At Close Range (1986)

Director:

James Foley

Writers:

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

Release Date:

18 April 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Like father. Like son. Like hell.

Plot:

In 1978 rural Pennsylvania an absentee father is reacquainted with his estranged teenage sons and they become intrigued with romanticized life of crime.

Plot Keywords:

Gang | Murder | 1970s | Pennsylvania | Criminal

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
Noelle Parker	...	Jill
Alan Autry	...	Ernie
Paul Herman	...	Salesman
Gary Gober	...	D.A
Marshall Fallwell Jr.	...	Bartender
Doug Anderson	...	Marshall
Nancy Sherburne	...	Waitress
Terry Baker	...	Customer
Michael Edwards	...	Car Salesman #1
Myke R. Mueller	...	Car Salesman #2
Bob McDivitt	...	Farmer with Shotgun
Bonita Hall	...	Buxom Woman
Terri Coulter	...	Barroom Dancer
Anna Levine	...	Barroom Dancer
Janie Draper	...	Stripper
Charles 'Tatoo' Jensen	...	Older Guy
E.R. Davies	...	Detective Mosker
James Foley	...	Assistant D.A

Directed by
James Foley

Writing credits
Elliott Lewitt		(story) and
Nicholas Kazan		(story)
Nicholas Kazan		(screenplay)

Produced by
John Daly	....	executive producer
Derek Gibson	....	executive producer
Don Guest	....	producer
Elliott Lewitt	....	producer

Original Music by
Patrick Leonard

Cinematography by
Juan Ruiz Anchía

Film Editing by
Howard E. Smith		(as Howard Smith)

Casting by
Risa Bramon Garcia		(as Risa Bramon)
Billy Hopkins

Production Design by
Peter Jamison

Set Decoration by
R. Chris Westlund

Costume Design by
Hilary Rosenfeld

Makeup Department
Leslie Ann Anderson	....	hair stylist
Richard Arrington	....	makeup artist
Mary Beth Felts	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Don Guest	....	unit production manager
Paul McKenna	....	production manager (as Paul McKenna Jr.)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Capra III	....	second assistant director
Ric Kidney	....	first assistant director (as Richard J. Kidney)
Margaret Krueger	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Tommy Allen	....	property master (as Tom Allen)
Randy Bennett	....	swing gang
Jem Cohen	....	assistant property master
Pebble Daniel	....	lead person
Billy Jett	....	swing gang
Mark Ragland	....	set designer
Chuck Roseberry	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
David Brownlow	....	sound recordist
Gail Clark Burch	....	adr editor (as Gail Clark)
Ron Clark	....	supervising sound editor
David J. Hudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mel Metcalfe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jack M. Nietzsche Jr.	....	boom operator (as Jack Nietzsche Jr.)
Terry Porter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Ruff	....	post-production sound mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Adams Calvert	....	special effects
Burt Dalton	....	special effects coordinator
Mike Weesner	....	special effects assistant

Stunts
Paul McKenna	....	stunts (as Paul McKenna Jr.)
Fred T. McLaughlin	....	stunts
Chuck Waters	....	stunt coordinator
Chuck Waters	....	stunts
Chris Nielsen	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Anderson	....	grip
Clint Argo	....	assistant electrician
Bernard Auroux	....	first assistant camera
Robert Bruce	....	electrician
Stefan Czapsky	....	gaffer
J. Edgar	....	best boy grip
Morris Flam	....	best boy electric
Jim Harrington	....	grip
John R. Hernandez	....	key grip
Steve Lubbe	....	dolly grip (as Stephen Lubbe)
Mark Emery Moore	....	electrician (as Mark E. Moore)
Michael Papadapolous	....	electrician (as Michael Papadopoulos)
Vance Piper	....	second assistant camera
Joyce Rudolph	....	still photographer
Don Simandl	....	grip
Randy Whiteland	....	electrician
Jeff Wolf	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Jim Cody Harrington	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Danielle Eskinazi	....	casting assistant: Los Angeles
Darilyn Stringer	....	casting: Tennessee

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gayle M. Kennedy	....	wardrobe assistant
Eileen Sieff Stroup	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Eileen Mae Sieff)
Cynthia Turnbull	....	costume design consultant

Editorial Department
Donn Aron	....	assistant editor (as Donn Aaron)
Jo Barnett	....	post-production coordinator
Bob Hagans	....	color timer
Vivian Hengsteler	....	negative cutter
Steven Shainberg	....	apprentice editor
F. Scott Taylor	....	apprentice editor: film (uncredited)

