Over the GW (2007)

User Rating:

3.5/10   

Director:

Nick Gaglia

Writer:

Nick Gaglia (written by)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A world exists that nobody knows about...

Plot:

A cult-like rehabilitation center abuses, brainwashes and imprisons vulnerable teens. |

Plot Keywords:

Physical Abuse | Drug Rehab | Cult

Cast

George Gallagher	...	Tony
Kether Donohue	...	Sofia Serra
Albert Insinnia	...	Dr. Hiller
Nicholas Serra	...	Dad
Minnie Krakowsky	...	Grandma
G.R. Johnson	...	Mr. Morris
Justin Swain	...	James
Steve Stanulis	...	Guy
Julia Moriarty	...	Mom
Jessika Graff	...	Jeanie
Michael Mathis	...	Joe
Juliana Huestis	...	Darla
Megan Ribera	...	Jennifer
Carrie Keranen	...	Dawn
Nick Gaglia	...	Joe Joe

Runtime:

75 min | USA:75 min (Slamdance Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | English

Color:

Color | Color (DV 24p)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Over the GW

Trivia:

Was accepted into the Brooklyn International Film Festival but had to decline due to contractual obligations.

Movie Connections:

Follows The Intake (2006)

The most important film I've seen this year!

If Nick wanted to portray the family breakdown caused by the program, he did a great job accomplishing this. any more on this would be spoiling it.

Editing: Although I could probably grumble about the EDL (for a few shots... *ducks*), the editing was generally very good.

Music: Far beyond what most indie films could dream of.

Acting: Some of it wasn't acting. Nick's father was in the film. He did a fantastic job. Nick was lucky. Many of i'm sure would wish "darn.. I wish my dad would have done that"... The cast was well chosen and I can't really think of a point where the acting broke down.

Doctor Hiller ("any relation ... purely coincidental" ) chose his name by combining a certain 20th century dictator's name with that of a certain non-factual character. He knew the storyline revolved around the final days of a program and thought Hitler's last moments in a besieged bunker (but still as stubborn and charismatic) would be a fitting analogy. His performance was ... stunning. The way the trailer is edited does not do his performance justice. Few survivors could even him in the eye after the movie. Dr. Hiller had no idea his character was (purely by coincidence) real when he was playing it. His next role, coincidentally, happens to be in a slasher film, playing a psychotic doctor who abuses his patients.

I wish i could devote paragraphs to all the cast I talked to but I can't remember the names (sorry... bad with names). Nick's character did a great job, as did his sister. I talked for a while with the actor who played his old-comer. Nice guy in person actually. Pretty much all the actors were disgusted, shocked and appalled, knowing that the film was not only both factual but also autobiographical.

Summary: Buy the darn DVD when it is released. It's very very good. My dad learned a lot from it (thankfully, he was open-minded enough to come). Thank you Nick. He now realizes far more than I had hoped he would... Thank you.