Home Fries movie storyline. Hamburger joint waitress Sally Jackson is pregnant. When Beatrice, the wife of the father, finds out about his infidelity, she sends her sons from a previous marriage, military pilots Angus and Dorian Montier, to scare the living daylights out of him. Their gunship does such a good job, without hitting him, that he dies from a heart attack.
Worrying about radio interference that night, they investigate who might have heard too much within the fairly empty reception perimeter, and soon discover only Sally could, still ignorant about her affair with his step-dad Henry. Dorian takes a job there to be sure, but soon falls for her himself, while mother-obsessed moron Angus would do anything to anyone for her honor…
Home Fries is a 1998 film directed by Dean Parisot, starring Drew Barrymore, Luke Wilson and Jake Busey. The script was originally penned by writer Vince Gilligan for a film class at New York University. It was filmed in Lockhart, Taylor and Bastrop, Texas.
About the Story
The film opens at Burger-Matic, where Henry Lever (Chris Ellis) orders a milkshake at the drive-thru. At the window, he tells the attendant, Sally Jackson (Drew Barrymore), that his wife knows about their affair. She asks him if he has also told his wife about her pregnancy. On his way home, he encounters a ferocious wind.
It turns out to be an attack helicopter, which runs him off the road. In a panic, he flees through the woods and drops his heart medication. At an outdoor chapel, he sits on a bench as the helicopter hovers in front of him. The pilot, Angus Montier (Jake Busey), shoots at the ground near him despite the protests of his copilot and brother, Dorian (Luke Wilson). The shots scare him enough to cause a fatal heart attack.
Throughout their attack, Dorian and Angus can hear the chatter of Sally and her coworkers. Likewise, they can hear the helicopter pilots on their headsets. The next day, the police inform Beatrice Lever (Catherine O’Hara) that Henry has died. She appears shocked and crestfallen, when Dorian and Angus arrive.
It quickly becomes clear that she encouraged her sons to scare him to death. She is also furious about his affair, and wants revenge on his mistress. Angus and Dorian are worried that the people they heard on the radio might have overheard enough to connect them to his death. They quickly deduce that Burger-Matic is the only location close enough to have been on the same frequency. Angus goads Dorian into getting a job there to ensure that no one is wise to their crime.
Sally is heartbroken at the news about Henry. At work, Dorian bonds with her quickly. He gives her a model helicopter for her baby, and he explains that he and Angus fly them as reservists for the National Guard. She asks him to accompany her to lamaze class, since she doesn’t have a partner. Eventually, he takes her to the base to see the helicopter that he flies. As she sits in the cockpit, she tells him about Henry.
Knowing that his mother is still furious about Henry’s affair and that Angus would hurt Sally if he knew her identity, Dorian frantically tries to keep the truth from his family. When Angus discovers Sally’s identity, Beatrice visits her under the pretense of making amends. Dorian is terrified of what Angus might do out of a misplaced loyalty to their crazy mother.
Sure enough, he arrives at Sally’s house in the attack helicopter. She, Dorian, and Beatrice escape in a truck. He eventually forces them to stop on the road. Beatrice pretends to be unaware of what is going on and leaves the truck. Dorian gradually convinces Angus to stop his attack.
Home Fries (1998)
Directed by: Dean Parisot
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Catherine O’Hara, Luke Wilson, Jake Busey, Shelley Duvall, Kim Robillard, Lanny Flaherty, Blue Deckert, Theresa Merritt, Shane Steiner
Screenplay by: Vince Gilligan
Production Design by: Barry Robison
Cinematography by: Jerzy Zielinski
Film Editing by: Nicholas C. Smith
Costume Design by: Jill M. Ohanneson
Set Decoration by: Suzette Sheets
Art Direction by: Phil Dagort
Music by: Rachel Portman
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements and some sexual humor.
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: November 25, 1998
Hits: 170
