R | 1h 35m | Comedy, Drama, Sports | April 12, 2024
Known primarily for the “Jackass” series—that wacky and extremely painful stunt-comedy franchise that appeals to 14-year-old boys (and the inner 14-year-old boys who live in the hearts of most men), Johnny Knoxville’s dramatic acting chops are continually a revelation.
Actually, on second thought—it’s not really surprising. Mr. Knoxville is a showbiz vet, has battled addiction, and therefore, in terms of Method acting, has plenty of real-life experience to draw on for “Sweet Dreams,” which is primarily an addiction-recovery movie, as well as a black comedy.
Consider If You Will
1) “Beehive Limo”: Several of the “Jackass” crew think they’re on their way to a photo shoot, but discover they’re trapped inside a limo that’s rapidly filling with angry bees. When they escape the limo, they suddenly discover themselves running away through a minefield of marbles. The wipe-outs are excruciating. The bees, too. Result? A howling peanut gallery of 14-year-old testosterone.2) “Bungee Boogie”: They manufacture a human-sized slingshot, and wang themselves from afar, into a kiddie-pool holding a variety of accessories like a surfboard, skateboard, and wheelbarrow. What could possibly go wrong with such a scenario?
3) “The Hearse”: A hidden-camera stunt, Johnny Knoxville plays a hapless hearse driver who keeps dumping his dead cargo into the street. The reaction shots and extremely funny close-ups are incredible.
4) “Jackass 3D”: Perhaps in honor of Randy Quaid’s notorious line from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (which refers to a filled-to-capacity RV) they launch team member Steve-O skywards, in a very full porta-potty, attached to a pair of powerful bungee cords. When the blue, plastic spaceship reaches its zenith, and begins to go negative gravity, all I can say is—do not watch this clip while eating.
‘Sweet Dreams’
Lije Sarki’s black comedy “Sweet Dreams” plays like a “The Bad News Bears” featuring recovering addicts rather than precocious children, and Morris (Knoxville) is an alcoholic whose life has hit rock bottom.
In the movie’s opening shot he’s revealed waking up nearly naked on a park bench, with a bloody nose, having obviously been on an epic bender the night before. Even worse, he endangered his 8-year-old daughter, making it finally hit home that, in the parlance of 12-steps, his life has not only become unmanageable; but he’s a danger to others as well as himself.
Morris signs up for a 90-day stint at Sweet Dreams, a rehab center in a run-down suburban house owned and overseen by the friendly but not-playing-around Pete (comedian Mo Amer, Netflix’s “Mo”).
Morris has the stereotypical difficulty adjusting to his new surroundings, including a stinky bunk-mate (comedian Theo Van). Colorful characters abound, of course, such as Frank (Jay Mohr), a former hotshot Hollywood mogul whose career got wiped out due to his drinking and drugging.
Morris gains a tiny bit of happiness when he joins a softball game with his fellow 12-steppers and reveals himself to have solid playing skills. His teammates include Cruise (Bobby Lee, “Mad TV”), Jake (rapper-actor GaTa), Dip (Jonnie Park), Mike D (Brian Van Holt), Cedric (hardcore rocker-rapper Shakewell), Diego (Erik Anthony Gonzalez), and Stew (Adam Faison).
Turning Point
The crew eventually discovers that Pete is in danger of losing the house and rally to help him out financially by forming a softball team, coached by Morris. They compete in a local tournament that’s got a convenient $80,000 prize. $80,000? Not in any reality I’m aware of—talk about your suburban deus ex machina—but okay.It’s, of course, an immediate disaster; they lose the first game even before it’s even over due to the lopsided 11-1 score triggering a “mercy rule.” To improve their odds, they recruit a few talented female ringers, including Kate (model-actress Kate Upton).
Recovery
The baseball’s not all that fun or funny, but it all thankfully yields to Morris’s story. When Frank (now recently released from the Sweet Dreams detox program) as Morris’s sponsor, takes him to eat at his favorite restaurant, they discover it’s suffered tremendous damage due to being hit by a truck. That would be the truck Morris was driving during one of his many blackout binges. When he later returns to make amends with the restaurant owner, there’s a nice and touching response.
The film is really only as affecting as it is, due to Mr. Knoxville’s subdued, heartfelt performance that renders his character absolutely sympathetic, despite his many shortcomings. Mr. Knoxville hereby proves that he’s a bona fide dramatic actor who can convey emotional pathos as readily as he can test a jock strap with a tap from a suspended sledgehammer. As they say, the best dramatic actors all have the ability to also be tremendously funny. They embody both the laughing and the crying theatrical masks.
