On the Saturday August 30, 2025 edition of The Richard Crouse Show we meet Lauren Holly. You know her from television shows like “Picket Fences,” “NCIS” and “Motive,” among many others. On the big screen you’ve seen her as Mary Swanson, the wealthy but troubled heiress, in the comedy “Dumb and Dumber,” as trophy wife Cindy Rooney opposite Dennis Quaid in “Any Given Sunday,” and many others in a career that spans forty years, and includes comedies like “The Adventures of Ford Fairlane” and “What Women Want,” action movies like “Crank: High Voltage” and dramas like “Chicago Hope.”
She joins me today to talk about “Loathe Thy Neighbor,” a new project very near and dear to her heart. The film, which begins in theatres on August 29, follows Will Larkfield, played by Brennan Clost, a young man forced to relocate to his late father’s farm as part of an unexpected inheritance. What begins as a simple missing package soon spirals into a battle of wills with Lauren Holly’s character, the neighbor from hell, Wanda Bellerose, reminding us that sometimes the smallest problems cause the biggest messes.
Then, guest James Webb tells his an incredible story. Hailing from Australia, he’s a competitive eater, ranked fourth in the world. He has shattered records, by devouring 59.5 donuts in one sitting and taking on the biggest names in the sport.
After overcoming a near-paralyzing illness, James has risen to become the “Champion of the Southern Hemisphere,” with his sights set on dethroning the legendary Joey Chestnut at the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Today we’re talking about competitive eating as a sport, how he prepares and the documentary “James Can Eat,” his story of resilience, obsession, and jaw-dropping feats will leave you hungry for more!
Each week on the nationally syndicated Richard Crouse Show, Canada’s most recognized movie critic brings together some of the most interesting and opinionated people from the movies, television and music to put a fresh spin on news from the world of lifestyle and pop-culture. Tune into this show to hear in-depth interviews with actors and directors, to find out what’s going on behind the scenes of your favourite shows and movies and get a new take on current trends. Recent guests include Chris Pratt, Elvis Costello, Baz Luhrmann, Martin Freeman, David Cronenberg, Mayim Bialik, The Kids in the Hall and many more!
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SYNOPSIS: “Loathe Thy Neighbor” sees a recently relocated city slicker in a battle of wills with his new country neighbor. “Lost my father, lost my job,” says Will Larkfield (Brennan Clost), “and now I’m losing my mind.”
REVIEW: A dark riff on “Green Acres,” “Loathe Thy Neighbor” is more than the standard fish-out-of-water story. What begins as a “citidiot” in the country tale, slowly reveals itself to be a lesson in community and personal growth.
When Will Larkfield (Brennan Clost) inherits his estranged father’s rundown farm he sticks out like a sore thumb in the rural community. Vegetraian, allergic to everything and anxiety-prone, the locals don’t quite know what to make of him. They refer to him as him an “aristocrat,” and regard him with suspicion. No one more so than his next-door neighbor/bee-keeper Wanda Bellerose (Lauren Holly), who takes an instant, intense dislike to the city slicker. “He moved here a couple of days ago and he’s already ruining my damn life,” she says.
As a dispute over the mis-delivery of an EpiPen escalates, Will takes to referring to Wanda as a deranged lunatic,” while she calls him a “Yuppie on a stick,” and threatens to “roast [him] like a holiday ham.”
And that’s before things turn really ugly between the two.
Character-driven, “Loathe Thy Neighbor” plays on established tropes—the neurotic city guy vs. the tough-as-nails country person—to set up the story of petty grievances, nasty neighbors and, ultimately, growth and resilience.
Clost and Holly embrace their edgy characters. Constant conflict fuels their behavior, pushing them to extremes, but, as good as they are, it plays as one dimensional. It’s a clash of cultures, city vs. country, and when the insults are flying, it’s a bit of fun, but the level of animosity is never truly examined. They fundamentally just don’t like one another, and the film doesn’t dig much deeper than that before setting up its rushed redemption arc.
Still, as a story of putting aside our differences and learning to co-exist, “Loathe Thy Neighbor” spreads some good, neighborly vibes.
A meta study of grief and self-expression, “Mouthpiece” takes a novel approach to one woman, played by two actresses, Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava, and her reaction to the death of her mother Elaine (Maev Beaty). “Grief can manifest itself in unexpected ways,” says a mortician, a line that is as good a tag line as any for this engaging film.
Adapted from Nostbakken and Sadava’s play of the same name, the film essays the 48-hour period in which Cassandra takes care of the business of death, choosing flowers, picking out her mother’s dress for burial and informing friends and family while dealing with the sting of loss. Despite her family’s objections she wants to do the eulogy but struggles to come to grips with her mother’s legacy. Was she a “rock star; a woman who didn’t need a man to get through life” or “a doormat who laid out for people to walk all over?” Did Elaine sacrifice a promising career as a writer in favour of her family, the patriarchy or did she just give up?
Cassandra’s journey includes musical numbers, flashbacks, dark comedy and despite the experimental framing device—two people simultaneously playing one character—a very grounded feeling of connectedness between the Casandri. Nostbakken and Sadava do not play twins, imaginary friends or flip sides of the same coin; they are Casandra’s internal and external psychological conflicts made physical. It creates a tension that constantly questions the complexities of the situations and the attendant emotions.
Director Patricia Rozema opens up the play, allowing the characters to roam the streets of Toronto and perform production numbers without losing the intimate power of the story. Interesting visual style from cinematographer Catherine Lutes cleverly emphasizes the connected quality of the characters.
“Mouthpiece” is unconventional but does something important. From the a cappella score by the two leads to the sparkling dialogue, it gives voice to its female creators, presenting the story from a contemporary point of view while ignoring stereotypes. It’s a personal film that embraces all aspects of its humanity, from vulnerability and strength and everything in between.
