Shot in the Heart (2001)

The story of a man coming to terms with the sins and secrets of his notorious brother and, in the process, exploring the legacy of violence in his own family.

Director:

Agnieszka Holland

Writers:

Mikal Gilmore (book), Frank Pugliese (teleplay)

Stars:

Anne Kathryn Parma, Ashley Edwards, Evyn Clark

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anne Kathryn Parma	...	Wanda Brown
Ashley Edwards	...	Alta Brown
Evyn Clark	...	Bessie (Age 12)
Kim Abunuwara	...	Melissa Brown
Rick Macy	...	Will Brown
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Mikal Gilmore
Terry Beaver	...	Richard Giaque
Lee Tergesen	...	Frank Gilmore, Jr.
Reid Sasser	...	Guard No 1
Elias Koteas	...	Gary Gilmore
Brett Fleisher	...	Gaylen Gilmore
Sam Shepard	...	Frank Gilmore, Sr.
Trevor Gosden	...	Mikal (Age 5-12)
Amy Madigan	...	Bessie Gilmore
Paul Wesley	...	Gary (Age 15-22) (as Paul Wasilewski)

Storyline

In fall 1977, Mikal Gilmore and his older brother Frank Jr. ride through the Salt Lake Valley in a Rolls-Royce driven by ACLU lawyer Richard Giaque. They are on their way to Utah's Draper Prison for a "one-time-only" visit with their notorious brother Gary, a death-row inmate set to be executed in a few days. Convicted a year earlier of the brutal murders of two Mormon men, Gary has been sentenced to death in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to reinstate capital punishment. Since he stands to become the first American in more than a decade to be executed, Gary has become the subject of enormous national attention, and his request to die stuns his ailing mother Bessie and confuses his brothers. Mikal and Frank hope to meet with Gary, change his mind, and get papers signed that will stay the execution.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | death row | lawyer | capital punishment | aclu | 

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Taglines:

He was worth more dead than he ever was alive... but not to me. I was Gary Gilmore's brother.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some strong violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shot in the Dark

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Home Box Office (HBO), Levinson / Fontana Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of The Executioner's Song (1982)

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Soundtracks

"Old Shep"
Written by Red Foley
Performed by Elvis Presley

User Reviews

Low budget, great film!

Wow, I loved this film. It may not have had the funding and advertising that the latest hollywood blockbusters get but it packs twice the emotional punch. The tale revolves around this one family from Utah and it's the connections between the people in the family that provide the film with its punch. The main lead (Giovanni Ribisi) plays his part very well, at no time does he leave you to believe that he's acting all his feelings. It's his brother (Elias Koteas) who stole the show for me though. When the two were in scenes together they bounded their lines off of each other, giving fantastic performances. Great cast, great film.