Escanaba in da Moonlight poster & wallpaper
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Jeff Daniels, Harve Presnell, Joey Albright, Randall Godwin, Kimberly Norris Guerrero ... see more see more... , Wayne David Parker

The first day of deer hunting season may be a rite of passage for many hunters across the Midwest, but nowhere more so than in the small Michigan town of Escanaba -- or so this comedy from writer/dire... read more read more...ctor/star Jeff Daniels would have you believe. Daniels plays Rueben Soady, a dim hunter slouching through middle age, ostracized by the men in his family for his annual inability to "bag a buck." Rueben's venison envy reaches a fever pitch on the eve of hunting season, when he joins his father Albert (Fargo's Harve Presnell) and his brother Remnar (Joey Albright) at the family cabin for their yearly, alcohol-soaked ritual of tall tales and one-upmanship. Rueben is determined to make this year different, however, whether by means of ingesting a heady, Native American good-luck potion or dousing himself in porcupine urine in order to attract a stag or two. Otherworldly forces conspire to keep the Soady men from achieving their goals, however: Soon after they set up camp, they're plagued by blinding lights and hallucinogenic visions, imparted to them -- presumably -- by UFOs. When a babbling, traumatized park ranger (Randall Godwin) arrives on their doorstep, the Soadys know that their evening is about to become stranger still, and Rueben's hopes of living down his reputation as a "buckless" man are all but dashed. The first effort from Daniels' Purple Rose Films company, the independently produced and distributed Escanaba is based upon a stage play that premiered at the actor's Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea, MI, before touring various venues in the Midwest. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

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75% liked it

4,643 ratings

PG-13, 1 hr. 32 min.

Directed by: Jeff Daniels

Release Date: October 22, 2000

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DVD Release Date: October 15, 2002

 

Stats: 296 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (296)

  • 366weirdmovies
    January 16, 2011
    366weirdmovies
    A 42-year old man must bag a buck during this year's deer season or he'll be the oldest male in the history of his family never to have done so; with the help of a potion and porcupine urine supplied by his Native American wife, he goes on a vision quest and finds God as well as ... read morea ten pointer. Set in the upper Michigan peninsula, the movie tries too hard to get laughs out of the local dialect and customs; star/writer/director Jeff Daniels has a ton of ideas, but unfortunately most of them don't work out.
  • gator681
    August 5, 2011
    gator681
    It might not be necesaary to be familiar with the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where "Escanaba in Da Moonlight" is set to enjoy the movie's offbeat charms but it couldn't hurt. For example, you don't have to have eaten a pasty before, except that you are missing something delicio... read moreus.(The last one I had was a few years ago, just south of The Bridge.) But you should know at least about the fishing and hunting(plenty of the former when I was a kid but none of the latter thankfully) there.

    So, you might understand the plight of Rueben Soady(Jeff Daniels, who also wrote and directed), having never shot a buck in his 43 years much to his personal and familial embarrassment. In fact, his wife, Wolf Moon Dance(Kimberly Guerrero), has always been a much better hunter but is not invited along to the annual hunting lodge. Who are invited are Rueben's dad, Albert(Harve Presnell), and brother, Remnar(Joey Albright), and a lot of whiskey. Jimmer(Wayne David Parker), who reportedly had his brain scrambled by extraterrestrials and not alcohol, makes a sudden appearance.(For some odd reason, I have no problem with the belief that the Upper Peninsula is haunted by UFO's.) In the end, lessons are learned, like if you are a buck, never get too close to an outhouse. And regardless of what species you are, never name your son Remnar.
  • ToryKleist
    November 13, 2008
    ToryKleist
    funny hunting and alien movie













    it is really funny and i think everyone should see jimmer
  • orian42
    August 7, 2008
    orian42
    This movie is FUNNY! I war n you...you will either get this movie or you won't. I, for one, love it! AHO!
  • bunnywing
    April 4, 2007
    bunnywing
    Anyone can appreciate this movie, but if you're from Michigan or a hunter it's a must see! Jeff Daniels is brilliant.
  • kcddck
    March 29, 2007
    kcddck
    A really disappointing movie. The first half hour of the movie was hilarious, but when the side story of the UFO and the character of Jimmers came into the story, it just became a mess. Oh, did I hate the UFO storyline. Joey Albright though was quite a surprise as I found myse... read morelf laughing at him several times. Not the best acted either as well. I guess I was expecting so much more from this, but it just wasn;t as good as I thought it was going to be.
  • chrylhrtn1
    February 19, 2007
    chrylhrtn1
    I love this movie because he is so funny and its filmed in the upper part of michigan, a place where I go fishing on the great lakes, not to far from the town in the movie
  • anorkia
    May 30, 2006
    anorkia
    This movie really struggles to find an identity and comes up short with a strange mix of Northern Michigan lore, unbalanced dark comedy and a fart sequence that would make Beavis & Butthead blush.

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Critic Reviews

James Sanford
June 9, 2002
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette

The performances are zesty and consistently enjoyable, with everyone having a high old time speaking in an accent as thick and heavy as a slab of Mackinac Island fudge. Full Review

December 3, 2001
Chicago Reader

Click to read the article Full Review

Tom Long
June 25, 2001
Tom Long, Detroit News

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
August 11, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

June 25, 2001
AV Club

No review available.

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    • Albert Soady: You couldn't hit the house if you were standing in it.
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Escanaba in da Moonlight Trivia

  • which movie is this: A macho man in a family on the eve of deer-hunting season must deal with the eldest son's curse of never having bagged a buck. Starring Jeff Daniels  Answer »
  • I couldn't bag a buck in Escanaba in Da Moonlight, I dealt with my divorced parents in the Squid and the Whale, I plugged up a toilet in Dumb and Dumber. Who am I?  Answer »
  • what movie is Edward Norton NOT in?  Answer »
  • Escanaba in da Moonlight (2001) is based on life on what pennisula?  Answer »
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