Love Liza (2002)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Todd Louiso

Writer:

Gordy Hoffman (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 January 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A Comic Tragedy

Plot:

Following the unexplained suicide of his wife Liza, website designer Wilson Joel (Philip Seymour Hoffman) turns to gasoline fumes and remote control gaming while avoiding an inevitable conflict with his mother-in-law (Kathy Bates).

Plot Keywords:

Mother In Law | Suicide | Model Airplane | Sleeping In Car | Mental Breakdown

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Wilson Joel
J.D. Walsh	...	Bern (as JD Walsh)
Jimmy Raskin	...	Pad
Kathy Bates	...	Mary Ann Bankhead
Erika Alexander	...	Brenda
Sarah Koskoff	...	Maura
Mark Hannibal	...	Waiter with Drink
Jim Wise	...	Bland Man
Trace Turville	...	Bland Woman
Wayne Duvall	...	Gas Station
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Tom Bailey
Kevin Breznahan	...	Jim
Jennifer Keddy	...	Lynne
David Lenthall	...	Hobbytown USA Clerk (as David Lenthal)
Jack Kehler	...	Denny

MPAA:

Rated R for drug use, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

France | Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Germany:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Spain:13 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Audubon Zoo - 6500 Magazine Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Kinowelt Filmproduktion

Quotes:

Model Boat Man: HEY! There's no swimming today!
Wilson Joel: Do you know who I am?
[pause]
Wilson Joel: I am a big fan of Radio Control!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Corpus Christi Carol

Good film, made Brilliant by superb performances

"Love Liza" is a great film. A story about depression and the effect loved ones have on each other, it elicits all kinds of emotions from the audience: Laughter, Sadness, Anger. It deals with two subjects that are not easily displayed on film: Drug Use and Suicide, but deals with them in a brilliant way. After the death of his wife, Wilson (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), is thrown into a state of depression. He finds his wife's suicide note but does not want to open for fear of its contents and begins huffing gasoline to try to steer clear of the pain. Phillip Seymour Hoffman IS Wilson and does not skip a beat the entire film. He is one of this generations greatest actors, and this film shows why. Jack Kehler as Denny turns in a tremendous performance as well as Kathy Bates as Wilson's mother-in-law. Good film, made brilliant by superb performances.