Picking Up the Pieces Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A butcher tries to bury his dismembered wife in the desert, but her severed, miraculously middle-fingered hand becomes a holy relic in a small town, leading to chaotic miracles and heavenly bureaucracy.

🍿 Picking Up the Pieces: Detailed Plot Synopsis

A Butcher’s Desperate Act

Tex Cowley, a seemingly mild-mannered kosher butcher, discovers his wife Candy is having an affair, including one with a local police officer. In a fit of jealous rage, Tex kills Candy. To dispose of the body and conceal his crime, he dismembers it.

The Miraculous Hand of the Virgin

Tex attempts to bury Candy’s remains in the New Mexico desert. However, one of her severed hands, with the middle finger extended, falls off his truck. It is discovered by a blind old woman who miraculously regains her sight upon touching it. Believing it to be a divine relic, possibly the hand of the Virgin Mary, she brings it back to her small village.

A Village Transforms

News of the ‘miracle hand’ spreads rapidly, attracting pilgrims seeking cures and attention from the media. The town’s ambitious mayor sees an opportunity to turn the impoverished village into a tourist attraction centered around the hand. This causes conflict with the disillusioned local priest, who initially doubts the hand’s authenticity but is forced to confront the inexplicable events.

Tex’s Pursuit

Meanwhile, Tex realizes the hand is missing and could serve as crucial evidence linking him to his wife’s murder. Haunted by his crime and the hand’s newfound fame, he desperately attempts to recover it before the local sheriff or church authorities can use it against him.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Tex Cowley (Woody Allen): A struggling kosher butcher who travels to a small Mexican village searching for the killer of his wife after her severed hand is found.
• Candy Cowley (Sharon Stone): Tex’s murdered wife whose severed hand becomes the focus of a supposed religious miracle in a remote village.
• Father Leo Jerome (David Schwimmer): A young priest in the village who discovers the severed hand and believes it to be a miracle from God.
• Sheriff Bobo (Kiefer Sutherland): The local sheriff who is tasked with investigating the mysterious hand while navigating the village’s growing religious fervor.
• Sister Frida (Fran Drescher): A nun who strongly believes the severed hand is a divine relic and helps promote the idea of a miracle in the village.
• Officer Jose Miguel (Cheech Marin): A local police officer assisting the sheriff in dealing with the strange discovery and the influx of people to the village.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Tex Cowley: “We Jews didn’t intentionally kill Jesus, it was just a party that got out of hand.” – Said during a discussion, reflecting his character’s cynical and irreverent humor regarding historical and religious events.
• Father Leo Jerome: “You can save your ass, or you can save your soul. But you can’t save both.” – A cynical observation on the difficult choices people face between worldly desires and spiritual belief, reflecting the priest’s internal conflict.
• Tex Cowley: “I’m sure the Virgin was wearing turquoise nail polish.” – A sarcastic comment upon seeing the ‘miraculous’ severed hand, highlighting the absurdity of the situation and the object’s appearance.
• Tex Cowley: “F**k ’em if they can’t take a joke.” – Delivered as the film’s final line, offering a cynical and defiant summary of the story’s themes and the film’s irreverent tone.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $20,000,000
• Domestic Gross: $800,000
• Worldwide Gross: $800,000

💥 Picking Up the Pieces Reviews

Personal Review

Okay, so I watched ‘Picking Up the Pieces,’ and wow, what a ride. It’s definitely not a ‘good’ movie in the traditional sense, but it’s something else entirely. The premise alone is bonkers – a severed hand giving miracles? And it’s got Woody Allen and David Schwimmer in the middle of it all. I spent half the time asking myself what I was even watching, and the other half just kind of mesmerized by the sheer commitment to the bit, no matter how silly or offensive it got. Seeing Kiefer Sutherland as this over-the-top cop was particularly memorable. It’s the kind of movie you watch just because you can’t believe it exists with this cast. Parts of it are genuinely chuckle-worthy if you have a dark sense of humor, but a lot of it feels… cheap. Like they had a wild idea and just ran with it, consequences be damned. It’s less a polished film and more an experience of witnessing something truly strange unfold. Definitely a conversation starter, if nothing else.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Viewers interested in dark or absurdist comedy”
  • “Fans of specific cast members willing to see them in unconventional roles”
  • “Those curious about controversial or poorly received films”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Strong language”
  • “Satirical/irreverent treatment of religion (specifically Catholicism)”
  • “Mature themes (murder, infidelity)”
  • “Crude humor”
  • “Brief graphic imagery (severed hand)”

