This is his territory. Instead, George Clooney disguises himself in a Clark Gable 'tache and takes the comedy lead. He makes a mighty fine job of it. Loosely based on The Odyssey, the film follows three hapless escapees from a chain gang in Mississippi during the Depression, as they stumble and fall into more and more bizarre situations. The South, it seems, is inhabited by bigoted white fat men and dark-skinned blues singers, who are liable to be lynched at any moment.
Eccentricity is the norm and the ability to make the most of a crisis essential to survival.
Pete and Delmar believe they are going to share a treasure trove that Everett buried before being hauled off to jail. When Pete is turned into a horned toad by the Sirens, well, that's plain weird. Delmar believes so, anyway, and carries him around in a shoe box. When the brothers have fun, no holds are barred. Comic invention rides shotgun on a screenplay that runs wild.