Land of Plenty (2004)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Wim Wenders

Writers:

Scott Derrickson (story)
Michael Meredith (screenplay)

Release Date:

10 September 2004 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A drama that investigates anxiety and disillusionment in America.

Plot Keywords:

Los Angeles | Disillusionment | Vigilante | Peace Activist | The 911 Effect

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Michelle Williams	...	Lana
John Diehl	...	Paul
Shaun Toub	...	Hassan
Wendell Pierce	...	Henry
Richard Edson	...	Jimmy
Burt Young	...	Sherman
Yuri Elvin	...	Officer Elvin (as Yuri Z. Flynn)
Jeris Poindexter	...	Charles (as Jeris Lee Poindexter)
Rhonda Stubbins White	...	Dee Dee
Victoria Thomas	...	News Reporter
Matthew Kimbrough	...	News Anchor
Paul West	...	Policeman
Jeffrey Vincent Parise	...	Coroner's Assistant (as Jeff Parise)
Christa Lang	...	Trailer Park Woman
Warren Stearns	...	Mortician

Also Known As:

Angst and Alienation in America (USA) (working title)
Untitled Wim Wenders Project (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Slovakia:12 | Finland:K-11 | South Korea:12 | Brazil:12 | Germany:12 | Italy:T | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Emotion Pictures

Trivia:

When Lana and Paul are talking on the roof, a sign can be seen in the distance reading "The New Million Dollar Hotel" (ref. Wim Wenders' film The Million Dollar Hotel (2000) where the roof scenes are very important).

Quotes:

Paul: They're trying to destroy our country. They're trying to infect us. I'm not going to let them.

Movie Connections:

References The Million Dollar Hotel (2000)

This is just too painful to watch.

This is a sort of anti-Wenders film. While most of his films are uplifting, beautiful and spiritual, _Land of Plenty_ is a brutal and unpleasant exposé of American paranoia. It's very well done, and it's frighteningly accurate. Still, I can't imagine any Americans will enjoy watching it.

If you're in denial, then you will be offended by this movie (like most of the negative reviewers here). So don't bother.

If you're familiar with the paranoia and bigotry that has enveloped this country then this movie will upset you, just as if you had a big wart on your nose, and someone made a film about it. So don't bother.

I believe the only people who could possibly enjoy this film are objective (non-American) viewers who do not feel the shame that this movie exposes.

I'm rating this film an 8 because it was well done, but I can't recommend it to anyone. It was just too excruciating for me (as it should be for all Americans who share the burden of what our country has turned into). Another film which falls into this category is _House of Sand and Fog_ which one critic called "the feel-bad movie of the year".

This movie made me feel like crap. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch _Lisbon Story_ 1000 times and try to recover from this.