Heavy (1995)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

James Mangold

Writer:

James Mangold (written by)

Release Date:

5 June 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Victor is a cook who works in a greasy bar/restaurant owned by his mother, Dolly. It's just the two of them...

Plot Keywords:

Waitress | Loneliness | Unrequited Love | Pizza | Seduction

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	Victor Modino
Shelley Winters	...	Dolly Modino
Liv Tyler	...	Callie
Deborah Harry	...	Delores
Joe Grifasi	...	Leo
Evan Dando	...	Jeff
David Patrick Kelly	...	Grey Man in Hospital
Marian Quinn	...	Darlene
Meg Hartig	...	Donna
Zandy Hartig	...	Jean
Peter Ortel	...	Tony
George Alvarez	...	Orderly
Cordis Heard	...	Nurse
J.C. MacKenzie	...	Gas Man (as J.C. Mackenzie)
Allan D'Arcangelo	...	Sonny
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Vince Parenti	...	Trucker (uncredited)
Dennis Prager	...	Radio Talk Show Host (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
James Mangold

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
James Mangold		written by

Produced by
Herbert Beigel	....	executive producer
Scott Ferguson	....	associate producer
Gretchen McGowan	....	line producer
Richard Miller	....	producer
Jane Wright	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Thurston Moore

Cinematography by
Michael F. Barrow		(as Michael Barrow)

Film Editing by
Meg Reticker

Casting by
Todd M. Thaler		(as Todd Thaler)

Production Design by
Michael Shaw

Art Direction by
Daniel Goldfield

Set Decoration by
Kara Cressman

Costume Design by
Sarah Jane Slotnick		(as Sara Jane Slotnick)

Makeup Department
Elaine Kuhn	....	assistant hair stylist
Tracy Warbin	....	hair stylist
Tracy Warbin	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Trish Hofmann	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Scott Ambrozy	....	second assistant director
Chad Braden	....	third assistant director
Scott Ferguson	....	second unit director
Priscilla Guastavino	....	first assistant director
Ashley Johnson	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Rachel Janocko	....	property assistant
F. Ron Miller	....	graphic designer
Peter Ortel	....	set dresser
Peter Ortel	....	storyboard artist
David Schanker	....	property master
Charles Winters	....	carpenter

Sound Department
David Alvarez	....	additional production sound mixer
Laurel Bridges	....	boom operator (as Laurel Ann Bridges)
Nancy Cabrera	....	foley artist
Rick Dior	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eugenia Fiumi	....	boom operator
David Frankel	....	assistant sound editor
Fredrick Helm	....	boom operator
Sarah E. Hill	....	assistant sound editor
Bradford L. Hohle	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	sound editor
Lenny Manzo	....	boom operator
Jan McLaughlin	....	production sound mixer
Tim O'Shea	....	sound editor
Mary Ellen Porto	....	supervising sound editor
V. Renee Taylor	....	first assistant sound editor
Paul J. Zydel	....	adr mixer (as Paul Zydel)
Paul J. Zydel	....	foley mixer (as Paul Zydel)
Rick Dior	....	additional production sound mixer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Will Arnot	....	additional electrician (as William Shackleton Arnot)
Evans Brown	....	best boy electric
Meredith Collins	....	second assistant camera
Jeffrey A. Eplett	....	gaffer (as Jeff Eplett)
Ray Flynn	....	best boy electric (as Raymond Flynn)
Raphaelle Gosse-Gardet	....	third electrician
Justin Keith	....	best boy grip (as Justin 'Dusty' Keith)
Dennis A. Livesey	....	first assistant camera
John Mantel	....	still photographer
Gene Page	....	additional still photographer
Rocco Palmieri	....	additional electrician
Andrew Sweeney	....	third grip
Justin Vanson	....	key grip
Elizabeth Wick	....	second assistant camera

Casting Department
R.J. Kelly III	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jessica Fish	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
David Frankel	....	assistant editor
Noëlle Penraat	....	negative matcher (as Noelle Penraat)
David Pultz	....	color timer
Jim Villone	....	associate editor
Vera Wagman	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
John Bowen	....	additional music editor
Michelle Kuznetsky	....	music supervisor
Thurston Moore	....	musician: all instruments
Ray Palagy	....	music editor
Jennifer Pyken	....	music supervisor
Mary Ramos	....	music supervisor
Lee Ranaldo	....	score mixer
Lee Ranaldo	....	score recordist
Meg Reticker	....	music editor
Jim Villone	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Joe Orlowski	....	transportation captain
Matthew Salvato	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Bebe Buell	....	creative consultant
John Doby	....	production assistant
Michael Dosoro	....	production assistant
Penny Elliott	....	script supervisor
Jill Footlick	....	production coordinator
Jason Fuchs	....	additional production assistant (as Jason W. Fuchs)
Jennifer Gardella	....	intern
Pamela Haber	....	additional production assistant
Don Jacobs	....	tutor: Ms. Tyler, Eduactional Resource Services
Patricia Kennedy	....	intern (as Patty Kennedy)
Rosalind Lichter	....	production consultant
Melissa Lintinger	....	post-production accountant
F. Ron Miller	....	title designer
Mick Reed	....	production assistant
Steve Schottenfeld	....	production assistant (as Stephen Schottenfeld)
Lisa Snodgrass	....	tutor: Ms. Tyler, Educational Resource Services
Diana Strauss	....	location manager
Julie St. Thomas	....	location assistant
Natascha Tillmanns	....	assistant production coordinator
Mary Werboneth	....	production assistant
Jane Wright	....	chief production accountant
Mary Wynn	....	assistant: Ms. Winters

