IMDb > L.I.E. (2001)
L.I.E.
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L.I.E. (2001) -- MovieMaze.de - Trailer (Quicktime)

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Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   4,760 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Stephen M. Ryder (written by)
Michael Cuesta (written by)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for L.I.E. on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
29 November 2002 (UK) more
Genre:
Tagline:
On the Long Island Expressway there are lanes going east, lanes going west, and lanes going straight to hell.
Plot:
A 15-year-old Long Island boy loses everything and everyone he knows, soon becoming involved in a relationship with a much older man. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
20 wins & 15 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(15 articles)
Genius to Dismember 'Tell-Tale' in Theaters
 (From ioncinema. 9 November 2009)

Magnolia Has a “Good Heart”
 (From indieWIRE. 5 November 2009, 11:02 AM, PST)

User Comments:
Spoke to me in many ways more (104 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Paul Dano ... Howie Blitzer (as Paul Franklin Dano)

Bruce Altman ... Marty Blitzer

Billy Kay ... Gary
James Costa ... Kevin Cole
Tony Michael Donnelly ... Brian (as Tony Donnelly)

Michelle Carano ... Newscaster
Tatiana Burgos ... Marty's Girlfriend

Brian Cox ... Big John Harrigan
B. Constance Barry ... Anne Harrigan

Walter Masterson ... Scott
Brad Silnutzer ... Henry
Bob Gerardi ... Clifford
Adam LeFevre ... Elliot
Frank Rivers ... Man with Pizza (as Frank G. Rivers)
Anthony F. Peragine ... Tough Kid #1
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Long Island Expressway (USA) (alternative spelling)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong sexual content involving teens, language and brief violence. (video version)
Runtime:
97 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Canada:18A | France:-16 | Germany:12 | Mexico:C | Portugal:M/12 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | USA:Open (rating surrendered) (2002) | USA:R (video rating) (2002) (cut)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The distributor, Lot 47, appealed against the NC-17 rating at the same time as launching a publicity campaign about how arbitrary the rating system was. Both failed. more
Goofs:
Continuity: The soap when Big John shaves Howie. more
Quotes:
Gary: I don't like that kid. He smiles too much. more
Movie Connections:
References Casablanca (1942) more
Soundtrack:
The Bugs more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful.
Spoke to me in many ways, 15 July 2008
9/10
Author: tonymurphylee from USA

Howie Blitzer is having some serious trouble dealing with the death of his mother. His father is never around and is constantly with other women and his only friend is Gary, another troubled kid who Howie is sexually attracted to and who leads him and a couple other misfits to houses to steal from. Eventually, Howie and Gary rob the house of a pederast named Big John(Brian Cox). Big John finds Howie and at first sees him as another teenager that he can fool around with. However, upon meeting Howie, he realizes that Howie doesn't needs a father figure more than he needs a sexual partner.

There is one single flaw with the film. That is the ending. The film ends in heartless violence. It would have been better to end ambiguously. However, even that single flaw doesn't make me love the film any less. This is one of those films that is so honest, so pitch-perfect in the people it is depicting, so fearless in what it's willing to show, that, to me, it is almost required viewing.

This film really spoke to me. I can really relate to it in a lot of ways because I had a terrible time back when I was fifteen since I had been bullied around and didn't really have anyone to talk to. I had experienced the loss of people I loved as well, and I dealt with those bad feelings for a while. I can really relate to the Howie character. I think we all, at one time or another, felt a little like Howie Blitzer. He's a great character. Despite his problems, he still is a good writer and he still appreciates art and the things that matter to him.

The performances are remarkably natural and extraordinary, the cinematography is top-notch, the script is both hilarious and heartbreaking, and the whole film has such a strong sense of intensity and ferocity that it's really difficult to stop watching it once you start. It does everything a film is supposed to do. It's extremely entertaining, challenging, and bizarre. It's one of the best films of the 21st century.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for L.I.E. (2001)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Howie Gay? (SPOILER) millre40
The worst movie ever jcakes00
Is this film worth hunting down? ferguspearson
This is the American Lilja 4-Ever PatrickQRS
Paul Dano`s best movie in my oppinion stefan_2006
Henry's Sister foggynotion7
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