Bongwater

R

1998

1 hr. 38 min.

Comedy

Drama

List

17%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

65%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

David (Luke Wilson) is an Oregon slacker content to sell pot and occasionally work on his art. When he meets the beautiful and vibrant Serena (Alicia Witt), David begins to engage in life more fully and pursues his artwork with a sense of purpose. However, after Serena departs to live in New York City, he starts to drift back into his old habits, embarking on drug-crazed outings with the nutty Devlin (Jack Black). Will David and Serena reunite, or are they destined to be apart?

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Dock R

Worth it just for some shots of Portland and New York in the 90s otherwise I didn't really care about the relationships in the movie but maybe that ennui is exactly the feeling the movie is trying to create.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/15/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Such a vapid viewing experience, my score for it just kept dropping lower and lower as things progressed and I couldn't stop it even if I wanted to. I just can't... I don't know what these characters are or what they are doing other than drugs. It's a touchy-feely stoner movie that you might also be able to consider a stoner rom-com or a stoner relationships driven character study of stoners. Oh, great, aliens.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I love this movie. It's so nostalgic for me, it takes me back to my early 20's. Amazing cast! RIP Brittany.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Luke Wilson stars as a pot dealer and sometimes artist who meets and falls for Alicia Witt. She encourages him to take more interest in his painting, but when her art dealer friend (Brittany Murphy) shows a bit too much interest in him, she runs off to New York with a rock musician (Jamie Kennedy). He mopes around with his buddies (Andy Dick & Jeremy Sisto) and heads off to the woods to trip on acid with Jack Black. An amiable film with a great cast that seems to live under the same pot haze as Wilson's character. The film's one major flaw is that Dick is annoying and is in way too much of the film's last act.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Can't believe how many big actors this film had in it. It was an overall okay movie with its good spots here and there but it just felt like a bad version on Chasing Amy.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It's not much of a good-time comedy, if that's what you're expecting, but it's a decently interesting film. The characters are sort of annoying and the story is kinda messy, but it's mostly tolerable. There are a couple of funny moments and Jack Black and Andy Dick are a delight to see.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

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Richard Sears

Director

Luke Wilson

David

Alicia Witt

Serena

Amy Locane

Jennifer

Brittany Murphy

Mary

Jack Black

Devlin

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Ann Limpert

Entertainment Weekly

Though the pair's lack of real chemistry makes the cuddly ending feel tacked on, the hysterical drug-buddy performances of Brittany Murphy, Andy Dick, and Jack Black really make this joint roll.

Rated: B

Aug 7, 2013

Full Review

Lael Loewenstein

Variety

An uneven, intermittently likable movie about a group of Portland residents for whom getting high is a way of life.

Feb 23, 2012

Full Review

Noel Murray

AV Club

The picture is mainly a series of smoky, elliptical character sketches that range in quality from zippily funny to inert.

Jun 26, 2001

Full Review

Robert Pardi

TV Guide

It's hard to concur with the screenplay's insistence that there's both pathos and humor to be found in the bong-inhaling, bed-hopping lives of these indolent characters.

Rated: 1.5/4

Aug 7, 2013

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Oct 1, 2005

Full Review

Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

That works from time to time, and Witt is always a charmer, but otherwise this one's a throwaway. Dig that video cover!

Rated: 2/5

Dec 9, 2001

Full Review

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Synopsis

David (Luke Wilson) is an Oregon slacker content to sell pot and occasionally work on his art. When he meets the beautiful and vibrant Serena (Alicia Witt), David begins to engage in life more fully and pursues his artwork with a sense of purpose. However, after Serena departs to live in New York City, he starts to drift back into his old habits, embarking on drug-crazed outings with the nutty Devlin (Jack Black). Will David and Serena reunite, or are they destined to be apart?

Director: Richard Sears
Screenwriter: Laura Maccoby
Production Co: New Line Cinema
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 18, 2016

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