History Film / BuffaloSixtySix

redirect:Film/Buffalo66]]

[[redirect:Film/Buffalo66]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/BuffaloSixtySix_881.jpg]]

''Buffalo '66'' is a 1998 indie film starring Creator/VincentGallo (who also co-wrote, directed, and composed the score) and Creator/ChristinaRicci.

Billy Brown (Gallo) has just been released from prison and the first thing he plans to do is introduce his wife to his parents. The problem with that plan is he doesn't have a wife, so he kidnaps a ballerina named Layla (Ricci). After a brief struggle and a very awkward dinner, Layla decides to stay with him for a night of bowling and "spanning time". She soon learns that Billy plans on getting even with the football player who was indirectly responsible for his imprisonment. What follows is a dark comedy about depression, revenge, and finding love.

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!! Contains examples of:

* AgeGapRomance: Assuming the film is set in its release year of 1998, then 32-year old Billy is romantically involved with a teenage Layla. His mother even comments on how young Layla is, saying she's "just a baby." Notably, 36-year old Vincent Gallo was twice the age of his 18-year old costar Christina Ricci.
* AlliterativeName: Billy Brown.
* AndYourLittleDogToo: The bookie (played by Creator/MickeyRourke) threatens Billy after he gets in debt with the mob and then briefly mentions his family as well to drive the point home that he means business.
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Billy's threat to Layla:
--> "I'm asking you to come there and make me look good. Alright? And if you make a fool out of me, I swear to God, I'll kill you right there. Boom! Right in front of Mommy and Daddy. And I'll tell you something else, you make me look bad... I will never ever talk to you again, ever. But if you do a good job, well, then you can be my best friend. My best friend that I've ever had. You hear me?"
* AspectRatioSwitch: A couple of scenes like the prison flashback or the [[PhotoBoothMontage photobooth scene]] are shot in different formats. Or at least the footage is cropped differently.
* BathtubBonding: A rare, non-sexual scene of a man and woman sharing the same tub. Although Billy tells her to get out eventually.
* BiggerIsBetterInBed: In the beginning sequence, when Billy is desperately trying to find a bathroom, a man looks over from the stall beside him and reacts with awe at the size of Billy's member. Gallo actually showed it off in his next film, ''Film/TheBrownBunny''.
* BigScrewedUpFamily: The Browns. They can't even have a peaceful dinner without Billy's father accusing Billy of attempted murder.
* BlandNameProduct: Due to the film's low budget, the word "Buffalo" is used in instances where you would expect to see the Buffalo Bills' logo, for which the NFL and the team might reasonably have been able to charge for.
* BlatantLies:
** Billy is constantly telling obvious lies, such as that he works for the CIA, drives luxury cars, has had lots of girlfriends and knows martial arts. In reality, he's an unemployed and dateless loser who has very low self-esteem and is always trying to impress people. No one even bothers to contradict him.
** It seems to run in the family as well since Billy's father claims to be a singer to the point where he lip-syncs to a record while pretending he is actually singing.
* BulletTime: A similar effect to ''Film/TheMatrix'', which it preceded by a year. The violent climax is shown in a series of still images, which the camera pans around as if still hand-held.
* ButtMonkey: Billy's friend ''Goon''.
--> '''Goon''': What, you think I'm retarded?
--> '''Billy''': Yeah Goon, [[MathematiciansAnswer sometimes I really think you might be.]]
* TheCameo: Creator/MickeyRourke as the bookie and Creator/RosannaArquette as an old crush.
* CannotKeepASecret: Layla reveals to Billy's parents that she is pregnant and asks them to keep quiet about it. When Billy returns his mother has nothing better to do than to spoil the surprise for him.
* CharacterShilling: Invoked by Layla when she talks about how great Billy is. According to her even the President is proud of him.
* ClusterFBomb: Billy drops a lot of them as evident by some of the dialogue shown here.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Billy went to prison to cover up a huge gambling debt. The gambling debt happened due to Scott Woods missing a field goal kick, resulting in the Bills losing the Super Bowl. Because of this, [[spoiler:Billy decides to kill Woods.]]
* DoesntKnowTheirOwnChild: Billy's mother offers him a choc donut not remembering that he is allergic to chocolate.
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Billy, but he gets better.]]
* DrivingStick: Billy commandeers Layla's vehicle, but needs her to drive it. With disdain, he says he doesn't drive "shifter cars" because he drives fancy cars like Cadillacs, which "shift themselves." Of course, Billy is a pathological liar.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:The last shot is of Layla and Billy in each others' arms, smiling.]]
* EmbarrassingNickname: Billy's friend Goon. He hates the nickname and wants to be called Rocky. In a fit of rage, Billy says to him, "You know why they call you Goon? Because you're retarded. And you're ugly. [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs You're an ugly retard.]] [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment And they call you Goon because you're ugly and retarded.]] And you'll always be Goon... Goon, Goon, Goon. And that's what I'm gonna call you for the rest of your life, is Goon. Goon, Goon, Goon, Goon, okay? [[PrecisionFStrike So fuck you.]]"
* EmbarrassingOldPhoto: Being AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents, Billy's mother pulls out an old photo album for Layla to look at, much to Billy's dismay.
* TheEnd: The movie closes on a "The End" title card.
* ExtremelyShortTimespan: Aside from the occasional FlashBack, the entire movie takes place within 24 hours.
