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American Cowslip is a black comedy drama movie that was released in 2009. Written and directed by Mark David, the movie is set in a small rural town in California and follows the life of a recovering heroin addict, Ethan Inglebrink (Ronnie Gene Blevins), who is trying to rebuild his life after being released from rehabilitation. After finishing rehabilitation, Ethan Inglebrink leaves the city and moves to a small town where he leases a house on the outskirts of town. He is determined to turn his life around and start anew, planting a garden in his front yard and taking up beekeeping. Ethan wants to redeem himself because he has let down his parents, his ex-girlfriend and others in his life. To achieve this, he decides to do something good for the town, he enters and wins the local garden contest just to give the prize money to a struggling farmer, who makes Ethan agree to cultivate a field of marijuana as repayment.

Throughout the movie, Ethan goes through a lot of struggles as he tries to keep his addiction in check while also dealing with the quirks of the small town community. The town is populated by eccentric, quirky characters including the town's local poet, the self-important judge, the corrupt sheriff, and a flower-obsessed neighbor. Diane Ladd, Ellen Geer, and Cloris Leachman play some of these oddball characters.

Ethan’s neighbor, Louise (Diane Ladd), a widow, is fascinated by him and his new life in the town. She shows great interest in his garden and beekeeping efforts and offers him her help. Louise’s eccentricities, like her hobby of painting wildlife anatomically correct in the park, end up being both fascinating and unsettling to Ethan, who is still struggling to stay away from addiction.

As the movie progresses, Ethan also receives unwelcome attention from the corrupt sheriff (Rip Torn) who is always on the lookout for troublemakers in the town. Ethan’s former girlfriend, now a television reporter, also makes a surprise appearance in the town and causes upheaval in his life.

The movie paints a raw picture of the struggles addicts face in their quest to rebuild their lives. Ethan's battle with addiction is not sugar-coated, and the scenes of Ethan trying to resist his cravings are gritty and heart-wrenching. The town's residents and their quirks add a lot of humor to the movie, but they also highlight how small towns have their own peculiar way of life.

American Cowslip is a unique movie, blending comedy and drama to create a surreal world that is both funny and poignant. The characters are odd, but they are also lovable, and the bond that forms between them is heartwarming. The movie is as much about redemption as it is about love and acceptance. There are no real villains in the movie, just people trying to do the best they can despite their flaws.

Overall, American Cowslip is a darkly comic exploration of addiction, redemption, and the oddities of small-town life. With its strong performances, engaging characters, and a compelling storyline, it's a movie that will keep you entertained and engaged from beginning to end.

American Cowslip is a 2009 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 53 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 4.8.