Most people I talk to have mixed feelings about David Spade; not for his comedy, but for his uncanny ability to play the most irritating characters imaginable. Rand McPherson from PCU, Richard Hayden from Tommy Boy, and Scott Thorpe from Senseless all rank among the most grating personalities that 90s screwball comedies ever produced.
It’s not because Spade is a bad actor. He’s just so good at playing the “morally dubious prick” character that people assume he must be one in real life. That’s commitment to the bit. Funny enough, everyone I know who hates Spade’s comedy for those reasons loves 2001’s Joe Dirt, probably because this time he’s playing a lovable doofus instead of a smirking antagonist.
Joe Dirt is Spade’s best role in the genre, despite what the 9 percent Rotten Tomatoes score might suggest. It’s good, dumb fun, and he finally gets to play someone with a heart of gold instead of the punchable jerk audiences love to hate.
A Man With A Mullet On A Mission
Joe Dirt’s framing is simple and effective. Our hero sits down with radio host Zander Kelly (Dennis Miller) to tell the world he’s searching for the parents who left him behind at the Grand Canyon when he was eight.
After meeting Brandy (Brittany Daniel), one of the first kind people in his life, he settles down for a while but ultimately hits the road to find closure for his abandonment issues.
At first, Joe is a national joke because of his hillbilly persona and perceived lack of intelligence, but something shifts after his story hits the airwaves. His infectious “life’s a garden, dig it” attitude turns him into an unlikely folk hero overnight. Listeners hang on his every word, and even as the truth about his parents comes to light, his optimism never falters.
Gag After Gag, And Most Of Them Land
From talking shop with Kickin’ Wing (Adam Beach), an inexperienced Native American firework salesman, to his friendship with Clem Doore (Christopher Walken), a paranoid mobster in Witness Protection, Joe Dirt never runs out of quotable moments.
Lotion-soaked run-ins with Buffalo Bob, flying chili bowls, and buried septic tanks mistaken for nukes all pile on as Joe searches for his family and slowly realizes he’s already found one in Brandy and his friends. Luckily, nobody ends up stabbing him in the face with a soldering iron because he’s such an easy-breezy, likeable dude.
Streaming Joe Dirt
Joe Dirt is about as screwball as a screwball comedy can get, and it works because David Spade drops the smug act and embraces sincerity. Beneath the cheap gags and absurd setups is a surprisingly warm story about redemption, identity, found family, and self-worth.
A little sincerity goes a long way, and Joe Dirt has plenty. It’s not high art, but if you’re looking for a feel-good story about an unlikely hero who refuses to quit, Joe Dirt delivers every time.
As of this writing, Joe Dirt is streaming for free on Tubi.
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