* GilliganCut: Billy firmly rejects Layla's request to come into the bathtub with him. Cut to the next scene with [[BathtubBonding both of them seated in the tub]].
* GoingToTheStore: Towards the end, Billy leaves the motel room pretending to go for a coffee. Layla senses that this is actually a goodbye and asks him for a final kiss.
* HatesBeingTouched: Billy hates being touched... even if it's by Creator/ChristinaRicci.
* HeManWomanHater: Billy claims that he could have had girlfriends in the past but [[BlatantLies chose not to]] since he believes all women are deceitful. He warms up to Layla anyway.
* HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood: Billy's dad ignored him and his mother was too concerned with Buffalo Bills' games to ever pay attention to him (his date of birth is a particular sore spot to her). It's also implied that Billy's dog was killed by his father.
* HumiliationConga: Even before the events of the movie, Billy had an abusive childhood, was teased at school, lost a lot of money to gamblers on a one-in-a-million field goal kick, and spent five years in prison. When he gets out, his parents aren't impressed by the fabricated life, and love his hot "wife" far more than they care for him.
* ImagineSpot: A bored Layla tap dancing in the bowling alley. Suddenly, she is literally in the DramaticSpotlight while a Music/KingCrimson song plays in the background.
* IndulgentFantasySegue: [[spoiler:The climax in the strip club where Billy shoots and kills Scott Woods, then turns the gun on himself turns out to be all in Billy's imagination.]]
* JiggleShow:
** Not-so-subtly done with Layla's introduction; the camera [[MaleGaze Male Gazes]] its way over to her chest to follow Billy into the building.
** Billy's father hugs Layla when they meet and he shakes her back and forth in an obvious attempt to watch her breasts bounce around (she's still wearing her ballerina uniform).
* KickTheDog: Billy's dad didn't kick the dog, but it seems he actually killed it.
* LonelyPianoPiece: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beQOXYvaH84 A Cold and Grey Summer Day]]" playing in the opening scene showing Billy all alone in front of the prison.
* LoveEpiphany: Billy has one at the end.
* ManChild: Billy, very much so. He makes ridiculous lies to get people to like him, doesn't like physical affection, alternates between acting tough and trying to make friends, often within the same sentence.
* AMatchMadeInStockholm: A possible explanation for Layla warming up to Billy, although he only kidnaps her for a few hours and obviously does not have a weapon. She chooses to stay after that.
* MeaningfulName: An in-universe example. It's likely that Billy's mother gave him that name due to her intense love of the Buffalo Bills.
* MurderSuicide: [[spoiler:Billy's original plan for Wood and himself.]]
* NeverGoingBackToPrison: During his talk with Goon in prison, Billy expresses his desire to kill Scott Woods and how he is gonna make it a MurderSuicide because he won't go back to prison.
* NeverMyFault: Billy is on a vendetta against a player whose fumble lost him a bet, sending him to jail. The fact that its Billy's fault he gambled to begin with doesn't occur to him.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Billy plans to kill a football player named Scott Woods because he missed a goal kick during the UsefulNotes/SuperBowl, which resulted in him acquiring a huge gambling debt. This is in reference to former Buffalo Bills kicker, Scott Norwood, who missed the game-winning field goal in Super Bowl XXV against the New York Giants in 1991.
* NoNameGiven: The only other name ''Goon'' goes by is ''Rocky'', likely another nickname. We never learn his real name.
* NonNudeBathing: Billy jumps into the bathtub with his underpants on.
* OnThree: When it turns out that the car is a shifter car, Billy commands to switch seats with Layla on three. She fails to respond to his count up though.
* PetTheDog: Billy will insult or threaten Layla or Goon one moment and then apologize and say something sweet the next. In the end, Billy is overcome with optimism and love for Layla. He buys her a heart-shaped cookie, confirming that it is for his girlfriend, then buys one for a complete stranger's girlfriend as well. This all confirms that Billy has overcome his JerkAss facade.
* PhotoBoothMontage: Billy and Layla in the photo booth trying to get a decent photo for his parents.
* PottyEmergency: When Billy is released from prison, he suddenly has to use the restroom. He tries to go back inside the prison to use the facilities but they don't let him back in. He spends the next 10 minutes or so trying to find a restroom, which is how he eventually meets Layla.
* ShrinkingViolet: We learn almost nothing about Layla's own background, family or home life. Judging by the way Creator/ChristinaRicci portrays her, Layla is both very compassionate and very lonely.
* SkewedPriorities: Billy's mother wished she never had him because she missed the Buffalo's 1966 championship game giving birth to him.
* TheSocialExpert: Despite being abducted by a complete stranger, dragged to his house and forced to act like his wife to his dysfunctional parents, Layla skilfully endears herself to them. They actually like her more than they do their own son.
%%* StockholmSyndrome: Layla.
* SuddenlyShouting: Billy's father gets loud when Layla doesn't stop nagging him about another song performance.
* TrophyRoom: Billy's locker at the bowling place is packed with his trophies.
* UglyGuyHotWife: Whether or not you find Vincent Gallo ugly, Billy is clearly a loser. Whether or not you find Creator/ChristinaRicci attractive, Layla is lusted after at least by Billy's father and wears a fetish-tastic dancing outfit.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Billy hates his parents but still wants their approval.
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* PlayingGertrude: Angelica Huston is only ten years older than Vincent Gallo despite playing his mother.

