Who Knew Bucky Badger Was A Xenophobe?

I am a Wisconsin native, and so I have a special appreciation for the Wisconsin-based independent film “Feed the Fish” in a way that Minnesotans appreciate “Fargo.” But like “Fargo”- or any other regionally based film for that matter- you don’t have to be associated with the location to value its charms as they play out on the screen.
The hero of “Feed the Fish” is Joe Peterson (Ross Partridge) a childrens’ book writer who has hit rock bottom. His only friends are his pet goldfish and his fiancé’s tubby brother JP (Michael Chernus.) He sports a hairstyle unofficially titled the “writers ‘do” (acquired by exasperatedly running fingers through hair while staring at a blank computer screen.)
In a last-ditch attempt at creative inspiration, Joe leaves his home in sunny California to stay with JP in his family cottage in Northern Wisconsin. Joe plans to write while JP readies himself for a time-honored tradition of jumping into the icy waters of Lake Michigan during the annual “Polar Bear Plunge.”
A lot of the film’s humor lies in writer/director Michael Matzdorff’s ability to poke fun at both sides of the cultural spectrum. Joe is a fish out of water (if you’ll pardon the pun) trying to cope with life below freezing. When he sees a group of orange jumpsuit clad men carrying rifles, he calls the cops convinced that they are a gang.
The locals are certainly not without quirks of their own. To them it is perfectly normal to name children after Norse Goddesses or to equip their cars with toasters. JP is the unfortunate victim of an allegorical clash of the cultures when he suffers a badger-induced injury that is, in actuality, surprisingly uncommon in Wisconsin.
Tony Shalhoub of the TV show, “Monk” plays Anderson, the hard-boiled local sheriff complete with the quintessential moustache and patriarchal protective instincts. He makes it very clear that he does not like outsiders invading his home turf-especially when one is dating his daughter. Even though the plot centers on Joe’s fresh outlook on life, I felt as though Sheriff Anderson’s journey of acceptance was at the heart of the movie.
But through all their quirks and eccentricities, the characters never become objectified. Matzdorff uses humor to develop his characters rather than create caricatures of them. Instead of giving them blatant northern accents, he relies on subtleties of character to present their diversity.
Although “Feed the Fish” is a lighthearted feel good flick with a generous helping of dry wit, the underlying message of acceptance is quite poignant. Just like you don’t have to be from Wisconsin to understand why a groin-chomping badger is funny, you don’t have to be from in-town to appreciate the generosity of others.