State of Grace (1990)

Terry Noonan returns home to New York's Hells Kitchen after a ten year absence. He soon hooks up with childhood pal Jackie who is involved in the Irish mob run by his brother Frankie. Terry... See full summary »

Director:

Phil Joanou

Writer:

Dennis McIntyre

Stars:

Sean Penn, Ed Harris, Gary Oldman

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Penn	...	Terry Noonan
Ed Harris	...	Frankie Flannery
Gary Oldman	...	Jackie Flannery
Robin Wright	...	Kathleen Flannery
John Turturro	...	Nick
Burgess Meredith	...	Finn
R.D. Call	...	Pat Nicholson, Frankie's Lieutenant
Joe Viterelli	...	Borelli
John C. Reilly	...	Stevie McGuire
Deirdre O'Connell	...	Irene
Marco St. John	...	Jimmy Cavello
Thomas G. Waites	...	Frankie's Man
Brian Burke	...	Frankie's Man
Michael Cumpsty	...	Frankie's Man
Mick Cunningham	...	Frankie's Man (as Michael Cunningham)

Storyline

Terry Noonan returns home to New York's Hells Kitchen after a ten year absence. He soon hooks up with childhood pal Jackie who is involved in the Irish mob run by his brother Frankie. Terry also rekindles an old flame with Jackie's sister Kathleen. Soon, however, Terry is torn between his loyalty to his friends and his loyalties to others.

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Plot Keywords:

irish | irish mob | massacre | gun sau | slow motion scene | 

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Taglines:

A family ripped apart by violence. A love corrupted by betrayal. A friendship stained by blood.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Im Vorhof der Hölle

Filming Locations:

Little Italy, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$1,911,542 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinehaus, Orion Pictures Corporation, Rank Organisation, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On-screen brothers Gary Oldman and Ed Harris would both go on to play composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Oldman played the part in Immortal Beloved, and Harris would play him in Copying Beethoven.

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Goofs

Near the end of the film when Terry goes to Jackies apartment to tell him that he heard Frankie was involved in Stevies death, the Tequila bottle is on the window ledge on its side. After the scuffle between terry and Jackie, the Tequila bottle is upright.

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Quotes

Terry Noonan: Nobody's doin' nothin' to nobody. It's all just happenin', see?

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Connections

References The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

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Soundtracks

"I Gave My Wedding Dress Away"
Written by Hy Heath and Fred Rose
Performed by Eileen Reid and The Cadets
Published by Milene Music, Inc.
Courtesy of Castle Communications plc.

User Reviews

Simply One of The Best Films Ever Made

The credits have just begun rolling on what has been my 7th full viewing of State of Grace. (This number doesn't count the times I've watched it after having missed some portion of the film.) I first saw this film as a rental some time around 1992, and it has not lost a bit of its relevance. It is nothing short of mesmerizing. Every time I watch it I'm pulled in completely. The performances are the reason this is one of my all-time favorite films. Gary Oldman was so convincing that I was surprised the first time I heard him speak in his native dialect. His performance in this film, as in virtually every film he's been in, was a thesis on acting. Sean Penn turned in a masterful performance that was complex and nuanced. And Ed Harris displayed his usual laser beam intensity. Everyone in this ensemble piece resonated perfectly to create this vivid story. I hope this film comes to be recognized as the classic I already believe it is.