How I felt about it. The Farelly brothers are known for their comedies, such as There's Something About Mary. This considerably more serious film wasn't much of a hit, and has received little critical attention. It begins well, then slows in the middle. Hatosy's good guy but cool persona gradually wears thin, and Alec Baldwin's impression of Robert De Niro (there's no other explanation) is less than enthralling.
Still, it's a decent movie, and it does demonstrate the consequences of stupid behavior. And at least it doesn't strain credibility by making Hatosy an Ivy Leager at the end of the movie. Such kids either have wealthy alumni parents, or are brilliant, or are tokens. Hatosy merely scrapes by, which admittedly is a step up from some of his brain-fried friends back in Pawtucket.
The one character that doesn't work is Mr. Funderberk (Timothy Crowe). He's the stereotype of a mean-spirited prick, a rulebook-toting petty campus cop with an eternally smug and cruel expression. We're all supposed to want to see Mr. Funderberk get his, like Dean Wormer in Animal House. It never really happens, despite an involved prank by Hatosy that is out of character for him, since he lacks the cunning to pull off the stunt so successfully.
Other characters fare better, but not by much. Jizz (Jack Ferver) is short, wears thick glasses, and has a preposterously fuzzy perm. Of course, he's picked on, but never by our hero Hatosy, who instead treats him like a kid brother, even after Jizz pukes on him. This is typical of Hatosy's character, made as likeable as possible through his unrealistic loyalty to Ferver, Smart, and his crippled young brother Jackie (Tommy Bone).
Hatosy's dream girlfriend, Amy Smart, doesn't seem to mind the fact that Hatosy's friends consist of underachiever dopeheads from poor families. Hatosy, though, is the alpha male of his club of born losers, and perhaps she'd rather date a top-notch loser than hang with someone her parents might actually approve of, or someone who drives a late-model car instead of hitches.
In short, Outside Providence is a decent copy of a good movie, without ever showing the promise of being a particularly good film. Nice try, but the Farrellys should have stuck with laughs. If nothing else, it's more profitable.