20 Years Ago: ‘Joe Dirt’ Blends Sophomoric Humor and Sweetness - UCR
It's no surprise that virtually every film critic hated Joe Dirt, the cult classic starring comedian David Spade.
After all, the movie featured a nonsensical flashback-over-the-radio storyline, a misguided Silence of the Lambs parody, a brief yet excruciating guest spot from Kid Rock, loads of crude gags and one-liners, and a scene where Christopher Walken's mobster-in-hiding sprouts an erection while posing as a corpse.
There is, indeed, plenty to hate. But underneath that veneer of stupidity and raunch is a surprising sweetness, along with a somehow-charming lead turn from the former Saturday Night Live star.
Joe Dirt, which follows a mullet-sporting outcast's search for his parents, was never going to be an easy sell for high-brow comedy fans.