Frailty (2001)

A man confesses to an FBI agent his family's story of how his religious fanatic father's visions lead to a series of murders to destroy supposed "demons."

Director:

Bill Paxton

Writer:

Brent Hanley

Stars:

Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Boothe

5 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Paxton	...	Dad Meiks
Matthew McConaughey	...	Adam Meiks
Powers Boothe	...	FBI Agent Wesley Doyle
Matt O'Leary	...	Young Fenton
Jeremy Sumpter	...	Young Adam
Luke Askew	...	Sheriff Smalls
Levi Kreis	...	Fenton Meiks
Derk Cheetwood	...	Agent Griffin Hull
Missy Crider	...	Becky Meiks (as Melissa Crider)
Alan Davidson	...	Brad White
Cynthia Ettinger	...	Cynthia Harbridge
Vincent Chase	...	Edward March
Gwen McGee	...	Operator
Edmond Scott Ratliff	...	The Angel
Rebecca Tilney	...	Teacher

Storyline

FBI agent Wesley Doyle is startled by the spontaneous declaration of youngster Fenton Meiks about how his father's delusions to have a divine mission as avenging angel required him and his brother Adam to become his 'demon-slaying' murder accomplices. But when Doyle accepts to be shown concealed victim graves, the plot twists in the present just as gruesomely.

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Plot Keywords:

demon | religious fanatic | fbi | fbi agent | murder | 

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Taglines:

Only demons should fear me.... and you're not a demon, are you?

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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 Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 April 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Emprise

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles Center Studios - 450 S. Bixel Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$4,208,655 (USA) (12 April 2002)

Gross:

$13,103,828 (USA) (7 June 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

David Kirschner Productions, American Entertainment, Cinerenta Medienbeteiligungs KG

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (FotoKem)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bill Paxton insisted on flying the young Tennessee actor Blake King to the shoot in Los Angeles in order to have a boy with a native southern accent play the small role of Fenton's classmate Eric who invites Fenton to "wrap" Corey's house (at 40:55 in the director commentary).

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Goofs

When Agent Hull comes in Fenton's house, he sees the cork-board with Fenton's victim list. When it is first shown, the list is pinned up straight, with about a couple of inches of cork-board visible under it. However, when the list is seen again, it is slightly tilted, and pinned directly above a picture (with cork-board no longer visible).

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Quotes

Young Adam: So we're like superheroes?

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Crazy Credits

Directors Sam Raimi, Ivan Reitman and James Cameron, among others, are thanked at the end of the credits.

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Connections

Features Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom (1963)

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Soundtracks

Ball & Chain
Performed by Dale Watson
Written by Dale Watson
Courtesy of Hightone Records
Published by Bug Music o/b/o Watson Texas Music (BMI), and Songs of Windswept Pacific
By Arrangement with Ocean Park Music Group

User Reviews

Genuinely Good Film

The film is very complete in what it is, keeping one continuously interested with the flashbacks to childhood and growing up with such a bizarre father, and interspersing it with the tails of serial murder, one simply cannot go wrong. The very plot in itself, the very story and essence of the film, is entertaining. It is the sort of story that the director (Bill Paxton) could do so much with, and in this case, he really did do a lot with it.

From beginning to end you are kept anticipating more and more about what is happening and where the film is going, and the creativity that is behind this story is first class. I felt as if this film was exquisitely done from start to finish, and one of those rare gems that seemed to be without any boring lulls -- the action flowing neatly, quickly, and tightly from one scene to the next.

It demonstrates just how far people can go: so as to do such horrible things to their loved ones, and to do such acts of evil, in the name of 'God' when they are disillusioned as in this case. It also is sometimes interesting in its' twists & takes on the concept of morality as a whole.

Overall, this is the sort of film that one easily overlooks, but I would recommend you to not do likewise and to check this film out -- it is very much so worth your time.