Welcome to the Rileys (2010)

On a business trip to New Orleans, a damaged man seeks salvation by caring for a wayward young woman.

Director:

Jake Scott

Writer:

Ken Hixon

Stars:

James Gandolfini, Kristen Stewart, Melissa Leo

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Gandolfini	...	Douglas Lloyd 'Doug' Riley
Kristen Stewart	...	Allison alias Mallory
Melissa Leo	...	Lois Riley
Joe Chrest	...	Jerry
Ally Sheedy	...	Harriet
Tiffany Coty	...	Tara
Eisa Davis	...	Vivian
Lance E. Nichols	...	Hamilton 'Ham' Watkins
Peggy Walton-Walker	...	Brenda (as Peggy Walton Walker)
Sharon Landry	...	Sharon
Kathy Lamkin	...	Charlene
Kerry Cahill	...	Waitress
Ken Hixon	...	Danny
Elliott Grey	...	Randy
David Jensen	...	Ed

Storyline

Something's wrong at the Rileys. Married nearly 30 years, Doug and Lois rarely talk. She doesn't leave their Indianapolis home, and she's ordered a gravestone with their names and birth years on it. He has a long-time Thursday night mistress whom he invites to go with him to a plumbing supply conference in New Orleans. Once there, Doug calls Lois to say he's staying for a while. What's he leaving behind and what's he looking for in New Orleans? And Lois, can she break out?

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Plot Keywords:

runaway | business trip | gravestone | car accident | prostitute | 

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Taglines:

You never know who's going to be your wake-up call

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content, brief drug use and pervasive language involving a teenager

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [fr] Official site [us]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 November 2011 (UK)

Also Known As:

Corações Perdidos

Filming Locations:

Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$42,145 (USA) (29 October 2010)

Gross:

$152,857 (USA) (3 December 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Samuel Goldwyn Films, Destination Films, Scott Free Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kristen Stewart used her experience of being alone on set for the first time to add to her character as a 16-year old runaway living alone.

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Goofs

When Allison is in the car counting her money she burns her fingers on the butt of her cigarette. In the following scene she is seen with a barely smoked cigarette.

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Quotes

Lois Riley: What are you doing home so early?
Douglas Lloyd 'Doug' Riley: That headstone. You got us at Gold Hill? That's a unique experience. Seeing your name carved on a piece of granite.
Lois Riley: How do you mean?
Douglas Lloyd 'Doug' Riley: What I mean? I'm not dead. And you're not dead. There's enough people out there that are dead. They need headstones. We don't cause we're not dead.
Lois Riley: A lot of people do this, Doug. It's called pre-planning.
Douglas Lloyd 'Doug' Riley: Well I don't like having my name carved on a tombstone while I'm still alive. I can't believe you did that, Lois.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Inception/Predators/The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Jigglin"
Written by Eric Jackson, Deongelo Holmes and Michael Antoine Crooms
Performed by Ying Yang Twins
Courtesy of The Orchard

User Reviews

A heartfelt movie

Doug Riley is a plumbing supplies contractor from Indianapolis who lives with his wife Lois and reaching their 30th wedding anniversary. After they lost their 15 year old daughter in a tragic car accident the couple has grown distant with no exchange of intimate relationship and spoken barely few words a day. It seems like Doug and Lois both miss their lives inside yet don't know where to begin in finding it again. Meanwhile Doug finds comfort in a black waitress yet that relationship doesn't last long either even though it brings some kind of a peace in to Doug's life. Lost and torn this couple seems to be just living their days for nothing.

Doug goes to New Orleans for a convention and there he unexpectedly meets a 16 year old girl Mallory who is a stripper. Rather than taking advantage of her with her own consent Doug see someone else in her and starts to emotionally care for her. He somehow makes in an ambition to take this teenage girl out of her miserable life and give her some comfort and long lost fatherhood. But this task become difficult by the day as Mallory resist to change or to accept Doug's generosity even though she know his genuine motives.

'Welcome to the Riley's' is a heartfelt drama. Most of the moments are silent and filled with self perseverance but the script gradually builds up a solid story line. It's not boring even though it's a little slow which almost all dramas are. But there is something special about this one. This one is about self retribution. Don't know if it's totally correct to describe it that way but I feel like Doug is trying to find peace in his heart by dedicating his effort to make a something good for Mallory. The society is a wicked place to be good some times which the script proves over and over. The harsh words coming out of Mallory's mouth must have pierced Doug's heart one too many times. Yet he patiently set on his path which maybe his experience in life has tough him to do so.

Acting wise the movie is mention worthy. Doug played by James Gandolfini is a role skillfully done. And at the same time Melissa Leo effectively plays Lois the depressed, grieving mother who hasn't set foot out of the house for months. And finally the Twilight famed Kristen Stewart portraying the damaged and arrogant stripper girl make us forget her glamorous lead role in the romantic vampire franchise with her performance in 'Welcome to the Riley's'.

As a viewer you will be made to judge these characters. You will be asked to decide if what they do is right or wrong or if they did really succeeded in their roles at the end. Even thought it has no fairy tale ending this movie will live in your minds for a long time.

read more of my reviews at flickshout.blogspot.com