I saw a couple of other reviews for this production, some good, some bad, and I’m not surprised people are saying they’re bothered by the non-American writer’s perspective of America. But I don’t think the writer’s wrong either. I grew up in small town Ohio, and trust me, there were Jesus freaks and bumpkins everywhere. And emotions are running very high right now in this country regarding foreigners, and our sensitivity to Americans being portrayed in any negative or stereotypical light is more extreme than ever. What we fail to realize is that people in other countries may have these stereotypes of Americans b/c if you watch the news, and see the extremes we’re living in right now, what else are they supposed to think of us? Are these stereotypes true of all Americans? Absolutely not. Are they true of some Americans? Absolutely.

The acting was stiff in many places (probably more of a script issue than an acting issue, to be fair – talk about unnatural dialogue), I couldn’t find one symathetic character (the deputy came close, but no cigar), I found the portrayal of Smalltown USA to be exactly what one would expect a non-American to portray Smalltown USA as (cliched and inauthentic), and, to be uber-picky here, no one is allowed into the Art Institute with a backpack as large as that kid’s, no one would be allowed into the Art Institute with bare & bloodied bandaged feet, and no one in America uses the term “child-minding facility”.