Julian Po (1997)

Christian Slater is a stranger who comes to a small town. The local citizens think he's up to no good. After bothering him for a while, he blurts out in frustration, that he is there to ... See full summary »

Director:

Alan Wade

Writers:

Branimir Scepanovic (book), Alan Wade

Stars:

Christian Slater, Robin Tunney, Michael Parks

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christian Slater	...	Julian Po
Robin Tunney	...	Sarah
Michael Parks	...	Vern
Cherry Jones	...	Lucy
Frankie Faison	...	Sheriff Leon
Harve Presnell	...	Mayor Henry Leech
Allison Janney	...	Lilah Leech
LaTanya Richardson	...	Darlene (as Latanya Richardson)
Dina Waters	...	Dee (as Dina Spybey)
Bruce Bohne	...	Pastor Bean
Roy Cooper	...	Tobias the Barber
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Tom Potter
Ellen McElduff	...	Reva
Io Tillett Wright	...	Walter
Jeremy Jordan	...	Bobby

Storyline

Christian Slater is a stranger who comes to a small town. The local citizens think he's up to no good. After bothering him for a while, he blurts out in frustration, that he is there to kill himself.

---

Plot Keywords:

stranger | alcohol | gun | barber | lingerie slip | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements related to suicide, and for language and some sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Cypress Films home page Fine Line

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 September 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Tears of Julian Po

Filming Locations:

Fleischmanns, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$33,148 (USA) (5 September 1997)

Gross:

$33,148 (USA) (5 September 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cypress Films (I), Mindel-Shaw Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The German dubbed version differs from the usual dubbing of foreign films. In this movie they use the German "Herr" instead of "Mister" and the German currency (then "D-Mark") instead of US currency (when Christian Slater hires a room).

---

Quotes

Julian Po: Everyone's time is short. Yours, too. It's an illusion that we have forever to live.

---

Connections

References Taxi Driver (1976)

---

Soundtracks

"How to Fly"
Written & Performed by Pete Snell

User Reviews

Don't read about it; see it -- it's a strange, delightful surprise

I can't believe the tone of the external reviews linked to this entry...these guys didn't get this film at all!!! What in god's name did the bozos expect from a film adapted from a novel in French by an author of obvious Eastern European descent?

"Julian Po" is a fable, folks, about life and death and all the states in between. It's funny and sad and bewildering and tragicomic in the way good European fiction can be and even good American fiction rarely is. It's beautifully cast with people from some of my favorite TV series, from "West Wing" to "Homicide" to "Remember WENN" and from some damn good films such as "Fargo" and "Kill Bill". It also has Christian Slater's best performance since "Heathers" and manages to be "quirky" in a way different from those generic indie films that equate quirkiness with quality.

It IS a little slow, because it moves at the pace of life, but this allows it time to fill each moment with the stuff of life. It misses being great because it doesn't have the final twist that takes it beyond our expectations, but it is nonetheless the best surprise I've come across in several years -- a genuine small, unheralded, lost gem.

Please don't read too much about it before you see it. Judge for yourself, with your heart and your head. This film should appeal to both parts of your anatomy.