The Guatemalan Handshake (2006)
Movie Info
Cast
as Turkeylegs
as Mr. Turnupseed
as Donald Turnupseed
as Sadie
as Stool
as Ethel Firecracker
as Spank Williams
as Ivan
as Barnard
as Curtis
as Delabia
as Lunchmeat
as Neckface
as Leonard
as Insurance Man
News & Interviews for The Guatemalan Handshake
Critic Reviews for The Guatemalan Handshake
All Critics (7) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (5) | Rotten (2)
On the index of quirk, this winsome indie scores quite high.
Although Rohal's goal seems to be a rich character study, the movie works best as a celebration of small-town Americana that persists well into the 21st century.
A frustrating example of convention-defying filmmaking that tries too hard to be different.
This sweet nothing has invention and personality to spare, not to mention marvelous mysteries, quirky connections and cockeyed running gags.
Deliberately quirky almost to the point of distraction, this offbeat comedy is an enjoyably puzzling film.
An entertaining and visually exciting film. It has an oddly meandering pace that is riddled with quirky characters in weird situations.
Audience Reviews for The Guatemalan Handshake
After her boyfriend goes missing a pregnant woman with dozens of sisters all from different mothers enters a demolition derby against her Guatemalan father... and that's just one of many plotlines running concurrently in this bizarre rural community. How to describe this unique movie: maybe it's like what would happen if Wes Anderson rewrote GUMMO as a quirky comedy?
Super Reviewer
In "The Guatemalan Handshake," Donald(Will Oldham) disappears during a power outage. Two weeks later, his girlfriend Sadie(Sheila Scullin) asks to stay with his father(Ken Byrnes) when she shows up with a broken arm and pregnant after her father(Ivan Dimitrov) kicks her out of the house.(She is not lying when she says she has dozens of sisters as the family car is a school bus.) Wanting to move on, Sadie is introduced to Stool(Rich Schreiber) at the local roller rink where she accidentally breaks his nose. "The Guatemalan Handshake" is an odd comedy with a sense of humor that is occasionally unkind towards its peculiarly named characters. Otherwise, it does tend to celebrate these outsiders' uniqueness. In the end, the movie is salvaged by its offbeat charm.
Super Reviewer
Although it tries hard to be strange, it certainly is. Reminded me of Gummo, but slightly less white trash, and the with the cast of Vernon, Florida. Fun characters and pace.
Super Reviewer
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