Cherish (2002)

After a martini-induced rampage, a fantasy-prone young woman is placed under house arrest.

Director:

Finn Taylor

Writer:

Finn Taylor

Stars:

Brad Hunt, Robin Tunney, Liz Phair

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brad Hunt	...	D.J.
Robin Tunney	...	Zoe
Liz Phair	...	Brynn
Lindsay Crouse	...	Therapist
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Daly
Kelvin Han Yee	...	Officer Yee
Jason Priestley	...	Andrew
Karena Davis	...	Woman in Bar
Scott Breitenstein	...	Officer Ruiz
Tim Griffin	...	Officer Griffin
Kathleen Stefano	...	Head Prison Guard
Stephen Polk	...	Joyce
Nora Dunn	...	Bell
Ricardo Gil	...	Max
Kenny Kwong	...	Yung

Storyline

In San Francisco, Zoe is a shy and outcast in her working place that adores the love songs she listens to the radio. Zoe goes to a bar with her coworkers and she spends the night talking to a colleague that also like mushy songs. She drinks with him and when she goes to her car to take her cellular to call a taxi, a stalker forces her to drive away. A police officer sees the intruder in her car and asks her to stop the car. However, the guy forces Zoe to run over the policeman that is hit and dies. Zoe has a car accident and the aggressor escapes. Neither the police nor her defense lawyer believes on her words and Zoe is arrested for murdering the policeman. She is confined at home with an ankle bracelet under the surveillance of Daly, a lonely man that falls in love with Zoe. She tries to find a way to leave the spot to chase the criminal and prove her innocence.

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Plot Keywords:

house arrest | lawyer | stalker | police officer | stolen phone | 

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Taglines:

She'd get out more if it wasn't a felony.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Thriller | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Fine Line [us] - trailer, synopsis

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 January 2003 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

Dziekuje, Zoe

Filming Locations:

Berkeley, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$36,618 (USA) (7 June 2002)

Gross:

$160,268 (USA) (21 June 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

3 Ring Circus Films, Concrete Pictures, Wonderfilms

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

As revealed in the DVD commentary, there was originally a scene that would have had her character masturbating out of boredom, 'but Robin Tunney''s father nixed that idea quickly.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Zoe: Oh hi, sorry about the headphones. The music helps me work, stay connected, focused.

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Crazy Credits

Before the end credits roll, we see "For Gary."

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Connections

References Play Misty for Me (1971)

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Soundtracks

"When I'm Alone"
Written by Frankie Beverly
Performed by Maze
Used by permission of Pecle Publishing (BMI)
Courtesy of Capitol Records under license from EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets

User Reviews

It is by far superior to any other in its multi-genre this year.

A young woman,Zoe,is placed under electronic house arrest for a crime she did not commit. The eccentric and energetic `Cherish, ' written and directed by Finn Taylor (`Dream with the Fishes') has the virtues of romance and thriller with a good dose of odd love. It is by far superior to any other in its multi-genre this year.

Robin Tunney plays Zoe as a cross between Frankie Potente in `Run, Lola, Run' and an updated Audrey Hepburn in `Breakfast at Tiffany's.' She indeed runs for her life, in a sequence clearly influenced by `Lola,' and she hangs out on an apartment terrace wistfully looking at life as Audrey did almost a half a century ago.

Tunney is natural and attractive dealing with the loneliness of exile and a possible romance with the rep for the electronic imprisoning device.

Her antagonist is a male version of Clint Eastwood's nemesis in `Play Misty for Me'-a cunning loner whose affection for music and Zoe is pathological. This insanity allows for an eclectic soundtrack rich with the songs of the ‘50's and 60's and an emphasis on the eccentric contemporary Noe Venable, perfectly suited to the situation.

And the music is a star-the pop lyrics give meaning and nostalgia in a world where Zoe is confined by four walls but liberated by her imagination to become a passably good roller skater and lovable neighborhood oddity. Association hit "Cherish" is the titular song whose demented lyrics reflect the antagonist's sick obsession with a girl he can never have.

Confinement has released her imagination. Finally, an intelligent movie this summer to share the spotlight with Hugh grant's `About a Boy.'