MovieChat Forums > Joe Dirt (2001) Discussion > So this takes place in 1994?

So this takes place in 1994?

posted 12 years ago by EightiesKid
6 replies | jump to latest

We know Joe was born about 1971, since he tells Zander he was 11 in '82 when he ran away from the boys' home. He must've been 23 when he was a janitor at the school, since there's lots of references to his parents leaving him at the Grand Canyon "fifteen years ago".

The "present" at the beginning of the movie when he's living in the radio station boiler room and still searching for his parents (and Brandy) couldn't have been much longer after that. Even his hairstyle on his new wig when he wakes up after hitting his head on the bridge is a very mid 90s style.

Its weird how they didn't just set it in the present in 2001 when the movie was made, and make Joe 30 instead?

[–] the_ka-tet_of_one 12 years ago

Hmm, I never did the math like you (kudos btw) but it sounds about right. That is weird though, why 1994?

[–] EightiesKid 11 years ago

Thanks (just saw this now). I know it's not the deepest movie in the world, but it seems like the filmmakers just didn't think it through very well.

I forgot about the TRL scenes, so it must've been 2000/early 01 like it was when it was filmed and came out, but that would have to make Joe older, with some pieces of his life they didn't delve into. He must've been around 30 and his math wasn't so good, lol.

Considering that Joe is a classic rocker, they pretty much just focus on the mid 70s-mid 80s with the music, so it "feels older" than it actually is.

[–] JessieWalsh 10 years ago

I don't think they put any thought into it. If you watch the commentary Spade even laughs and points out he's supposed to be 15 or so when he finds the five bucks on the ground after the bullies make fun of his hair but he looks the same age way later in the interview.

[–] vmars080 10 years ago

No clue, I just watched :) Maybe because it was a Happy Madison film and Sandler wanted to have 80s songs be more prominent, like in all of his flicks. Spade definitely looked 30ish.

This kind of movie is sort of better if you just go with it and not analyze it too much, in my humble opinion. :) (His new wig was not "very mid 90s" though. Not sure if that crazy look had a time ;))

[–] redwon89 10 years ago

When he finally meets his parents he says "I hope I don't see you for another 25 years."

That would make him 33 and the year 2001-02.

Seems like it works out to me.

[–] elora098 9 years ago

I thought that when he left Silvertown, he was gone for years. When he was doing the radio interview, he just said the highlights of the years he spent searching for his parents. So when he was the janitor it was 15 years. Later when he tells his parents I hope I don't see you for another 25 years, its probably closer to 21 years. I just say that because at the end when the dog jumps in the car, Brandy says, something like "Back in the day". It felt like she was referring to many years gone by, not just a year or so.