Without a Paddle

Our Rating: L Factor: Minor lesbian content Short Take: Three guys set off on a canoe trip in the Oregon forest. Alternate Titles:
Year: 2004 Duration: 95 min Language: USA/English MPAA: PG-13	Director: Steven Brill Writer: Fred Wolf, Harris Goldberg Starring: Burt Reynolds, Dax Shepard, Matthew Lillard, Seth Green, Danielle Cormack

Without a Paddle Trailer

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Jerry (Matthew Lillard, If These Walls Could Talk I), Dan (Seth Green, ‘Buffy’) and Tom (Dax Shepard) were all buddies as kids, and at age 30, they set off on a canoe trip in the Oregon forest. In this comedy adventure, they run into a bear who carries off Dan, then encounter rednecks with a clandestine marijuana farm, followed by two sexy environmentalists living in a tree.

Next they’re rescued by a mountain man played by Burt Reynolds (an homage to Deliverance), but must escape the pot farmers who are tracking them. Along the way, all three of them face fears and grow up. The comedy has a lot of potential, but the laughs are smaller than expected.

Lesbian content? In the first few scenes of the film, when the characters are being introduced, we see Tom in bed with a woman. Suddenly they realize that Tony is home unexpectedly, and when Tony walks in, it’s a woman. Tom is fooling around with her lover and suggests a ‘Tom sandwich,’ prompting Tony to scratch him and send him flying across the room with a kick to the stomach. Many will recognize Tony as Danielle Cormack, Ephiny in ‘Xena.’ This was shot in New Zealand, and ‘Xena’ and Lord of the Rings costume designer Ngila Dickson also did the costume work here. (AB)