Adam's Apples (2005)
"Adams æbler" (original title)

A neo-nazi sentenced to community service at a church clashes with the blindly devotional priest.

Director:

Anders Thomas Jensen

Writer:

Anders Thomas Jensen

Stars:

Ulrich Thomsen, Mads Mikkelsen, Nicolas Bro

19 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ulrich Thomsen	...	Adam Pedersen
Mads Mikkelsen	...	Ivan
Nicolas Bro	...	Gunnar
Paprika Steen	...	Sarah Svendsen
Ali Kazim	...	Khalid
Ole Thestrup	...	Dr. Kolberg
Nikolaj Lie Kaas	...	Holger
Gyrd Løfquist	...	Poul Nordkap
Lars Ranthe	...	Esben
Peter Reichhardt	...	Nalle
Tomas Villum Jensen	...	Arne
Peter Lambert	...	Jørgen
Solvej K. Christensen	...	Pige på tankstation
Rasmus Rise	...	Ung fyr på tankstation #1 (as Rasmus Rise Michaelsen)
Jacob-Ole Remming	...	Ung fyr på tankstation #2 (as Jacob Ole Remming)

Storyline

Ivan is a priest in a rural church known for the apples that grow on a large tree in front. He's odd: seeing the world through rose-colored glasses, in denial about personal facts, and convinced he's at war with Satan. The rectory is a half-way house for recently paroled convicts. Adam arrives for 12 weeks, a large, tough neo-Nazi, first baffled by Ivan's thick-headed optimism, then angry. He vows to break Ivan's faith. Meanwhile, in exasperation at Ivan's insistence, Adam sets a personal goal: to bake an apple pie. All goes awry for the tree: crows, worms, lightening. The Book of Job gives Adam perverse insight, and his hooligan mates provide the resolution's spring.

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Plot Keywords:

apple | church | priest | neo nazi | worm | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [dk] Outsider Pictures [us]

Country:

Denmark Germany

Language:

Danish

Release Date:

15 April 2005 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Adam's Apples

Filming Locations:

Fåborg, Fyn, Denmark

Company Credits

Production Co:

M&M Productions, August Film & TV GmbH, Danmarks Radio (DR)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the making of-featurette on the DVD, the scene with the crows eating apples was planned to be computer-generated, until a few Czechs showed up with four boxes of real life trained crows, and in the end everything worked out fine for a minimum of cost.

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Quotes

Khalid: [a lightning goes down in the church, and burns the new oven] God damnit! It was all fresh!

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Connections

Referenced in Offscreen (2006)

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Soundtracks

"How Deep Is Your Love"
(Gibb/Gibb/Gibb)
Performed by Take That
© BMG Music Publishing / Warner/Chappell Music Scand. AB

User Reviews

Typical Anders Thomas Jensen, but he has grown!

Anders Thomas Jensen may be the most interesting danish director/scriptwriter in recent times, and this movie certainly proves it. The neo-nazi Adam (Ulrich Thomsen) is sent to resocialization at a local church with a priest who can't do anything but turn the other cheek. In a religious context he relive the life and destiny of Job who's punished by God. This could very well have been an abstract and far-our movie, however Thomas Jensen has the ability to make it understandable, humorous and very entertaining, while keeping the love and respect of the religious story. He also has the ability to make the audience reflect the content, by providing black humour, quickly followed by caring tragedy. One might not always know why one laughs. Following the success of Blinkende Lygter and the not-so-great De Grønne Slagtere, Thomas Jensen places this story in between, by providing a black comedy with a great mind.