Ass Backwards is an irreverent female buddy comedy about two childhood best friends who are pushing the age of 30 and not quite where they thought theyd be in life. When they run into their former beauty pageant nemesis they decide to go on a road trip back home to recapture the pageant crown which eluded them as children. On the road they face some hard truths about themselves and each other as they encounter spring breakers strip clubs a womens militant group and their favorite reality star. This heightened comedic awakening leads us into an unforgettable third act finale that is the girls homecoming and final reckoning with their past present and future.
Review
A comedic dud. It's very unfortunate because it stars and was written by two of my favorite comic actresses Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) and June Diane Raphael (NTSFSDSUV). It was a labor of love for the two of them. They ran out of money at one point halfway through filming and had to delay the rest of the film for a year or more before finding another backer. Unfortunately the film is just never funny. The two actresses themselves can be kind of amusing but few laughs result from their antics. The two play former child beauty pageant participants now in their early 30s living in New York. They get an invitation to a beauty pageant reunion and decide to take a road trip to participate once again. The problem they're total idiots who were terrible when they were kids and who are just as terrible as adults. There are many adventures along the way almost none of them funny. The film wants to be an absurd comedy but it also wants a bit of an emotional response. The two protagonists are too silly (and frankly unlikable) to ever be taken seriously so all of the emotional moments fall flat. I have to admit as much as this doesn't work I'm too in love with the two actresses to ever not enjoy their presence. It's also too short to have really provoked anger in me. The supporting cast is generally good too including Vincent D'Onofrio Bob Odenkirk Alicia Silverstone Paul Scheer and Sandy Martin. And Jon Cryer who's awful as usual.