By Melissa Antoinette Garza
William Shakespeare is one of the best writers and may be the best playwright of all time. There have been so many versions of Macbeth, but none quite like Scotland, Pa. Here, we have a dark comedy that is downright hysterical at times.
The movie is set in 1975 and begins with Mac McBeth (James Le Gros) and Lady Pat McBeth (Maura Tierney) working at Duncan’s cafe for manager Doug McKenna (Josh Pais). Pat hates their job and their boss and one night at a bar, Mac and Lady get into a fight about it.
At the bar, their co-worker Banko (Kevin Corrigan) reveals to Mac that Doug had been stealing cash, but kept it secret because he didn’t want to be a rat. Afterwards, Mac wanders to a shutdown Amusement Park. There he meets Jesse (Andy Dick) and Hector (Timothy ‘Speed’ Levitch) who hand him a joint that he takes a few drags off of. They lead him into this cool train where Stacy (Amy Smart) reads his future. She has a Magic 8 Ball which is just great. I love those things. In a strange out-there scene, her voice changes as she tells him things. For those who know Macbeth, these of course play out as the three witches.
The next day, Mac tells Lady McBeth about Banko’s revelation. She insists that they tell the owner Duncan (James Rebhorn) which they do. Doug gets fired. Pat then decides that she doesn’t want to just have Mac be the Assistant Manager, but has dreams of owning the place. She pushes Mac to murder. They plot to kill Duncan and eventually succeed. Duncan is found in a vat of oil and a funeral is held that all attend.
At the wake, Banko notices that Pat has a burn on her hand. Mac plays it off. Lieutenant McDuff (Christopher Walken) then introduces advising he would be working the case. Lady and Mac get a little worried as Banko talks to him.
Something I noticed about McDuff is that even though this takes place after Nixon’s resignation, so after the Pentagon Papers were released and after Watergate, McDuff still supports the guy. Either that or he’s just very lazy about taking the pic down. Judging by how diligent he is in the case, I just think he’s a fan of Nixon. Watergate afterall, though sleazy, despicable and unforgivable was an investigation of sorts of the DNC (Democratic National Committee).
Mac and Lady begin to go crazy trying to cover their tracks. Mac, in a cowardly act, murders poor Banko who was just a nice guy and also the King of Yahtzee. McDuff is closing in and Mac starts to see Banko ala The Tell Tale Heart. “Why did you kill me?” The illusion asks. The unsaid answer is, “I’m an asshole who is whipped by my crazy wife.” Meanwhile, despite Pat’s hand being completely healed she still sees the burn and thinks it’s getting worse. Regret and guilt are powerful emotions that definitely impact the main characters’ decisions.
Scotland, PA is an underrated cult classic for various reasons. First, it’s smart. At one point, I thought Banko was dead. The movie leads you to that conclusion but then he’s okay. Anyone who knows the story, knows it’s not going to end up good but that was a cool diversionary tactic.
Also, the soundtrack is killer. Bad Company, an awesome band, is everywhere in this film. I’m going to track it down today and listen to it constantly when I have it. In the meantime, I can youtube the songs. Who would have thought that Bad Company and Scotland PA would go so well together? I wonder who decided on that music. Whomever it was, great choice!
This is one of the movies I bought for my CorriGeddon, which is a night dedicated to getting drunk and watching Kevin Corrigan films. It was well worth the purchase as this is something I will be sharing with at least 50 people.
The entire cast is awesome. Christopher Walken well is Christopher Walken so that should be enough said, but I’ll go on a little bit. He was perfectly cast. I loved seeing him opposite Corrigan. In one scene Banko hugs McDuff and it’s priceless. I want a gif image of it.
I need to see more movies with Maura Tierney. She’s always great. I watched her on NewsRadio (1995) and she was the reason I watched Liar Liar (1997). Here she plays a character with such diabolical thoughts and I’ve never seen her portray a villain. She did a great job. She wasn’t just a horrible person, but she certainly wasn’t sympathetic. She was self-serving and even though guilt manifested into the burn on her hand, her selfishness outweighed any conscience she may have had.
James Le Gros is also fantastic in his roles and I’ve seen him in so many different movies and portraying so many different characters. He was great in The Last Winter (2006) where he once again played opposite Mr. Kevin Corrigan. He portrays Mac as a much more sympathetic character than Lady McBeth. Despite him killing Banko, which was just unnecessary, he was pushed into the killing by his wife whom he couldn’t resist.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned this, but I happen to be a fan of Kevin Corrigan. When I watch him, it’s like watching Al Pacino in And Justice For All (1979) or A Dog Day Afternoon (1975). Corrigan’s performance always resonates with me on that same level of realism. Even when he is a quirky or offbeat character, it makes sense. He can really pull off anything and does so brilliantly.
This film is fantastic. It’s a great tribute to William Shakespeare’s work and even if you’re not familiar with Macbeth, you should watch it. You should definitely read Macbeth, it’s fantastic; but it’s not required to enjoy this flick.
Scared Stiff Rating: 9/10
