Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie Reviews

C.B. Harding's filmic backstage pass to the hugely successful 2000 Blue Collar Comedy Tour was intended for theatrical distribution but eventually released directly to video and DVD. The movie kicks off on a high note, with caustic comedian Ron White’s jabs at greedy telemarketers and proper attire for bar fights. A master of timing, White is a social critic whose one-liners strike a universal chord. Larry the Cable Guy practices an altogether more vulgar brand of comedy, but his raunchy anecdotes sometimes build to side-splitting pay-offs. Although his patter is sexist and crude, Larry’s shtick about distracting his ravenous sister from his groceries with a rodeo clown is a classic. Next up is the domestic comedian, Bill Engvall — the subjects of his tirades run the gamut from ruined family vacations to his teenaged daughter's microscopic underwear. Rounding out the quartet is Jeff Foxworthy, whose catchphrase, "You know you’re a redneck if..." gets a workout from Foxworthy himself and from the fans who quote him while waiting in line. The least biting but most popular comedian on the tour and star of TV's The Jeff Foxworthy Show (1995-1997), his routine strikes a chord in devotees who pride themselves on their lack of sophisticated airs. Foxworthy gets laughs of embarrassed recognition from material that includes his young kids begging in the cereal aisle at the supermarket to an engagement dinner held at a Hooter's restaurant. Overall, the stage routines score and the film's off-stage segments, in which the four friends cut loose in mall stores, are engaging. In addition to the proven stand-up material, this slick package offers insight into the comics' rapport with down-home audiences and their mutual camaraderie.