Straw Dogs (2011)

L.A. screenwriter David Sumner relocates with his wife to her hometown in the deep South. There, while tensions build between them, a brewing conflict with locals becomes a threat to them both.

Director:

Rod Lurie

Writers:

Rod Lurie (screenplay), David Zelag Goodman (earlier screenplay),

Stars:

James Marsden, Kate Bosworth, Alexander Skarsgård

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Marsden	...	David Sumner
Kate Bosworth	...	Amy Sumner
Alexander Skarsgård	...	Charlie
James Woods	...	Tom Heddon
Dominic Purcell	...	Jeremy Niles
Rhys Coiro	...	Norman
Billy Lush	...	Chris
Laz Alonso	...	John Burke
Willa Holland	...	Janice Heddon
Walton Goggins	...	Daniel Niles
Anson Mount	...	Coach Milkens
Drew Powell	...	Bic
Kristen Shaw	...	Abby
Megan Adelle	...	Melissa
Jessica Dockrey	...	Helen (as Jessica Cook)

Storyline

L.A. screenwriter David Sumner relocates with his wife to her hometown in the deep South. There, while tensions build between them, a brewing conflict with locals becomes a threat to them both.

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Plot Keywords:

screenwriter | rape | jogging | husband wife relationship | reflection in eye | 

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Taglines:

We take care of our own.

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Genres:

Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong brutal violence including a sexual attack, menace, some sexual content, and pervasive language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 September 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Perros de paja

Filming Locations:

Bossier City, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$5,123,760 (USA) (16 September 2011)

Gross:

$10,324,441 (USA) (7 October 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Screen Gems, Battleplan Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The famous quote "I will not allow violence against this house" is not in the version shown in theaters.

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Goofs

The two registration stickers on David's Jaguar E-Type's rear California license plate at first appear on the bottom corners of the plate (which is in itself a goof) but in later shots appear on the upper corners as is correct for California license plates.

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Quotes

Charlie: Son of a bitch got some man in him after all. Alright, lets end this.

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Connections

References Saw (2004)

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Soundtracks

"Take Me Home Tonight"
written by Stephen Edwards
Published by Source in Sync Music - Provided by 5 Alarm Music

User Reviews

The ambiguity and subtleties within every character's actions have been replaced with spoon-fed notions of right and wrong.

It's a testament to the power of Straw Dogs' story (Sam Peckinpah's adaptation of Gordon Williams' novel) that the 2011 remake is still entertaining despite its numerous shortcomings in both complexity and artistry to its predecessor. Director Rod Lurie's retelling trades conflicted characters and intricate ideals of bravery and cowardice with plain-dealing motives and basic revenge; Peckinpah's flair for operatic visuals is sadly absent. So too is the contemplative nature of the whole affair – the ambiguity and subtleties within every character's actions have been replaced with spoon-fed notions of right and wrong. It's impossible to avoid comparison to the original film, and doing so would be a disservice to the discerning viewer. Those that loved Peckinpah's creation will likely find little value in Lurie's version, but for those who haven't seen it, the remake does offer a humble taste of the brilliance you're missing out on.

Screenwriter David Sumner (James Marsden) and his wife Amy (Kate Bosworth) move to her old hometown of Blackwater, Mississippi with the hopes of peace and quiet so he can write his newest script. When Amy's former boyfriend Charlie (Alexander Skarsgard) and his buddies Bic (Drew Powell), Chris (Billy Lush), and Norman (Rhys Coiro) are hired to repair the Sumners' garage, the bullying of David and unwelcome advances toward Amy begin. As the taunts and threats steadily escalate to a horrific act of violence, David must take a stand and defend his new home with an equal force of savagery.

Everything questionable, objectionable and controversial about the original Straw Dogs has been finely filtered out, leaving a straightforward, simple revenge story. None of the artistic violence, symbolic editing or jarring music remains. This update goes so far as to spell out the significance of the title, as well as adding the line "maybe you should wear a bra," which drastically dumbs down the purpose of Amy's appearance. If it weren't for the fact that the target audience is likely to have no knowledge of the 1971 version's existence, this level of defining, dulling and allaying disputatious content would be insulting. Extra references to the predominant themes, such as the inclusion of research on Stalingrad, further add to the intellectual affront.

Minor details have changed but the basic ideas are still present. Some of the original dialogue is reused (including snippet jokes that are no longer relevant), several scenes are nearly identical, a few props reappear, and even a couple of camera angles pay homage to Sam Peckinpah's vision. The competition, power struggle, vigilantism, Of Mice and Men subplot, conflict with religion, psychological breaking point examination and underdog vengeance aren't forgotten, however, and it's hard not to admire the cathartic power of the hero rising to the occasion and giving the villains what they so desperately deserve. It's essentially a two-hour, disturbing, suspenseful build to an explosive conclusion – one that abruptly stops when the last antagonist has fallen. But it's also difficult for Marsden to compete with Hoffman and for director/screenwriter Rod Lurie to match the originality and creativity of Peckinpah's turbulent classic.

• The Massie Twins (GoneWithTheTwins.com)