The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (2008)

Based on Michael Chabon's novel, the film chronicles the defining summer of a recent college graduate who crosses his gangster father and explores love, sexuality, and the enigmas surrounding his life and his city.

Director:

Rawson Marshall Thurber

Writers:

Rawson Marshall Thurber (screenplay), Michael Chabon (novel)

Stars:

Jon Foster, Peter Sarsgaard, Sienna Miller

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jon Foster	...	Art Bechstein
Peter Sarsgaard	...	Cleveland Arning
Sienna Miller	...	Jane Bellwether
Nick Nolte	...	Joe Bechstein
Mena Suvari	...	Phlox Lombardi
Omid Abtahi	...	Mohammed
Keith Michael Gregory	...	Keith
Ali Reed	...	Female Book Barn Employee
James A. Harper	...	Teen Book Barn Employee
Don Wadsworth	...	Class Instructor
Christian Hand	...	Punk Rock Bathroom Patron
Jarid Faubel	...	Mohawk Man (as Jarid C. Faubel)
Tim Hartman	...	Restaurant Manager
Shannon Williams	...	Lurch
Seth Adams	...	Feldman

Storyline

Pittsburgh, coming of age in the 1980s. At the beginning of June, Art Beckstein calls this the last summer of his life - after which he'll work as a stock broker. Art's father is the city's mob boss, steering Art's life, judging his choices. At a party, Art sees Jane, smart, blond, lovely. They meet; she has a boyfriend. The next day, Cleveland, the boyfriend, pulls Art from work and the summer of adventures begins. Cleveland lives close to the edge; he's explosive, with hints of problems with local thugs. The triangle of friendship gets complicated when Cleveland disappears for a couple weeks. Can Art sort out his feelings as well as help Cleveland? Where does his father fit in this?

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Plot Keywords:

summer | gangster | bare chested male | sex | bisexuality | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes life leads you to the most mysterious places.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site - 2009 Version

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 January 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ein verhängnisvoller Sommer

Filming Locations:

Mount Washington, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$32,783 (USA) (10 April 2009)

Gross:

$80,283 (USA) (8 May 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Groundswell Productions, Sherazade Film Development, Visitor Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Max Minghella was originally attached to play Art but dropped out due to school commitments.

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Quotes

Jane Bellwether: And what does he do? What does your father do?
Art Bechstein: He manipulates Swiss bank accounts with money that comes from numbers, whores, protection, and cigarette smuggling.
Jane Bellwether: Really?
Art Bechstein: No, he's in finance.

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Connections

Referenced in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Miss March/Race to Witch Mountain/Sunshine Cleaning (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Lipstick Kiss"
Written by Matt Gregory
Performed by Matt Gregory
Courtesy of Firstcom Music, Inc.
Published by ZFC Music

User Reviews

"Coming of Age with humor and pathos...."

MYSTERIES OF PITTSBURGH is a truly 2009 "coming of age" story of three young people who meet in Pittsburgh and take a journey which will change their lives forever. The cast is superb; and I found Jon Foster's voice and performance refreshing inside a seasoned cast of Nick Nolte, Sienna Miller, "American Beauty's" Mena Suvari and the incredibly talented Peter Sarsgaard. Reviews have been mixed on the film, but I thought it took off in the second act, with humor of the challenges facing the characters, and the pathos of how "love" can take a turn when you least expect it. The dialog, at times witty and with a cynical barb to it, and the location of Pittsburgh, with its hills and older homes, adds to the story. I really liked this film, and once again, the cast is delicious to look at, and watch.