Waking Up in Reno (2001)

14% of critics liked it
(37 reviews)
35% of users liked it
(5,858 ratings)

Country singer Dwight Yoakam is a co-producer of this Miramax comedy about marital infidelity among the Southern redneck set. Auto dealer Lonnie Earl (Billy Bob Thornton) and his wife, Darlene (Natasha Richardson), are best friends with good-natured Roy (Patrick Swayze) and his spitfire wife, Candy… More Country singer Dwight Yoakam is a co-producer of this Miramax comedy about marital infidelity among the Southern redneck set. Auto dealer Lonnie Earl (Billy Bob Thornton) and his wife, Darlene (Natasha Richardson), are best friends with good-natured Roy (Patrick Swayze) and his spitfire wife, Candy (Charlize Theron), who's ovulating and trying to become pregnant. When the quartet of Arkansas natives decides to take an SUV cross-country to a monster truck show in Reno, NV, an alarming secret is revealed: Lonnie Earl and Candy have been having an affair. The revelation comes as a shock to the guileless Roy and much put-upon Darlene, who absconds with her husband's credit cards for a spending spree that includes designer boutiques and a Tony Orlando concert. Meanwhile, Candy's quest to have a baby takes on a new dimension in light of her extracurricular activities with Lonnie Earl. Waking Up in Reno (2002) is based on a script by longtime screenwriting partners/actors Brent Briscoe and Mark Fauser, who also play supporting roles in the film. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 31 min.
Directed By: Jordan Brady
Written By: Brent Briscoe, Mark Fauser
Genres: Comedy, Romance

In Theaters: Oct 25, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Apr 8, 2003
Studio: Miramax Films

Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
Like Pabst Blue Ribbon, which the characters drink by the case, this bubba comedy about cheating spouses is good for a cheap buzz.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
I like all four of the lead actors a lot and they manage to squeeze a few laughs out of the material, but they're treading water at best in this forgettable effort.
Todd McCarthy, Variety
A hillbilly romantic comedy in which the hillbillies show up but the romance and comedy never do.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Nothing in Waking Up in Reno ever inspired me to think of its inhabitants as anything more than markers in a screenplay.
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter
Finally coming down off of Miramax's deep shelves after a couple of aborted attempts, Waking Up in Reno makes a strong case for letting sleeping dogs lie.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Every note rings false.
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
Four boring characters, a painfully unfunny road trip and drama that's not quite as convincing as a daytime soap opera add up to a wretched time in this redneck romantic comedy.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
A lot of weirdness from otherwise good actors.
Andrew Wright, Portland Mercury
A bushel of yokel gags and labored boudoir misunderstandings ... culminating with a tipping-the-bellhop gag that first appeared in cave paintings.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...it's hard to imagine what these four stars saw in the script...
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
A waste of talent. A waste of money. A waste of time.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
I can't begin to tell you how tedious, how resolutely unamusing, how thoroughly unrewarding all of this is, and what a reckless squandering of four fine acting talents...
Forrest Hartman, Reno Gazette-Journal
Reno doesn't do well under repeated viewing, particularly in a home video setting.