Life During Wartime (2009)

Friends, family, and lovers struggle to find love, forgiveness, and meaning in a war-torn world riddled with comedy and pathos.

Director:

Todd Solondz

Writer:

Todd Solondz

Stars:

Shirley Henderson, Michael Kenneth Williams, Allison Janney

3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shirley Henderson	...	Joy
Michael Kenneth Williams	...	Allen
Roslyn Ruff	...	Waitress
Allison Janney	...	Trish
Michael Lerner	...	Harvey Wiener
Dylan Riley Snyder	...	Timmy
Ciarán Hinds	...	Bill
Renée Taylor	...	Mona
Rebecca Chiles	...	Hostess
Paul Reubens	...	Andy
Emma Hinz	...	Chloe
Charlotte Rampling	...	Jacqueline
Ally Sheedy	...	Helen
Rich Pecci	...	Mark Wiener
Gaby Hoffmann	...	Wanda

Storyline

Separated from her incarcerated husband Bill (Hinds), Trish (Janney) is about to be married again. Bill is a pedophile, so Trish couldn't be more excited to have Harvey (Lerner), a "normal" father figure for her two sons. But when Bill is released from prison and the boys finally meet their future stepdad, the family is forced to decide whether to forgive or to forget. Trish's sister, the virginal, angelic Joy (Henderson), is also haunted by ghosts of lovers past. On leave from her degenerate husband, Allen (Williams), and her job at a New Jersey correctional facility, Joy unwittingly leaves behind a trail of shame and exposed secrets wherever she goes. In one of the film's most stylized sequences, the image of Joy walking the dark streets of Miami in her nightgown maintains her innocence against a backdrop of self-affliction and desire.

---

Plot Keywords:

forgiveness | pedophile | new jersey | ghost | florida | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content, brief nudity, and language including some disturbing dialogue

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [fr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 April 2010 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Forgiveness

Filming Locations:

Puerto Rico

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$30,507 (USA) (23 July 2010)

Gross:

$278,821 (USA) (17 September 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Werc Werk Works

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A sequel to Todd Solondz's movie Happiness, but with entirely re-cast characters.

---

Quotes

Trish: Are you saying you would forgive the 9/11 terrorists?
Timmy: Well, no, not those terrorists because they're dead.

---

Connections

References Palindromes (2004)

---

Soundtracks

"Heard somebody say"
Written by Devendra Banhart
Performed by Devendra Banhart

User Reviews

No Comparison

I would really like to see Todd Solondz produce something on the level of WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE or HAPPINESS again but I'm afraid that I'll just have to settle for watching those earlier works. To be fair, I don't know what he could have done with the characters from HAPPINESS that would have worked better. I revisited HAPPINESS before seeing LIFE DURING WARTIME to refresh my memory. That film crackles throughout with uneasiness. When we laugh, it's to release tension. It's not the cast's fault that this film lacks the same punch. While unrated in the US, my guess is that this would have received a PG-13 or an R for a few exposed breasts. HAPPINESS would have been NC-17 for sure. HAPPINESS was about getting whatever happiness one can no matter the cost to others. This is a film about forgiving and forgetting and moving on. I can certainly forgive Todd Solondz for what he tried to achieve here even as the film fades from memory.