him having sex with Jennifer, and he asks her if she's planning on staying in Portland. She tells him she isn't sure, and that she doesn't want to become too comfortable there again. She apologizes for the fire she set at David's house. They kiss, and then witness a UFO floating above them in the sky. Cast Production The screenplay for the film was adapted from Michael Hornburg's 1995 novel of the same name, which was based on his experience living in Portland in the mid-1980s; the Serena character in the film (originally named Courtney in the novel) is based on Courtney Love, whom Hornburg knew in Portland. The film was shot on location in Portland, Oregon and New York City on a budget of $1,000,000. Release The film was released at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival on April 19, 1998, and later premiered on DVD in 2001. Critical reception The film has mostly received a mixed response from critics. Lael Loewenstein, film critic for Variety magazine, gave the film a mixed review, writing: "The latest entry in the growing field of indie youth ensemble films, Bongwater is an uneven, intermittently likable movie about a group of Portland residents for whom getting high is a way of life. While its fresh-faced but largely unknown cast members frequently rise above the material, pic isn't distinctive enough to suggest it will yield more than a limited run in specialized markets." Ann Limpert of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a B rating, writing: "The title notwithstanding, this drug-laden laugh trip is more Reality Bites than Up in Smoke...Though [Wilson and Witt's] lack of real chemistry makes the cuddly ending feel tacked on, the hysterical drug-buddy performances of Brittany Murphy, Andy Dick, and Jack Black really make this joint roll." TV Guides Robert Pardi gave the film a negative review, writing: "This smoke-dream love story gives aimlessness a bad name: It's hard to concur with the screenplay's insistence that there's both pathos and humor to be found in the bong-inhaling, bed-hopping lives of these indolent characters." Accolades Nominations DVD Exclusive Awards (Video Business Magazine): Video Premiere Award, Best Supporting Actress, Brittany Murphy; 2001. References External links 1998 films 1990s black comedy films American black comedy films American LGBT-related films Films scored by Mark Mothersbaugh American films about cannabis 1990s English-language films Films set in New York City Films set in Portland, Oregon Films