvd and watched it several more times. upon later reviews of it, ive come to an all new conclusion:
it sucks.

i love Luke Wilson. i love Andy Dick and Jack Black. too bad this movie features very little of the two latter, and a bit much of the former.
the concept: a fire causes a misdirected pot dealer to reconstruct his life with two different girls.
now i look at it as this. everything on the technical side of this movie is high school level. i expect any second for a stagehand of some type to be seen in a corner of any shot. however, the script should help us out right? eh, it has its moments, you can tell that filtered through all this amateur hogwash, the original book is a good read.
the acting? well, luke wilson's david is somewhat likeable if a bit laughable. hes a moron who unwittingly stumbles on gems of creativity, but that is his appeal.
then amanda witt comes in. she is stunningly beautiful in this film, something redheads are rarely portrayed as. david falls in love with her and tragedy ensues. however, with all this love, one major aspect is overlooked. she is completely horrible. she is annoying, self centered to the point of destructive, and contradicting. at first i cared, but in the scene where she is orally raped, you just dont really care and a sinister voice in your head says "you had that coming" and it can then be followed by various vulgarities.
and at the end, when david and she finally get together, you are filled with dread instead of happiness.
and then the topic of drug use. every drug used in this movie i have tried or do regularly. every single one. and i can say that the writer must have never even seen a cheech and chong film much less actually smoke a joint. scenes where david will fill a bong with smoke, and then set it down without clearing the precious pot smoke.
the tripping scene in which he has a clear vision of his mother and hangs out with her is just silly. if you havent tried acid and would like to see what its like, watch the first few scenes of fear and loathing in las vegas. the part with the golf shoes.
now the infamous coke scene in this film. she takes on line and loses her memory. my first time i did an entire 8ball in one night. i remember everything and i wasnt raped either. its easy to portray any sort of horrible attribute to hardcore drugs, but if youre making a drug themed film, youd better watch where you step.

this film is uncertain in its scope, and falls flat of even the most reserved of goals.
it has little to do with drugs and even less to do with people.

I've seen this movie six times and I still don't know what happens. I remember the lemonade though. Good stuff.

2 biggest highlights i have to point out in this movie are:

...the best opening sequence i think i have ever seen, mostly due to the sonic youth song that starts the movie

...jesus ranch!

but where, oh where is the soundtrack?

man this would have been a great movie to have seen about 2 years ago before i fell into a constant relationship with all GEMINI girls....unfortunately for our little movie star he found out all too late the evil that lies behind the eyes of most gemini's. great movie though...well at the beginning anyways....i get a little sick of women throwing themselves around to get what they want....but whatever the fact of the matter is its a movie for smokers. jack black had a stellar appearance...as usual very philisophical and all that and singing hurray...the movie took a turn for the worse as they focused on the gemini towards the end...oh well she got she she deserved....until the very end...the dude should have sent her packing hahaha...anyways the movie has very little to do with bong water but has all the right tones....til somewhere past half the movie when i kinda lost interest....

my friends and i love this movie. it's definitely become a classic for us. best part of the movie: jack black as a pot grower who lives in a hippy commune in the woods in oregon and trips out all the time. we were lucky to stumble upon this great film that really has no plot but is still enjoyable, alien encounters and all.

I don't smoke pot or do any other kind of drugs. Having said this, I thought this was a really good movie. It was witty and thoughtful. A previous reviewer compared it to Half Baked, but besides the fact that pot plays a part in it, I would say that they're nothing alike. Half Baked was stupid-funny, Bong Water was clever-funny. Wilson was natural (as usual), Dick was awesome, Black was fantastic and Witt wasn't too annoying.

OK, if you understand the above reference, you probably have already seen this movie. It's part dry, tongue in cheek wit, part sloppy stoner humor. It totally satifies on both accounts, although it may insult or confuse folks who are only accustomed to one of the two styles involved. After all, it's more high-brow than the C&C folks are used to and looser and more fun than the Royal Rushmore Rocketeers may be able to stomach. All in all it's an awesome little movie based on a great little book by Michael Hornburg.