* NiceShoes: Layla wears a pair of silver sparkling tap shoes throughout the film that wouldn't have looked out of place in ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''.

* DrivingStick: Billy comandeers Layla's vehicle, but needs her to drive it. With disdain, he says he doesn't drive "shifter cars" because he drives fancy cars like Cadillacs, which "shift themselves." Of course, Billy is a pathological liar.

* ExtremelyShortTimespan: Aside from the occaisional FlashBack, the entire movie takes place within 24 hours.

* HeManWomanHater: Billy claims that he could have had girlfriends in the past but [[BlatantLies chose not to]] since he believes all women are decietful. He warms up to Layla anyway.

* MurderSuicide: [[spoiler:Billy's original plan for Wood.]]

* MurderSuicide: [[spoiler:Billy's original plan for Wood.]]

* ImagineSpot: A bored Layla tap dancing in the bowling alley. Suddenly, she is literally in the spotlight while a Music/KingCrimson song plays in the background.

* HilariouslyAbusiveChildhood: Billy's dad ignored him and his mother was too concerned with Buffalo Bills' games to ever pay attention to him (his date of birth is a particular sore spot to her). They only have a single picture of their son, in which he's crying because he had an allergic reaction. It's also implied that Billy's dog was killed by his father.

* JustGotOutOfJail: Billy at the beginning of the movie.

* TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:Billy's original plan for Wood.]]

* JiggleShow: Not-so-subtly done with Layla's introduction; the camera [[MaleGaze Male Gazes]] its way over to her chest to follow Billy into the building.

* MaleGaze: Billy's father hugs Layla when they meet and he shakes her back and forth in an obvious attempt to watch her breasts bounce around (she's still wearing her ballerina uniform).

* AllJustADream: [[spoiler:The climax in the strip club where Billy shoots and kills Scott Woods, then turns the gun on himself.]]

* ImagineSpot:
** A bored Layla tap dancing in the bowling alley. Suddenly, she is literally in the spotlight while a Music/KingCrimson song plays in the background.
** [[spoiler:The climactic murder turns out to be Billy's imagination. He decides against going through with it]].

''Buffalo '66'' is a 1998 indie film starring Vincent Gallo (who also co-wrote, directed, and composed the score) and Creator/ChristinaRicci.

** Also, there is this monologue explaining Goon's name:
--> '''Billy:''' You know why they call you Goon? Because you're retarded. And you're ugly. [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs You're an ugly retard.]] [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment And they call you Goon because you're ugly and retarded.]] And you'll always be Goon... Goon, Goon, Goon. And that's what I'm gonna call you for the rest of your life, is Goon. Goon, Goon, Goon, Goon, okay? [[PrecisionFStrike So fuck you.]]

* LiteraryAgentHypothesis: According to WordOfGod, the events in the movie were not what "really" happened but is Billy's perception of his own actions. Considering his low self-esteem, it makes sense.