Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006)

A film set in a strange afterlife way station that has been reserved for people who have committed suicide.

Director:

Goran Dukic

Writers:

Goran Dukic (screenplay), Etgar Keret (short story "Kneller's Happy Campers")

Stars:

Patrick Fugit, Shannyn Sossamon, Shea Whigham

9 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Patrick Fugit	...	Zia
Shannyn Sossamon	...	Mikal
Shea Whigham	...	Eugene
Leslie Bibb	...	Desiree
Mark Boone Junior	...	Mike (as Mark Boone Jr.)
Abraham Benrubi	...	Erik
Cameron Bowen	...	Kostya
Mikal P. Lazarev	...	Nanuk
Clayne Crawford	...	Jim
Tom Waits	...	Kneller
Chase Ellison	...	Kid Kostya
John Hawkes	...	Yan
Will Arnett	...	Messiah
Adam G.	...	Gas Station Attendant
Mary Pat Gleason	...	Eugene's Mother

Storyline

Despondent over his breakup with Desiree, Zia slashes his wrists and goes to an afterlife peopled by suicides, a high-desert landscape dotted by old tires, burned-out cars, and abandoned sofas. He gets a job in a pizza joint. By chance, Zia learns that Desiree offed herself a few months after he did, and she's looking for him. He sets off with Eugene (an electrocuted Russian rocker) to find her, and they pick up a hitchhiker, Mikal, who's looking for the People in Charge, believing she's there by mistake. They're soon at the camp of Kneller, where casual miracles proliferate. They hear rumors of a miraculous king. Can Zia find Desiree? Then what? Where there's death there's hope.

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | death | russian | hitchhiker | afterlife | 

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Taglines:

You don't know what you have until you lose it.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and disturbing content involving suicide

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 November 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Csuklónyiszálók

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$42,808 (USA) (19 October 2007)

Gross:

$104,077 (USA) (26 October 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

No Matter Pictures, Crispy Films, Adam Sherman

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene in which Mikal asks to drive the car was filmed at the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

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Goofs

When Eugene's younger brother is threatening to hang himself at age 10, the jump rope around his neck constantly changes positions during the scene, between cuts.

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Quotes

Yan: They feed him t-bone steak and he refuses to come back.
Kneller: Freddy has been brainwashed.

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Episode dated 3 November 2007 (2007)

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Soundtracks

"Dead and Lovely"
Written by Kathleen Brennan and Tom Waits
Performed by Tom Waits
Courtesy of Anti

User Reviews

Enlightening

Where do we end up when we die? What type of hell do we go to if we've "offed ourselves" as the characters in WRISTCUTTERS say? This fanciful movie opens with Fugit's character Zia organizing, cleaning, and straightening his room, readying himself for his death. In the blink of an eye, we see Zia's body on the floor of the bathroom, blood everywhere, and we're transported to a world which is hot, dull, endless, and sad. Zia discovers that everyone in this world has offed themselves, and the physical traits remain. Zia offed himself because of intense sadness caused by his girlfriend Desiree. He's befriended by Eugene, whose whole family is there. There days are filled with drinking, doing odd jobs, and trying to make the time pass. But Zia discovers that his girlfriend has committed suicide and he's on a mission to find her. With Eugene, they roadtrip ... to nowhere, searching for the woman and meet Mikal, who is also on a search, for the PIC: People in Charge. The film follows these characters as they search for something, someone to fill the void that they had when they were alive. The film is well shot with great music and tender moments. The only negative about the film is the writing. It would have been much more interesting to see an arc in Fugit's character, instead, it's rather straightline as everyone around him changes.