Professional Reviews

• Inspired by user reviews: “Despite a wild premise and an unexpectedly star-studded cast, ‘Picking Up the Pieces’ is a baffling misfire. The humor falls flat, often relying on cheap gags and offensive religious satire without any wit. Woody Allen seems lost, and the production values are shockingly low. It feels less like a film and more like a collection of bad sketch ideas thrown together. A chore to watch.
• Inspired by user reviews: “This bizarre dark comedy swings wildly between offensive and occasionally amusing, though mostly misses the mark. The core idea of a miraculous, severed hand is ripe for satire, but the execution is sloppy and unfocused. While seeing actors like Woody Allen and Kiefer Sutherland in such outlandish roles is a novelty, it doesn’t save the film from its poorly structured script and inconsistent tone. Worth a peek only for the truly curious or forgiving.
• Inspired by user reviews: “An absolute mess of a film, yet strangely compelling in its absurdity. ‘Picking Up the Pieces’ is a black comedy that commits fully to its ridiculous premise, featuring a severed hand that performs miracles and a cast that seems to be having a bewildered good time. While the humor is often crude and the production values are low, there’s a certain chaotic energy and irreverence that might appeal to fans of truly off-the-wall cinema. Not good by conventional standards, but undeniably unique.

Audience Reactions

The sheer absurdity of the premise and the unexpected cast.: Some viewers appreciated its dark, irreverent humor and unique concept, finding it funny despite its flaws. The surprising ensemble cast was also a point of interest for many.

Many found it confusing, poorly written, and offensively unfunny.: A significant number of viewers felt the movie was one of the worst they had seen, citing bad writing, direction, acting, and a tasteless approach to its controversial subject matter. Many were bewildered by the participation of well-known actors.

Overall Consensus: Widely regarded as a bizarre and largely unsuccessful dark comedy, often criticized for its poor execution and offensive humor, though a small contingent finds its sheer absurdity and cast ensemble uniquely memorable.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “Cheech Marin, a member of the ensemble cast, publicly stated that this film was the worst he had ever participated in.”
• “Despite being set in a small New Mexican village, principal photography actually took place at the Oasis Trailer Park in Saugus, California.”
• “In the United States, the film bypassed a theatrical release and premiered directly on the Cinemax cable channel.”
• “Director Alfonso Arau is best known for the critically acclaimed romantic drama ‘Like Water for Chocolate’ (1992), representing a significant departure in genre and tone with this film.”
• “Though only credited as an actor, many critics and viewers speculated that Woody Allen heavily influenced or wrote much of his own dialogue due to its distinctive style.”

🖥️ How to Watch Picking Up the Pieces?

As a direct-to-cable release, ‘Picking Up the Pieces’ may not be available on major subscription streaming services. Check platforms like Prime Video or Apple TV for digital purchase or rental options. Searching on Amazon is recommended to find available ways to watch the film.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed Picking Up the Pieces, you might like these similar films:

• Very Bad Things (1998): A darkly comedic crime film involving the disposal of a body and the subsequent chaotic consequences, sharing a similar tone of escalating absurdity and black humor.
• Life of Brian (1979): A highly influential and controversial religious satire that mocks faith, mistaken identity, and societal reactions to perceived miracles, similar to the irreverent tone towards religion.
• The Big Lebowski (1998): A cult classic crime comedy featuring an escalating series of bizarre events, unconventional characters, and dark humor, which shares a similar offbeat sensibility and ensemble cast dynamic.
• Nurse Betty (2000): An ensemble crime comedy from the same era that blends dark humor, absurd circumstances, and characters dealing with shocking events, offering a similar blend of tones.
• Swiss Army Man (2016): A surreal and highly unconventional comedy centered around a body with unexpected abilities, pushing boundaries of absurdity and exploring deeper themes through a bizarre premise.

🛒 Picking Up the Pieces Related Products

• Cult Classic Dark Comedies Film Collection: A curated collection of darkly humorous and unconventional films that push boundaries, much like ‘Picking Up the Pieces’ attempted to do.
• Book: Satire and Religion in Cinema: An academic or popular non-fiction book exploring how filmmakers have used satire to examine or critique religious themes throughout cinematic history.
• Southwest Desert Landscape Art Prints: High-quality prints featuring the distinctive landscapes of New Mexico and Texas, the film’s primary setting.
• The Absurdist’s Guide to Life (Novelty Hand Puppet): A quirky, finger-extending novelty hand puppet designed to embody the film’s central, absurd visual gag and irreverent tone.

🎧 Soundtrack

Picking Up the Pieces features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Bad Corazon En Pedazos” – performed by Flaco Jiménez and his Band

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

SING – I’m still standing – Johnny (Taron Egerton) [Lyrics]

Okay, you HAVE to relive this moment from Sing! Remember Johnny’s incredible ‘I’m Still Standing’ performance? This video is that exact scene with the lyrics so you can sing along – it’s just as epic as you remember!

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