Paris Trout (1991)

In a small Georgia town in the 1950s, bigoted store owner Paris Trout kills a young black girl when his brother refuses to pay his debts.

Director:

Stephen Gyllenhaal

Writers:

Peter Dexter (novel), Peter Dexter (screenplay)

Stars:

Dennis Hopper, Barbara Hershey, Ed Harris

Nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Hopper	...	Paris Trout
Barbara Hershey	...	Hanna Trout
Ed Harris	...	Harry Seagraves
Ray McKinnon	...	Carl Bonner
Tina Lifford	...	Mary Sayers
Darnita Henry	...	Rosie Sayers
Eric Ware	...	Henry Ray Sayers
RonReaco Lee	...	Chester Sayers
Gary Bullock	...	Buster Devonne
Sharlene Ross	...	Mother Trout's Nurse
Jim Peck	...	Estes Singletary
Dan Biggers	...	Mayor Harn
Ernest Dixon	...	Truck Driver
Wallace Wilkinson	...	Dr. Brewer (as Wallace Wilkenson)
Ron Leggett	...	Glass Man (as Ronn Leggett)

Storyline

Paris Trout is a vile Southern bigot. He owns a store and is a loanshark. He often sues people, and so his lawyer, Harry Seagraves, eventually meets Paris' wife Hannah. A former schoolteacher, she made the mistake of her life when she married Paris, who brutalizes her. Soon Paris goes beyond the overgenerous bounds of what a man in his position can get away with even in the segregated South, leading to a spiral of perverse insanity.

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Plot Keywords:

store | lawyer | family relationships | voice over narration | paranoia | 

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Taglines:

A brutal murder in a small town. A triangle of passion, power and rage.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and sensuality, and for brief language.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bütün Hayati Suçtu

Filming Locations:

Decatur, Georgia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Palace Pictures, Viacom

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally intended for a theatrical release, the film made its premiere on Showtime in the spring of 1991. It did, however, see a theatrical release in some countries outside of North America such as France and Japan.

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Quotes

Mary Sayers: No sir. I told the truth about it. You can make it look any which way now. But I told how it happened.
Harry Seagraves: Yes, well, um. With all do respect, Ms. Sayers. That's what we called the jury for. To decide.
Mary Sayers: No sir. They don't decide what happened. That's already been done. All they decide is if they gonna do something about it.

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Connections

Referenced in Videoclub (2013)

User Reviews

Well done, as long as you don't compare it to the book

I recently checked this book out of the library and could not put it down! I was please to find out that there was a movie made and lucky enough to get my hands on a copy. The movie does do the book justice. The actors are all perfect for the roles. My only one real complaint is that, while Dennis Hopper is pretty creepy and played the role of Paris Trout better than anyone else could have.....he just didn't scare me like the Paris in the book did. He just wasn't mean enough. I also thought that they left out (or changed) to many of the confrontations between Paris and his wife. Maybe that is why he didn't come off as crazy as he did in the book. All in all I give it an A++. One of the better movies I've seen lately! If you've seen it, read the book too!