L.I.E. (2001)

Director:

Michael Cuesta

Writers:

Stephen M. Ryder (written by)
Michael Cuesta (written by)

Release Date:

29 November 2002 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

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.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Building Contractor | Water Gun | Pederasty | Virginity

Awards:

20 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

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

Also Known As:

Long Island Expressway (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content involving teens, language and brief violence. (video version)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

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)

Filming Locations:

20 Swarthmore lane, Dix Hills, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Alter Ego Entertainment

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.

Goofs:

Continuity: The soap when Big John shaves Howie.

Quotes:

Gary: I don't like that kid. He smiles too much.

Movie Connections:

References Casablanca (1942)

Soundtrack:

The Bugs

Spoke to me in many ways

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.