Heavens Fall (2006)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Terry Green

Writer:

Terry Green (writer)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

Two young woman accuse nine black youths of rape in the segregated South.

Plot Keywords:

Interracial Sex | Interracial Relationship | Based On True Story | Independent Film

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Timothy Hutton	...	Samuel Leibowitz
David Strathairn	...	Judge James Horton
Leelee Sobieski	...	Victoria Price
Anthony Mackie	...	William Lee
Bill Sage	...	Thomas Knight, Jr.
Azura Skye	...	Ruby Bates
James Tolkan	...	Thomas Knight, Sr.
Bill Smitrovich	...	George Chamlee
Maury Chaykin	...	Lyle Harris
Joseph Lyle Taylor	...	Joseph Brodsky
B.J. Britt	...	Haywood Patterson
Lew Temple	...	Wade Wright
Francie Swift	...	Belle Leibowitz
Ian Nelson	...	Lester Carter
Will Owens	...	E.L. Lewis

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements including some dialogue.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:PG-13 | Argentina:13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Strata Productions Inc.

Trivia:

During the final part of filming, production was shut down for three or four days because Hurricane Ivan going through Monroeville, Ala., where the film was being shot. The crew helped board up windows at the courthouse where the courtroom scenes were shot and even loaned the police a generator to keep the 911 service running.

Goofs:

Continuity: Throughout the courtroom scene with Ruby Bates, the judge is wearing a long tie, but in the close up when he announces the court will reconvene on Monday, he is wearing a bow tie as he had throughout the earlier part of the trial.

Movie Connections:

Version of Scottsboro: An American Tragedy (2000)

Heavens Fall - USA DVD RELEASE NOV. 6, 2007 - Superb Acting , Splendid Score

I had the great pleasure of seeing the East Coast Premiere of "Heavens Fall" at the Stony Brook Film Festival, Long Island, NY on July 20, 2006.

Timothy Hutton gave a riveting performance as defense attorney Samuel Leibowitz. In my opinion it was his best since his equally fine portrayal of Archie Goodwin in "Nero Wolfe." Bill Sage as prosecuting attorney Thomas Knight, Jr. and David Strathairn as Judge Horton were also excellent in their roles. Bill Smitrovich as co-defense attorney, Maury Chaykin in a cameo role as a bigoted insurance salesman, Francie Swift as Leibowitz' wife, Belle, and James Tolkan as Thomas Knight, Sr. (four other "Nero Wolfe" actors) were exceptional, too, as was B.J. Britt, Haywood Patterson, in his film debut. LeeLee Sobieski and Azura Skye as Victoria Price and Ruby Bates were marvelous in their extremely difficult roles.

The score by Tony Llorens was haunting - a perfect accompaniment for the plot and the beautiful cinematography by Paul Sanchez.

This fine movie with its superb acting, splendid score, and beautiful cinematography had only been seen in the US by festival audiences, but it is now available to a broader audience. (US DVD release, November 6, 2007) The DVD includes two "behind the scenes" documentaries by Charley Rivkin with additional footage by Adam Witt. The first, "Creating The Fall," includes interviews with Terry Green, Timothy Hutton, Bill Sage, David Strathairn, Anthony Mackie, LeeLee Sobieski, and Azura Skye with their thoughts on the movie and the subject matter. The second, "Surviving The Fall," is about the difficulties the cast and crew endured and heroics they performed when Hurricane Ivan interrupted the filming of "Heavens Fall."