SIDE OUT

When Midwestern college student Monroe Clark comes to Los Angeles for the summer to work in his uncle’s real-estate law firm, he is given the thankless task of collecting overdue rent monies and serving eviction notices. He quickly sours on the job as he is seduced by the world of beach volleyball.

Monroe’s uncle, nonetheless, is willing to overlook his shortcomings if he will just evict a certain beach bum, Zach Barnes, who Monroe later learns is a fallen “King of the beach” volleyball player. Zach strikes a deal with Monroe: he will coach him in exchange for leniency when his day in court comes.

Monroe finds a loophole to get Zach off the hook, and his uncle, quite naturally angered, fires his nephew. Monroe moves in with Zach, and the two team up in a quest to win a major championship volleyball tournament. They proceed through the eliminations toward the final round, and Zach, who has been approached to throw the game for personal gain, finally comes (yawn) to the Great Moment of Resolve.

Thin on plot, the film tries to make up for it with lots and lots of two-on-two volleyball. Unfortunately, the coverage is not that good (you see the same slow-motion shots again and again) and therefore disappointing. Nor was much effort put into the poorly-written dialogue. However, the value of teamwork is stressed, and there are some redeeming instances of forgiveness, though it does not add up to much in the context of the film, which includes two acts of promiscuous sex, a half-dozen profanities, gambling, lying, and several sexually lewd shots of scantily-clad beachcombers.

Furthermore, the pursuit of quick and easy money is glamorized when, in fact, Proverbs 20:21 says, “An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning will not be blessed at the end.” Also, Monroe’s cocktail waitress girlfriend, having earlier dumped him, returns when he wins the tournament money, sadly bringing to mind Proverbs 14:20 “but the rich have many friends.”