Harmony Korine's Gummo so completely captures the hopeless meth-fueled despair of the flyover states that you could be forgiven for assuming it's a documentary. A majority of the cast is made up of non-actors chosen by Korine expressly for the telegenic impact of their faces on screen. One of the leads was cast after Korine spotted him on an episode of Sally Jesse Raphael called "My Child Died from Sniffing Paint." So there's a distinct element of art imitating life, and Korine's willingness to tap into that is no mistake. Of working with non professional actors on set, Korine says, "I wanted to show what it was like to sniff glue. I don't want to judge anybody. This is why I have very little interest in working with actors. [Non-actors] can give you what an actor can never give you: pieces of themselves."
He tapped his girlfriend at the time, 90s icon and hipster spirit animal prototype Chloe Sevigny to star and do the costumes. She must have had a blast combing through depressed Middle America Salvation Armies for white trash basics like cargo pants, American flag motifs, and 80s hair band t-shirts.
To get the look: bleach your eyebrows, feather the shit out of your hair, and get your clothes from American Apparel and The Goodwill. Drug habit optional.
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