Thanks
Mel Carney	....	special thanks
Milos Forman	....	very special thanks
John Goodenow	....	special thanks: Horton Memorial Hospital
Michael Hausman	....	very special thanks
John Hendrickson	....	very special thanks
Sara Hendrickson	....	very special thanks
Sol LeWitt	....	very special thanks (as Sol Lewitt)
Keith MacKechnie	....	special thanks (as Keith Mackecknie)
Martin Mackechnie	....	special thanks
Peg Mackecknie	....	special thanks
Ross Mackecknie	....	special thanks
Alexander Mackendrick	....	very special thanks
Leslie Mangold	....	very special thanks
Robert Mangold	....	very special thanks
Sylvia Plimock Mangold	....	very special thanks
Craig McKay	....	very special thanks
Joe Mecca	....	very special thanks (as Joseph Mecca)
Eddie Mellon	....	special thanks
Dr. Anthony Miller	....	very special thanks
Mrs. Sheena Miller	....	very special thanks
David Parsons	....	very special thanks
Robert Ryman	....	very special thanks
Arthur Shapiro	....	very special thanks
Stefan Sharff	....	very special thanks

Production Companies

• Available Light Productions

Distributors

• Artificial Eye (UK)
• Cine Company S.A. (Spain)
• Ciné 360 Inc. (USA)
• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1996) (USA)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video
• Pretty Pictures (France)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• novemberfilm (Sweden)

Other Companies

• A Little Bit of Everything  catering
• Dawn Animal Agency  "Nanny" owned and trained by
• Double 'M' Vending  special thanks
• Eduaction Resource Services  tutoring
• F-Stop Film & Video  end titles
• Horton Memorial Hospital  special thanks
• PIE International  "Farrah Red Bathing Suit" poster courtesy of
• Reiff & Associates  production insurance
• The Culinary Institute of America  special thanks
• Todd-AO Studios (East)  post-production facilities
• Town of Highland Falls  special thanks
• WTZA Kingston  television news courtesy of

Also Known As:

Upstate Story (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and a scene of sexuality.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | France:U | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Culinary Institute of America, Poughkeepsie, New York, USA

Company:

Available Light Productions

Trivia:

Charles Thompson (aka Frank Black) of the Pixies says on a deleted scene of loudQUIETloud: A Film About the Pixies (2006), that he was approached for the part of Victor. He turned it down, saying he "didn't want to play that type of character".

Quotes:

Dolly: Why, you mustn't skip breakfast. It's the most imp... important meal.
Victor: I'm fat ma.
Dolly: You are not fat, you are not. Honey, you're husky, you're... you're well-built, you're macho!
Victor: I am fat ma!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cop Land (1997)

Soundtrack:

California Thing

A realistic and touching look at the life of a big guy.

This film is beautifully shot, and full of emotion. It is a character study. Very little action,of even the most basic kind. But you are drawn into the film, if you have even the slightest compassion, by the sheer loneliness and alienation of the characters.

The lead character, Vincent, is a middle aged man, weighing 250lbs. Heavy.

Our first introduction to Vincent plays upon our own bigotted perceptions of big guys: that they're all perverts. But through the film, we get to know Vince, and find that he is motivated, or rather paralyzed, by a fear of change and a painful shyness. His also a highly moral person. Not in the Christian sense, which would tend to make him seem truly perverse, but in the Human sense. He believes in Dignity and, despite the seemingly futileness of it, Hope. These are hard things to find in the small town in which he resides; especially considering he works in the family pub. I won't give away the ending, but HOPE sums it up.

The film deals with the hardships of being an overweight man, without indicting anyone or blaming anyone; and without telling the audience that being a big boy is inherently evil. In fact, Director James Mangold has much affection for this lonely man. If you have ANY opportunity to watch this film on DVD with Mangold's commentary, please do, but only after you have watched the film once or twice.

Pruitt Taylor Vince is perhaps in this film better than I have ever seen him. He is a beautiful man, whose eyes are filled with every emotion imaginable. I can tell, he has been through these painful experiences before in his own life.

The rest of the cast is great too. You won't see glamorous people here. Shelly Winters plays the mother with a spareness that makes you think there's not much underneath, but as the film unfolds you find the exact opposite.

Deborah Harry essentially revisits the "Wise Guy" character she played, but without the glamor. Lost and desperate, and too old to pretend she's not.

Liv Tyler, in one of her first roles, is also lost and desperate, but without the cynicism of Harry. Great counterbalance. She is also beautiful, and compassionate.

Mangold knows human nature. Here, he takes the brave step of challenging the audience to stop and think about it. The pauses in this movie are amazing, and say more than 30 minutes of a traditional narrative film do. This film is not just about a heavy guy...it is about all of us; how we react to those who are different, our own insecurities, our own sorrows, loneliness, and frail hearts. And yet, it defies becoming a "chick flick," Perhaps because it does center around the man's experiences, or perhaps because it does not cop out at the end with Cinderella fantasies.

WATCH THIS FILM.