Steel City (2006)

Director:

Brian Jun

Writer:

Brian Jun (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A father behind bars. A secret that would change everything.

Plot:

During a Midwestern winter, two working-class brothers must cope with their recently incarcerated father.

Plot Keywords:

Blue Collar | Confession | Busboy | Police | Tattoo

Awards:

2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Dec. 2	11:30 AM	TMC
Thur. Dec. 3	1:20 AM	TMC

Cast

Jamie Anne Allman	...	Maria Lee (as Jamie Anne Brown)
Raymond J. Barry	...	Vic Lee
Kristian Best	...	Michael Karns
Michael Cowan	...	Carpenter at Fire Job
Clayne Crawford	...	Ben Lee
James DeBello	...	Danny
America Ferrera	...	Amy Barnes
Celesta Gentelin	...	Baby Jenny at 1
Rusty Gray	...	Marcus
Tom Guiry	...	PJ Lee
Ricardo Gutierrez	...	Ralph
John Heard	...	Carl Lee
James R. Hentrich	...	Charlie Haskel
Richard Hoffman Jr.	...	Carl Lee's attorney
Amy Holland	...	Distrought Woman
Ian Ivkovich	...	Young PJ Lee
Charlie Keshner	...	Carl's Jail Officer
BJ Lange	...	Diner Scene Patron (as Gerald J. Lange Jr.)
Dennis Lebby	...	Jimmy
Heather McComb	...	Lucy James
James McDaniel	...	Randall Karn
Laurie Metcalf	...	Marianne Karn
Si Osborne	...	Detective Brady
James Simpson	...	Carpenter at Fire Job (as James 'Bumper' Simpson)
George Stumpf	...	Young Carl Lee
Jani Vorwerk	...	Young Marianne Karn
Carly Weiss	...	Jenny at age 2
Robert Wood	...	Casey

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief drug use.

Runtime:

USA:95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Alton, Illinois, USA

Company:

Steel City Productions LLC

Goofs:

Continuity: During the scene where PJ and Lucy are smoking a single blunt in the basement of the bar, one shot shows PJ about to take a hit as he asks Lucy a questions, and then the scene immediately cuts to Lucy answering as she finishes taking a rip from the joint.

Quotes:

Vic Lee: There's something in life called respect, and you earn it.

The Characters Grow on You

Steel City is one of those low-budget movies that makes for satisfying Sundance fare despite lacking the necessary ingredients for broader box-office success. It's the story of a dysfunctional family in a small town in Illinois, centering around 20-year-old PJ (Tom Guiry), who is trying to hold his life together as his father goes to prison for his role in a fatal car accident. PJ is angry, bitter and confused. He can't hold a job or his temper. He resents his older brother Ben (Clayne Clawford), whose life is also unraveling from alcohol, selfishness and philandering. He's feeling alienated from his mother, who has moved in with a black cop and his son. And he tries desperately to be supportive to his father (John Heard), for reasons that gradually emerge in the movie. Finally he is connected to his Uncle Vic (Raymond J. Barry), who helps him get a job and attempts to mentor him.

All this may sound vaguely familiar, but director Brian Jun manages to develop the characters with honesty and compassion. By the end of the movie each character has worked out his redemption, and in the process created bonds of love and concern within the family.

These Steel City characters feel like real people. The writing is crisp, hard and direct. The casting is terrific and each performance believable. This family will grow on you, and you will find yourself rooting for them to do well, to make good decisions, and to find happiness.