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Author: Billie Letts

Terrific book! I met Billie Letts when I was in college: I attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant where Billie lives. Her husand, Dennis, was my English teacher (an excellent one, too). I remember going to see a play she wrote and directed, and though I don’t remember much in the way of the specifics, I do remember being keenly aware of the terrific dialog. It made an impression on me to create similarly powerful dialog in my own plays. I never got around to reading Billie’s previous book, Where the Heart Is, since I discovered it just before the movie came out and then waffled over which to experience first and ended up doing neither. The title of this book intrigued me — it’s very Oklahoman — and the promise of humor prompted me to give it a read. The title is the name of a small town carhop/diner: the owner was drunk when he ordered the sign and the “Opening Soon” portion was made in permanent neon along with the rest of the name — something that’s become a town joke. The story is about several characters who’s lives interconnect around the Honk. There’s the owner, a wheelchair-bound Vietnam vet, the new Vietnamese cook, and an American Indian woman who shows up one day and turns the vet’s stationery life upside down. The story is simple and elegant as these people change as they experience life’s troubles and rewards, in the end coming to an understanding and acceptance. What makes the story worth reading, however, is the humor, the vividness of the characters, the depth of their pain, and vibrancy with which they live life. Billie’s done an amazing portrait of middle America here, creating unique, quirky, interesting characters and blending them into a fascinating tapestry of events. Her Bui Khahn (the Vietnamese chef) is a classic of literature, and I loved seeing small town Oklahoma through his innocent eyes. For instance, never having seen a carhop before, he assumes that the people being fed in cars aren’t allowed inside the restaurant for some reason. He’s just wonderful, and Billie lets us get inside his mind while at the same time showing us the way others perceive him. I was also impressed by Billie’s writing style: she writes in a friendly, low key, country style that’s as delicious as Grandma’s apple pie. It’s smooth as fresh butter with a hint of sass, and as you read you’re comfortable knowing you’re in the hands of a master writer who won’t steer you wrong. Great stuff.

After seeing the previews, I knew this was a gimmick film. It didn’t look like much of a gimmick, however: the plot appears to be a “Ten Little Indians” knockoff where stranded visitors to a motel die one by one. The promos make it sound like it’s something special, however, which can backfire if it doesn’t. Well, it does, and while it’s not as revolutionary as the gimmick in