Capote (2005)

Truman Capote, during his research for his book In Cold Blood, an account of the murder of a Kansas family, the writer develops a close relationship with Perry Smith, one of the killers.

Director:

Bennett Miller

Writers:

Dan Futterman (screenplay), Gerald Clarke (book)

Stars:

Allie Mickelson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener

Won 1 Oscar. Another 54 wins & 46 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Allie Mickelson	...	Laura Kinney
Kelci Stephenson	...	Nancy Clutter
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Truman Capote
Craig Archibald	...	Christopher
Bronwen Coleman	...	Barbara
Kate Shindle	...	Rose
David Wilson Barnes	...	Grayson
Michael J. Burg	...	Williams (as Michael J. Berg)
Catherine Keener	...	Nelle Harper Lee
Kwesi Ameyaw	...	Porter
Andrew Farago	...	Car Rental Agent
Ken Krotowich	...	Courthouse Guard
Chris Cooper	...	Alvin Dewey
R.D. Reid	...	Roy Church
Rob McLaughlin	...	Harold Nye (as Robert Mclaughlin)

Storyline

In 1959, Truman Capote, a popular writer for The New Yorker, learns about the horrific and senseless murder of a family of four in Holcomb, Kansas. Inspired by the story material, Capote and his partner, Harper Lee, travel to the town to research for an article. However, as Capote digs deeper into the story, he is inspired to expand the project into what would be his greatest work, In Cold Blood. To that end, he arranges extensive interviews with the prisoners, especially with Perry Smith, a quiet and articulate man with a troubled history. As he works on his book, Capote feels some compassion for Perry which in part prompts him to help the prisoners to some degree. However, that feeling deeply conflicts with his need for closure for his book which only an execution can provide. That conflict and the mixed motives for both interviewer and subject make for a troubling experience that would produce an literary account that would redefine modern non-fiction.

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Plot Keywords:

book | writer | kansas | truman capote | friend | 

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violent images and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Gaumont Columbia Tristar [fr] Sony Classics [us]

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 February 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Truman Capote

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$181,319 (Brazil) (3 March 2006)

Gross:

$28,747,570 (USA) (21 April 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sony Pictures Classics, A-Line Pictures, Cooper's Town Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min 110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some of the prison guards in this movie are real correctional officers from Headingley Correctional Center & Correctional Service of Canada's Stony Mountain Institution

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Goofs

Capote's hotel room has a plastic bottle of soda.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Laura Kinney: Hello? Nancy?

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: Favorite Oscar®-Winning Biopics (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Sugar (That Sugar Baby o' Mine)"
(1926)
Music by Maceo Pinkard
Lyrics by Edna Alexander and Sidney D. Mitchell (as Sidney Mitchell)
Performed by Billie Holiday
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment

User Reviews

2 Capote, or NOT 2 Capote???, That Is The Question...

CAPOTE, first of all, is a well written film by the talented Dan Futterman, whose performance in URBANIA we will always remember, and for Philip Seymour Hoffman, this is his "Golden Globe and Oscar Award" all in one. From the first scene, Hoffman creates the essence of the acid tongued, tremendously talented, yet damaged, Truman Capote.

Having read IN COLD BLOOD when it first came out, CAPOTE really captures on the screen the horror of what took place on that Kansas farm and the cinematography, costumes and locations are wonderful to behold. Miss Keener's performance is such a subtle and intelligent contrast to the hysteria of Capote, and his perfect foil.

In the scenes with Perry Smith, they are haunting and disturbing, as if it feels like two cobras are circling one another, waiting for the first one to strike. And in this context, I ask, "2 Capote, or NOT 2 Capote?, that is the question", because both are on the take-Smith to use Capote for obtaining a pardon, Capote, to nail the story that will gain him the adulation he so adores. And then, Capote slides downhill, while Perry rots in prison.

CAPOTE captures the essence of the 1950's, the horror of a brutal killing in the vast farmlands of Kansas, and delivers a knock out performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman. If only IN COLD BLOOD had not seemed like a manipulation by a writer out for glory at the expense of a prisoner who believed in him.