Beeville, Texas

Author(s): Jamie Madden
Location: Melbourne, Australia

“Beeville, Texas"

Directed by Alexander Payne
Written by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor
Produced by Paul Thomas Anderson
Original Score by Rolfe Kent

Principal Cast:

John Cusack as Jeremy Middleton
Annette Bening as Prudence Heart
Jennifer Tilly as Ariana Feelgood
Joan Cusack as Victoria R. Wiltman

Tagline: "Hypocrisy, insolence, absurdity and capitalism = sex ed in Beeville, Texas"

Synopsis: Jeremy Middleton is an unsuccessful documentary filmmaker, who is sent on a final attempt to revive his already lackluster career. His assignment takes him into Beeville, Texas, where he meets with two rival sexual education programs. The first group is ironically named SACKS (The Sexually Abstinent Catholic Kids Sanctum.) SACKS (founded by devout evangelist and NRA spokesperson Prudence Heart) provides a sanctuary for those teenagers who wish to live in harmony in their society without exploiting their bodies through premature ungodly acts of sexuality. The second and much more controversial group is SLUTT (The Sexually Liberated and United Teachers of Texas) founded by Ariana Feelgood. The SLUTT program aims to educate teens and pre-teens on the joys and pleasures of unselfish acts of sexual liberation, in a dream of a utopian open-minded god loving society.

When Principal of Beeville High, Victoria R. Wiltman is suddenly beheaded in a freak archery accident, vice-principal Prudence Heart, receives the promotion of principal, where upon some immediate changes are noticed. All junk food is banned from the cafeteria, a daily prayer is spoken during the daily assembly and the schools funding of sexual education triples, thus creating a surplus of sex ed classes and a totalitarian regime, similar to Hitler’s Nazi Germany.

Jeremy’s documentary then switches focus to Ariana and SLUTT’s fight to emancipate and expel the power crazy, gun touting Prudence and SACK, for deplorable actions of treachery and corrupting the innocent minds of the impressionable pubescent youth of Beeville, Texas.

What the press would say:

Alexander Payne returns to high school in this humorously, witty and amusingly original creation of feuding sexual education programs. Payne’s “Beeville, Texas” is not only a story of hilarious proportions, but also features a strong social commentary, ranging from issues of religion, sex, authority, politics and rivalry. Annette Bening and Jennifer Tilly are a flawless match made in heaven, providing unbelievable chemistry, rarely seen on screen. John Cusack offers some sly witty banter, as well as Joan Cusack as the Principal. Rolfe Kent supplies a brilliantly comical score that deserves a long deserved win, as well as for Bening’s performance. However, it is Payne and Jim Taylor’s script that is the heart and soul of the film, highlighted by the Oscar worthy performances. All together a astonishing portray of school sexual education.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION (Comedy/Musical categories for GG)

Best Picture
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay
Best Original Score
Best Actress (Bening, Tilly)
Best Actor (Cusack)
Best Supporting Actress (Cusack)
Best Costume Design