Jjaks Clayton

Feeling Minnesota (1996)

Someone ate his ear

Occupation:Ex-convict
Distinguishing Feature:...His name is Jjaks
What He Taught Us:How to spell 'Minnesota'

Keanu Reeves

He loved his mother and she sent him away. I guess he's just someone with a huge hurt and abandonment and yet he's someone who has become conscious of that somehow and trying to fight his own nature. And yet, he meets this woman who rocks his world and he says to her 'I got a car, I got a car waiting outside' and he goes for it. He's a good hearted man who has a couple of wounds. He was trying to get over the difficulties. I understood 'it feels too good', which is a line that the character says. And the line, 'It'll always turn to shit.' And that's really one of the moments, the backbone of Jjaks. It was cool, because the character tries to get over it. He jumps in.

LuxuriantN

I feel Jjaks is the most honorable character in this film. Although initially, he is introduced as the black sheep of a dysfunctional family, he is actually the only one with any honour.

Despite the appalling treatment he put up with his whole life from his brother, he still attends his wedding. His Mother's disappointment at his failure to bring a gift for his brother moments after seeing him again for the first time in ages, sums up his relationship with her.

True, he has sex with his brother's new bride on their wedding day - but anyone who has seen the film will know he wasnt the instigator of this (hilarious)situation.

That is actually a theme repeated throughout the movie - Jjaks being dragged into a set of circumstances to please other people - or having to fight hard to get himself out of sticky situations brought about by others.

The fights between the brothers are very funny...but rather than actually disliking each other, I feel they are simply acting out feelings left over from their childhood and the friction caused between them by their mother. A mother who left them both with emotional burdens.

We come to see that Jjaks is actually the more fortunate one with regard to the relationship with his mother as he has been able to avoid her manipulation most of his life - and is therefore a much more stable adult than his brother.

Jjaks doesnt get any lucky breaks in life - and even his love (lust?) at first sight relationship with Cameron Diaz' character, costs him dearly.

A great film with Keanu at his cutest/funniest. The other performances are fabulous too. Strongly recommended - although I should warn you that those with a slightly left of centre sense of humour will enjoy it the most.




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