Milwaukee, Minnesota (2003)

Director:

Allan Mindel

Writer:

Richard Murphy (writer)

Release Date:

21 December 2005 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A young man who's been labeled mentally ill is left on his own after his mother's murder. Confused and alone, he's targeted by two different con artists out to make off with his inheritance.

Plot Keywords:

Minnesota | Autism | Mother Son Relationship | Milwaukee Wisconsin

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Troy Garity	...	Albert Burroughs
Alison Folland	...	Tuey Stites
Randy Quaid	...	Jerry James
Bruce Dern	...	Sean McNally
Hank Harris	...	Stan Stites
Debra Monk	...	Edna Burroughs
Josh Brolin	...	Gary
Holly Woodlawn	...	Transvestite
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Judd	...	Bartender
Maren Lindow	...	Woman in photo
Suzanne Petri	...	Barfly
Timothy Slaske	...	Man in restaurant

MPAA:

Rated R for language, sexual content, some violence and brief drug use.

Runtime:

USA:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Company:

Albert & Tuey Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: Tuey arrives to pick up Albert for the second fishing trip. The long shot shows a passenger dressed in orange in the passenger seat. Albert is still standing on the sidewalk in his orange suit. The close up shows Stan in the passenger seat wearing his brown jacket.

A great movie

It's pretty hard to criticise a labour of love, and Milwaukee, Minnesota is no exception. The background to this film reveals the kind of indie aesthetic that infatuates people; there's no major money motive, a lot of hard work from a small cast, and on overall desire to create something stimulating. Indeed the attention to detail is a joy to watch; from meticulously planned shots (the director's commentary reveals stories of balancing cameras on piles of snow, filming reflections to look like insects and throwing talcum powder on actors) to cinematography changing as we enter the world of the protagonist about a quarter of the way in. As far as the story goes; it's a sensitive and honest portrayal of a sensitive and honest story. It's magical but believable, funny but dark and reminds you as any good indie should, that life is actually quite beautiful, tainted at the edges sure, dangerous sure, but ultimately there's things around you every day that are good enough without bombs, explosions and $100Million dollars in unmarked bills at stake.