Arlington Road (1999)

A man begins to suspect his neighbors are not what they appear to be and their secrets could be deadly.

Director:

Mark Pellington

Writer:

Ehren Kruger

Stars:

Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeff Bridges	...	Michael Faraday
Tim Robbins	...	Oliver Lang
Joan Cusack	...	Cheryl Lang
Hope Davis	...	Brooke Wolfe
Robert Gossett	...	FBI Agent Whit Carver
Mason Gamble	...	Brady Lang
Spencer Treat Clark	...	Grant Faraday
Stanley Anderson	...	Dr. Archer Scobee
Viviane Vives	...	Nurse
Lee Stringer	...	Orderly
Darryl Cox	...	Troopmaster
Loyd Catlett	...	Delivery Man
Sid Hillman	...	Phone Technician
Auden Thornton	...	Hannah Lang
Mary Ashleigh Green	...	Daphne Lang

Storyline

In suburban Reston, Virginia, George Washington University American History professor Michael Faraday is still mourning the death of his wife, FBI agent Leah Faraday, after three years. His inside knowledge of the agency colors what he teaches in his classes. Although on good terms with Leah's ex-partner, Whit Carver, and the agency in general, Michael wants the agency at least to acknowledge their responsibility in her death in the line of duty. Michael is moving on with his personal life, he being in a serious relationship with his former teaching assistant Brooke Wolfe. Although he likes Brooke, Michael and Leah's nine year old son, Grant Faraday, may not yet be quite ready for Brooke to be a permanent part of their lives. It is only in helping adolescent Brady Lang who he sees in medical distress that Michael meets his new neighbors, Oliver and Cheryl Lang, Brady's parents. In the process, Michael and Brooke becomes friends with the Langs, as Grant and Brady become friends. ...

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Plot Keywords:

neighbor | professor | death | fbi agent | fbi | 

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Taglines:

How well do you know your neighbour?

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and some language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 July 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arlington Rd.

Filming Locations:

Houston, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$31,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£527,427 (UK) (19 March 1999)

Gross:

$24,362,501 (USA) (24 September 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Screen Gems, Lakeshore Entertainment, Arlington Road Productions Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Tim Robbins and Spencer Treat Clark also appeared in Mystic River (2003).

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Goofs

After the bombing at the end of the film, a red ford Taurus is seen driving down a thruway, the same car with visual resemblance to the one driven by Michael Faraday before the bombing.

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Quotes

FBI Agent Whit Carver: [last words, repeated] ... everyone, except you.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: American Pie/My Life So Far/The Blair Witch Project/Arlington Road/Return with Honor (1999)

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Soundtracks

Allen's Goodies
Written by Teddy Lasry (uncredited)
Courtesy of Killer Tracks

User Reviews

Underplayed acting makes for a taught thriller

Bridges plays the same character as always, but fits nicely into this part. Robbins plays a very back stage part for most of the film, the main concentration is on the small minded paranoia of Bridges. Brilliant film which brings home some harsh, hard truths about American society and security. An interesting storyline, which excels beyond the average Hollywood thriller, the typical guessing game of the goodies and baddies plays a secondary role to the real story. A uniquely intelligent terrorist thriller from Hollywood. Don't miss it.