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Willard (2003)

 -  Drama | Horror | Thriller  -  14 March 2003 (USA)
6.0
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Ratings: 6.0/10 from 12,219 users   Metascore: 61/100
Reviews: 212 user | 124 critic | 31 from Metacritic.com

A young man with an unusual connection with rats, uses them at his own sociopathic will.

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(screenplay), , 1 more credit »
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Cast

Complete credited cast:
...
...
...
Cathryn (as Laura Elena Harring)
...
Mrs. Stiles
Ashlyn Gere ...
Ms. Leach (as Kimberly Patton)
William S. Taylor ...
Mr. Garter
Edward Horn ...
Colquitt
Gus Lynch ...
George Foxx
Laara Sadiq ...
Janice Mantis
...
Detective Boxer
...
Officer Salmon
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Storyline

This is the story of Willard Stiles who is a social misfit taking care of his ill and fragile but verbally abusive mother Henrietta in a musty old mansion that is also home to a colony of rats. Willard then finds himself constantly humiliated in front of his co-workers and is eventually fired by his cruel and uncaring boss, Mr. Frank Martin, a vicious man whose professional interest in Willard extends to a personal financial one. Written by Anthony Pereyra <hypersonic91@yahoo.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

rat | revenge | vermin | work | at work | See more »

Taglines:

This Spring Stand Up And Bite Back See more »

Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for terror/violence, some sexual content and language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

|

Language:

Release Date:

14 March 2003 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

A Vingança de Willard  »

Box Office

Budget:

$22,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$56,652 (Hong Kong) (9 May 2003)

Gross:

$107,689 (Hong Kong) (16 May 2003)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (DVD)

Sound Mix:

| |

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

When Cathryn brings over her ginger cat to cheer Willard up, the cat is named Scully. Glen Morgan and James Wong served as long-time writers/producers on The X-Files. See more »

Goofs

When the rats are tearing the newspaper, the amount of damage to it is inconsistent. At one point they've torn all the way through the blue banner at the top of the page; later it is whole again. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Willard's Mother: Willard! There are rats in the basement!
See more »

Crazy Credits

Second Unit Chef Dave Carlson's credit is listed as: Cater to the Stars...DAVID CARLSON See more »

Connections

Referenced in The Year of the Rat (2003) See more »

Soundtracks

"Ben"
Written by Walter Scharf and Don Black
Performed by Jackson 5
Courtesy of Motown Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
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User Reviews

 
Willard: 8/10
26 October 2003 | by (Anywhere, USA) – See all my reviews

One of the least successful movies of the year, when it should have been one of the most, is Willard, the remake of the Bruce Davison version. It has everything going for it, and it was really the dismal marketing campaign that brought it to its early demise. If more people had given it a chance, then hopefully it would have been more successful and more people would have been able to see this masterwork. That's what Willard is, it's a masterpiece, at least of the movies of the last ten years or so. No movies have been up to par in so many different levels.

Crispin Glover puts in the best acting performance of the year, and possibly one of the best of all time is the title character. He has a dead-end job at his late father's business, now run by his father's partner, Frank Martin (R. Lee Ermey), who just keeps him on until Willard's mother (Jackie Burroughs) dies. When his mother makes him go look for rats, Willard finds one, keeps it, and names it Socrates. He discovers more, and they do whatever Socrates tells him. However, a huge rat named Ben wants control, and fights with Socrates for power, while Willard uses the rats for his own sociopathic will.

As I said earlier, Willard has everything going for it. I'll go one at a time. The directing, by X-Files alum Glen Morgan (also written by him and co-produced with James Wong) was perfect. He has an obvious style (and probably studied Hitchcock in college), and creates a sense of realism in this implausible movie. Also, Morgan's screenplay has some of the best humor to come out of a movie this year, especially from Ermey and Burroughs. I won't spoil them, although they're still funny on repeat viewings.

The acting, especially by Glover, who isn't a forerunner in big Hollywood names, is spectacular. Glover portrayed a young, aimless man so well. No one can scream like this man can. He's not afraid to let go and let his emotions run him over. He must have some deep repressed memories. Ermey is outstanding, but, then again, when is he not? He just plays an evil character, and that's what he's great at. Laura Elena Harring (Mulholland Drive) does what she can with her very small role. I noticed she tried to repress an accent, but I couldn't tell from where. Sounded Spanish, but I digress. Burroughs is great, although more of her (not really looking at her, though…she's hideous) would have been great.

Morgan takes what could have been disastrous and turned it around to become a truly creepy film. Willard shows the side of every person who wants to do something evil, but can't find the will to do it. That's where Willard succeeds, you end up rooting for someone you normally wouldn't because he's doing something that you desperately want to do.

Willard is a modern masterpiece, one that will thankfully find a huge audience on DVD.

My rating: 8/10

Rated PG-13 for terror/violence, some sexual content and language.


15 of 19 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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unlike Williard, Do not hold rats by the tail! robin-285
anyone else upset.... meganchughes
This movie really disturbed me DramaCutie54
Worth renting?! keepit_simple
Rat movies in general bhmllr
Willards Mom friggen_crap
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