Affliction (1997)

Director:

Paul Schrader

Writers (WGA):

Russell Banks (novel)
Paul Schrader (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 January 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Wade Whitehouse is frightened to death of following in his father's footsteps.

Plot:

A deeply troubled small town cop investigates a suspicious hunting death while events occur that cause him to mentally disintergrate.

Plot Keywords:

Hunting | Small Town | Sheriff | Dysfunctional Family | Self Dentistry

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 7 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Nick Nolte	...	Wade Whitehouse
Brigid Tierney	...	Jill Whitehouse
Holmes Osborne	...	Gordon LaRiviere
Jim True-Frost	...	Jack Hewitt (as Jim True)
Tim Post	...	Chick Ward
Christopher Heyerdahl	...	Frankie Lacoy (as Chris Heyerdahl)
Marian Seldes	...	Alma Pittman
Janine Theriault	...	Hettie Rogers
Mary Beth Hurt	...	Lillian Whitehouse Horner
Paul Stewart	...	Mr. Horner
Sissy Spacek	...	Margie Fogg
Wayne Robson	...	Nick Wickham
Sean McCann	...	Evan Twombley
Sheena Larkin	...	Lugene Brooks
Penny Mancuso	...	Woman Driver

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Netherlands:12 (re-rating) | Netherlands:16 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:18 | France:U | Germany:12 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 (video premiere) | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #35428) | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Beloeil, Québec, Canada

Company:

JVC Entertainment Networks

Trivia:

When the family reunites for Sally Whitehouse's funeral, Rolfe (Willem Dafoe) is asked by his sister if he's a serious Christian, which he denies. Dafoe played Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) nine years before.

Goofs:

Continuity: When on the deer hunt, in a shot from above Jack is shown putting the index finger of his left hand to his mouth to signal his wealthy customer to be silent, but in the next shot it's his right index finger.

Quotes:

Rolfe Whitehouse: [First lines] This is the story of my older brother's strange criminal behaviour and disappearance. We who loved him no longer speak of Wade. It's as if he never existed.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 56th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Proud To Be Loud

Great performances make this small indie effort

For what is considered a small, independent film, this movie is packed with brilliant performances by two great actors. James Coburn is the dark, angry patriarch of an abusive household, whose abuse and anger are inherited by his son(Nolte). The story is told by the youngest brother (played mainly in voice-over and a small cameo by Willem Dafoe), and traces the events of a small town murder investigation that leads to the mental collapse of Nolte's cop character. The film weaves us through a buffet of sub-plots and bit characters (including a nice appearance by Sissy Spacek), which is at times whish-washed. However the tone and style of the film are quite fresh and unique.

Penned and directed by Paul Schrader, who will probably always be known for writing "Taxi Driver", the film is a stylish take of what is most likely a much better novel. The tone is cold and dark, and serves as the perfect backdrop for the anger and isolation of the two "male" characters. In my opinion, the voice-over narration takes away from the feeling the picture leaves, basically serving the purpose to tell us what to feel. The images and performances on the screen do a fine job in dong that on it's own, without re-enforcment. On a whole, the film is powerful and moving, and is a great look into the heart and soul of lives that are truely tortured. I would recommend this film if for no other reason than to see the brilliant performances of James Coburn (Oscar winner) and Nick Nolte (Oscar nominee).