Stateside ★★ 2004 (R)

Romantic soap opera that writer/director Anselmo says is based on a true story. The movie starts in 1984 with hospitalized Marine Mark (Tucker) flashing back to 1980. While drunk, high schooler Mark gets into a serious car accident that his wealthy dad (Mantegna) fixes by having Mark enlist in the Corps rather than doing jail time. On leave, Mark visits gal pal Sue (Bruckner) in a mental hospital and meets her schizophrenic ex-actress/singer roomie Dori (Cook). They immediately fall for each other and the drama ensues. Tucker fares best as his character matures from boy to man under Kilmer's tough drill instructor, while Cook is playing standard Hollywood-crazy. Movie might have benefited from a longer run time since the overstuffed plot doesn't have time to develop. Penny Marshall has an uncredited cameo as a nurse. 96m/C VHS, DVD . US GE Rachael Leigh Cook, Jonathan Tucker, Agnes Bruckner, Val Kilmer, Joe Mantegna, Carrie Fisher, Diane Venora, Ed Begley Jr., Michael Goduti, Daniel Franzese, Penny Marshall; D: Reverge Anselmo; W: Reverge Anselmo; C: Adam Holender; M: Joel McNeely.

state·side / ˈstātˌsīd/ • adj. & adv. inf. of, in, or toward the U.S. (used in reference to the U.S. from elsewhere or from the geographically separate states of Alaska and Hawaii): [as adj.] stateside police departments | [as adv.] they were headed stateside.