Music Department
Budd Carr	....	music supervisor
Ken Johnson	....	music editor
Michael Mason	....	music recording engineer
Robby Weaver	....	music recording engineer
Daniel J. Johnson	....	co-music editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
David Dodson	....	transportation co-captain
Jack Hager	....	driver
Larry M. Jackson	....	driver
Jack Lawrence	....	driver
Bill Myers	....	transportation coordinator
Jackie Newell	....	driver
James Newell	....	driver
Chris Nielsen	....	driver (as John Christian Nielsen)
Daniel Quick	....	driver
Randall Quick	....	driver
Charles Renfroe	....	transportation captain
Chris Summerell	....	driver
Fred Timmons	....	driver
Anthony Werthan	....	driver

Other crew
Frans J. Afman	....	motion picture banking (as Frans Afman)
Jo Barnett	....	production accountant
Ron Bledsoe	....	wrangler
John Collier Bennett	....	production assistant
John Collier Bennett	....	production assistant: Los Angeles (as J.C. Bennett)
Dell Fagen	....	assistant accountant (as Dell Fagan)
Gary Forkum	....	dog handler
Eva Giera	....	production assistant: Los Angeles
Marianne Graham	....	first aid
Alan Grodin	....	legal services
Katherine Haber	....	production coordinator (as Katy Haber)
Lita Harvey	....	assistant location manager
Graham Henderson	....	production executive
Michael Hodgson	....	consultant: graphics
Carla Holland	....	caterer
Robert Jellen	....	insurance (as Bob Jellen)
Shane Kerwin	....	double: Mr. Penn
Shane Kerwin	....	stand-in: Mr. Penn
Kurt Klaus	....	production assistant
Tony Kunewalder	....	production assistant
Ray Kybartas	....	physical development trainer: Mr. Penn
Jack Lawrence	....	wrangler
Jonathan Locke	....	assistant craft service
Paul McKenna	....	production assistant (as Paul McKenna Jr.)
Kerry Lyn McKissick	....	script supervisor
Katherine Ann Moore	....	unit publicist (as Katherine A. Moore)
Martha Moore	....	production secretary
Sandy Myers	....	dispatcher
Joan Neal	....	location manager
Meegan Lee Ochs	....	assistant: Mr. Penn (as Meegan Ochs)
Warren Oliver	....	craft service
Bridget Oram	....	assistant: Mr. Foley
June Petersen	....	production associate
Pliny Porter	....	production assistant
Trudy Salven	....	travel arrangements
Kate Sanford	....	production assistant (as Katherine Sanford)
Lech Slocinski	....	production assistant
Danny Wonnacott	....	caterer
Joseph Wonnacott	....	caterer
Kate Sanford	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hemdale Film

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures International (1986) (Italy) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox (1987) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (1986) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (200) (USA) (DVD) (For Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios) (on double bill with "Colors" as "Thriller Double Bill")
• Umbrella Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (DVD)
• Avid Video (????) (USA) (video)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Vestron Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Treasures (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• 1st International  travel arrangements
• Albert G. Ruben and Company  insurance
• Bertus Productions  music recording
• Cooper, Epstein & Hurewitz  legal services
• Credit Lyonnais Bank (Nederland) N.V.  motion picture banking
• Film Finance  completion guarantee
• Glen Glenn Sound Company  re-recording facilities
• Glen Glenn Sound Company  sound re-recording
• K!SSPROOF Entertainment  cast appearance booking
• Otto Nemenz International  camera equipment provided by
• PS-A Atlanta  production equipment
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Rock Solid Security of Nashville  security
• Sound FX  sound editing
• TST International  travel arrangements
• Unique Catering  catering

Also Known As:

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Portugal:M/18 | Portugal:M/18 (Qualidade) | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | West Germany:16 (f) | 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:

The role of Brad Whitewood, Sr. was originally offered to Robert De Niro, who turned it down because he felt the character was too dark.

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:

Ernie:[referring to the TV] I need some sleep. You turn that damn thing on again, and I'll beat the Jesus out of you.
Brad Whitewood Jr.:There ain't no Jesus.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

HIGH TIME

It's in the genes.

This raw look at small town hoods brutally exposes us to a portion of society rarely depicted in movies. Souped-up cars and small time heists are nothing new, but `At Close Range' is really more ‘The Godfather' than `Bonnie and Clyde'.

Disobedient kids, worthless mom, ineffective stepfather. Every day we hear tell of it on Montel, Jerry Springer, and Sally. Here, we see it, here we live it.

James Foley does his best work here, you might think it funny to call a film with a lot of 4x8 paneling and muscle shirts ‘stylish' but this film has its own distinctive style, in many ways reminding me of Michael Mann's very stylish `Thief'

Christopher Walken is nothing short of spectacular. Both the Penn brothers (Sean and Chris) do very strong turns as sons of this verrry badddd man.

Great story, powerful performances. All too real. Even a bit of a storybook ending doesn't tarnish this one.