This movie has a fairly lame and boring plot but all there are some funny characters that make it a great movie. Jack Black is nuts and so is Andy Dick. If you liked Half Baked or any Jack Black movies, buy this one...A "B" movie masterpiece.

so the first time i saw this movie...i was seriously laughing my [rear] off. its just crazy..even little things like how luke wilson offers alicia witt bread and cuts it with scissors. i can totally understand how some people would find it boring as hell, though. if you don't enjoy that lifestyle yourself, why would you even try to sit through an entire movie about it?...the movie's main focus is captured in its title.

I'm not sure why I've heard so many good things about this movie. It is barely watchable. I was so bored I only kept watching it because I didn't really have anything else to do. Maybe you can only enjoy watching other people who are stoned if you are stoned yourself, I don't know. If you are a fan of Jack Black, this is not worth getting, he is not in it all that much. I didn't care for any of the main characters, maybe that was the point, but they were not enjoyable to watch in the least. The ending is so lame I couldn't believe anyone thought it would be a good idea, but I won't give anything away.

Really the only way to correctly judge this movie is to go by its authenticity. The movie was so accurate in portraying people stoned. I mean I was a little stoned when I watched it, and my friends and I were having the same meaningless, stupid conversations that were going on in the movie. The dark humor in the movie is more than humourous, it makes you feel like your hi. So I thoroughly recommend this movie to anyone who likes to smoke a bowl, crunch down on some sugar and peanut butter, and watch a movie. Enjoy!

I think you have to be a stoner to understand this movie because like a stoner thinks, this movie progresses abstractly in terms of plot and story. Great movie to get together with some friends and rip the bong to.

i did a really stupid thing and actually bought the dvd when i saw it, 'cause cool a classmate recommended it to me and i thought well why not. my boyfriend and i watched it and the only time we laughed at when we saw jack black emerge as a farmer. brittany murphy was not oversexed in the least. she was just annoying like every girl in the movie, along with luke wilson. but at least his brother owen wasn't in this. the whole art concept to it was boring, and it's a shame that this movie used something beautiful like art to attempt to have a plot. maybe you have to have smoken 40 40 ft bongs to enjoy this movie, who knows.

The title notwithstanding, this drug-laden laugh trip is more Reality Bites than Up in Smoke. David is a pot dealer with half-baked ambitions of becoming an artist; Serena is his nuttily domineering love interest. Though the pair's lack of real chemistry makes the ending feel tacked on, the hysterical drug-buddy performances of Brittany Murphy, Andy Dick and Jack Black really make this joint roll. - Ann Limpert (Entertainment Weekly)

cool slacker,stoner masterpiece with a few delicious hotties that don't get naked enough. Not as good as the book it's based upon, but hey, I might be a little bit biased. Any movie that begins in Mary's in PDX can only result in cult classic status, because almost everyone has had a long ...night in Portland that either began or ended in that closet of sin. The stars shine in this obvoiusly hurried production, as they take what little they were given and stretch it to miraculous dimensions. Ready for Bongwater 2.

This 1998 ensemble indie boasts clever dialogue, excellent production design and a handful of hysterically realistic stoner characters. The laughs are plentiful and will be quite accessible to those who are familiar with--and forgiving of--today's post-college drug culture, which is depicted in all its slacker glory. (There's nary a negative aspect on display.) The worst part would have to be the title, which may have non-inhaling customers feeling guilty by association when they pay for the rental. Hip young adults and hemp growers will enjoy Bongwater most; social conservatives not at all. --Buzz McClain

Dont let the Cheezy Box fool you. Bong Water is a incredibly funny Flick! With a great cast Including Jack Black , Andy Dick, Luke WIlson & Alcia Witt. The story is also a trip! David is a struggling artist with a thriving little side job, he falls in love Serena, a spirited spontenous girl that turns his world upside down. Filled with some great characters ! I Highly recommend chillin out with some buds and checking this one out. Based on the Book.

I got a screener of this from a friend at the company that is releasing it. Big stoner fun! Luke Wilson is a perfect pot dealer, and Jack Black is hysterical as always. Plenty of great looking women are on hand too--Amy Locane, Brittany Murphy, etc. Won't win any awards, but will definitely bring a grin to your face!