Silver City (2004)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

John Sayles

Writer (WGA):

John Sayles (written by)

Release Date:

17 September 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Vote early. Vote often.

Plot:

The discovery of a corpse threatens to unravel a bumbling local politician's campaign for governor of Colorado.

Plot Keywords:

Campaign | Corpse | Colorado | Investigation | Politician

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Chris Cooper	...	Dickie Pilager
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Chuck Raven
Cajardo Lindsey	...	Lloyd
John C. Ashton	...	Director
Elizabeth Rainer	...	Leslie
Donevon Martinez	...	Lazaro Huerta
James Gammon	...	Sheriff Joe Skaggs
Benjamin Kroger	...	Deputy Davis
Charles Mitchell	...	Henry
Danny Huston	...	Danny O'Brien
Alma Delfina	...	Lupe Montoya
Roslyn Washington	...	Hilary
David Clennon	...	Mort Seymour
Mary Kay Place	...	Grace Seymour
Tim Roth	...	Mitch Paine

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | USA:R (No. 40829) | Singapore:PG | Argentina:13 | UK:15 | Ireland:15A

Filming Locations:

Argo Gold Mine - 2350 Riverside Drive, Idaho Springs, Colorado, USA

Company:

Anarchist's Convention Films

Goofs:

Continuity: When Danny is splashing in the mine, the type of flashlight he is holding changes several times.

Quotes:

Wes Benteen: People want to back a winner. They need to feel a part of something bigger than they are. They used to advertise the quality of a product - - tastes great, whitens your teeth, shaves close, rides like a dream - - Now what do they push? America's number one soft drink. Best-selling mid-sized utility vehicle. It isn't "buy the product." It's "Join the club." You make people feel part of a winner, they'll follow you anywhere.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tell Them Who You Are (2004)

Soundtrack:

Leadville Tattoo

Worth Seeing for Individual Performances

Yes, Sayles is over-ambitious in this movie and lectures us about too many things. But Silver City is worth seeing just for the wonderful individual performances of its actors. Chris Cooper is dead-on in his imitation of Dubya. He conveys privileged arrogance, impatience, mangled English and downright cluelessness. Alongside Cooper's work stand the performances of Kris Kristoffersen (how does he manage to be so soft-spoken and so threatening at the same time?)and the wonderful Ralph Waite (the quintessential American actor.) Also great performances from Tim Roth as the radical blogger, James Gammon as the Sheriff and Sal Lopez as a Mexican cook. But do other people think Danny Huston was miscast as the main character, Danny O'Brien? He seemed so "aw-shucks" goofy and dumb much of the time. Plus, was he made up to look like Mike Connors in Mannix or what? That 50's hairstyle was WEIRD. Now Tim Roth, HE looked and acted like a burnt-out radical reporter. The problem goes right back to the writing - Sayles is just trying to say way too much in this movie, and we get long lectures (instead of good storytelling) about land-developers, dirty politicians, immigrant abuse, pollution, journalistic ethics, corporate America, dysfunctional dynastic families, recreational substance abuse, casual sex, broken hearts - the list goes on and on. Lone Star was much more focused, and the relationship in that movie between Sheriff Sam Deeds and his Hispanic lover, Pilar, became a metaphor for the strange & symbiotic & incestuous relationship between Mexico and the U.S. Lone Star had the same great individual performances Silver City has, but it trusted its audience to be more intelligent and "get it" without hammering us over the head with the message. If you have the chance to see Silver City, definitely see it - the acting is wonderful. But expect a flawed movie.