Fun

Critics Consensus

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Movie Info

Bonnie (Alicia Witt) and Hillary (Renee Humphrey) are two seemingly average California teenagers who have some very heavy emotional baggage to lug around. Bonnie was abandoned by her mother years ago, and Hillary was sexually assaulted by her father, who is now behind bars. Bonnie and Hillary have enough in common that they strike up a fast friendship and head out one day in search of "fun." However, by the end of the day, their pursuit of happiness has taken them from typically meanspirited teenage pranks, such as dropping pennies onto cars from an overpass, to an abrupt and shocking extreme -- the murder of an elderly woman who has done them no harm. Jane (Leslie Hope), a social worker assigned to work with Bonnie and Hillary, finds it all but impossible to get through to them and is dealing with her own precarious emotional state (which she treats with alcohol), while tabloid journalist John (William R. Moses) tries to wring a juicy, sensational story out of the girls' crime spree. Meanwhile, Bonnie and Hillary wonder out loud about their sudden "celebrity" and who will play them in the inevitable TV movie about their crimes. Alicia Witt and Renee Humphrey both won awards for their performances at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival, though the film didn't find a distributor until 1996, after the release of the thematically similar Heavenly Creatures.

Rating:

NR
Genre:

Drama, Mystery & Suspense
Directed By:

Rafal Zielinski
Written By:

James Bosley
In Theaters:

Apr 12, 1994 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Feb 26, 2002
Runtime:

105 minutes
Studio:

Neo Modern Entertainment Corporation

Cast

Alicia Witt
as Bonnie

Renee Humphrey
as Hillary

William R. Moses
as John

Leslie Hope
as Jane

Ania Suli
as Mrs. Farmer

Allen Shapiro
as Record Store Manager

James J. Howard Jr.
as Male Prison Guard

Frederick B. Adams
as Male Prison Guard

Mary Ann Norment
as Female Prison Guard

Sabrina Ortega
as Female Prison Guard

Patrice F. Battle
as Female Prison Guard

Carmina Rubalcava
as Female Prison Guard

Malquele Garcia
as Female Prison Guard

Cindie Northrup
as Prison Librarian

Denise Fischer
as Inmate

Sharon Ben-Tal
as Inmate

Amy Bateman
as Inmate

Dena J. Pacitti
as Inmate

Cynthia Farris
as Inmate

Leah Kourtne Ballantine
as Inmate

Amanda Blackholly
as Inmate

Kimberly Ann Ross
as Inmate

Dana Maria Thomas
as Inmate

Ashley Michael Lauren
as Inmate

Rochelle Roderick
as Mrs. Farmer's Neighbor

Steven Givens
as Mrs. Farmer's Neighbor

Gregory Steven Ferret
as Mrs. Farmer's Neighbor

Steven A. Adelson
as Gas Station Attendant

Alan Shapiro
as Record Store Manager

Victoria Radu
as Nurse

Jonathan Lightstone
as Kid

Gillian Lightstone
as Kid

Alexander Hecht
as Kid

Elizabeth Hecht
as Kid

James Youngman
as Kid

Jaime Anderson
as Kid

Chris Gillett
as Kid

View All

Critic Reviews for Fun

All Critics (11) | Top Critics (1) | Fresh (9) | Rotten (2)

The main reason to see it is the exceptional performances from the two young leads, Alicia Witt as the crazed, hyperactive, almost infantile Bonnie and Renee Humphrey as her brooding, introverted friend. Both are names to watch.

Mar 29, 2019 | Full Review…

Sheila Johnston
Independent (UK)
The subject matter, alienation of two girls who kill for fun, is significant, and the film is well acted, especially by Alicia Witt, but the director's approach and visual style are incoherent

Jan 9, 2011 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
The murder is one of the most upsetting things I've ever seen in a film, and I've seen it all.

May 27, 2006 | Rating: 5/5 | Full Review…

Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
Witt is so natural it's hard to believe her lines were scripted

Jan 1, 2000

Shane Burridge
rec.arts.movies.reviews

View All Critic Reviews (11)

Audience Reviews for Fun

Aug 18, 2007

A superb film. Two girls, Hillary and Bonnie become best friends for a day, and go on spree of fun - ending up with the murder of a nice old lady. This is intercut with black and white footage of them in a juvenile detention centre, being interviewed by a reporter and a psychologist. It really gets in depth with the girl's personalities. Hard to watch the murder scenes. Quite interesting how lost these girls are in their fun.

Lafe F Super Reviewer
Feb 06, 2007

<i>Heavenly Creatures</i> meets <i>Natural Born Killers</i> in this story of two misfits who cement their unnaturally close bond with an act of murder. Well-acted, but the script seems familiar and the direction is show-offishly busy.

Dean M Super Reviewer
Oct 21, 2006

I bought this blind on VHS a few years ago as a fan of Alicia Witt. This is a superior, superbly acted and interestingly shot teen flick, and kind of works as a companion piece to "Thirteen". Ignore the dodgy DVD cover art and give it a go - most online stores sell it for under 10 bucks so how can you go wrong?

Daniel P Super Reviewer