At Close Range (1986)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

James Foley

Writers:

Elliott Lewitt (story) and
Nicholas Kazan (story) ...

Release Date:

18 April 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

Like father. Like son. Like hell.

Plot:

A boy and his friends seek to join a mid-atlantic gang led by the boy's estranged father, unaware that...

Plot Keywords:

1970s | Murder | Small Town | Gay Slur | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Sean Penn	...	Brad Whitewood Jr.
Christopher Walken	...	Brad Whitewood Sr.
Mary Stuart Masterson	...	Terry
Chris Penn	...	Tommy Whitewood (as Christopher Penn)
Millie Perkins	...	Julie
Eileen Ryan	...	Grandma
Tracey Walter	...	Uncle Patch Whitewood
R.D. Call	...	Dickie
David Strathairn	...	Tony Pine
J.C. Quinn	...	Boyd
Candy Clark	...	Mary Sue
Jake Dengel	...	Lester
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Tim
Stephen Geoffreys	...	Aggie
Crispin Glover	...	Lucas

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #27933) | Australia:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Franklin, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Hemdale Film

Trivia:

Screenwriter Nicholas Kazan originally wrote in the script a scene in which after Brad Sr. and Brad Jr. "do laundry", Brad Sr. takes little Brad to a whorehouse. The scene was not filmed due to "reasons beyond his control".

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: After Brad Jr. fires off several rounds around his father, he shoves the end of the handgun's barrel right into his father's face. The heat from the rounds that were just fired seconds before should have been enough to burn his father's face, yet Brad Sr. doesn't flinch, and when Brad. Jr. pulls the gun back from his father's face, there is no evidence of a burn.

Quotes:

Brad Whitewood Sr.: How old are you anyway?
Brad Whitewood Jr.: Old enough.
Brad Whitewood Sr.: Damn!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Dialogue: An Interview with Screenwriter Nick Kazan (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

BOOGIE OOGIE OOGIE

This one remains in my essentials collection.

This movie is an old favorite. I think this is the one work by Sean Penn that became the pivotal interest in him for me. He was, as usual in anything he does, absolutely convincing. Same for Christopher Walken. The casting was perfect, the scenery and soundtrack done beautifully. I've been recommending this one to friends for ages.