Floundering

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Floundering ★½ 1994 (R)

Misguided satire uses the 1992 L.A. riots as a backdrop to tell the saga of unemployed James Boyz (LeGros), whose life is a walking disaster. He owes the IRS, his unemployment compensation has run out, his brother (Hawke) has fled from a drug rehab clinic, and he finds his girlfriend (Zane) in bed with another man. John drags himself among the city's downtrodden as he fantasizes about life. Drag pretty much sums up the film despite good performances by LeGros and Hawke. 97m/ C VHS, DVD . James LeGros, Ethan Hawke, Steve Buscemi, John Cusack, Lisa Zane, Sy Richardson, Jeremy Piven, Billy Bob Thornton; D: Peter McCarthy; W: Peter McCarthy; C: Denis Maloney; M: Pray for Rain.