Affliction (1997)

A deeply troubled small-town cop investigates a suspicious hunting death while other events jeopardize his sanity.

Director:

Paul Schrader

Writers:

Russell Banks (novel), Paul Schrader (screenplay)

Stars:

Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek, James Coburn

Won 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nick Nolte	...	Wade Whitehouse
Brigid Tierney	...	Jill Whitehouse
Holmes Osborne	...	Gordon LaRiviere
Jim True-Frost	...	Jack Hewitt (as Jim True)
Tim Post	...	Chick Ward
Christopher Heyerdahl	...	Frankie Lacoy (as Chris Heyerdahl)
Marian Seldes	...	Alma Pittman
Janine Theriault	...	Hettie Rogers
Mary Beth Hurt	...	Lillian Horner
Paul Stewart	...	Mr. Horner
Sissy Spacek	...	Margie Fogg
Wayne Robson	...	Nick Wickham
Sean McCann	...	Evan Twombley
Sheena Larkin	...	Lugene Brooks
Penny Mancuso	...	Woman Driver

Storyline

Boston University professor Whitehouse tells of the events leading up to the disappearance of his older Wade. The police officer who investigates is deeply troubled, and the murder case drains his mental acuity to the point of a total mental collapse.

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Plot Keywords:

hunting | sheriff | small town | drunkenness | domestic violence | 

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Taglines:

Wade Whitehouse is frightened to death of following in his father's footsteps.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Coburn and Nolte were both born in Nebraska, 130 miles apart.

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Goofs

Filmed in Quebec, in January and February 1997, the movie, which happens in a New Hampshire town, opens on Halloween day, late October. There is never that much snow on the ground, if at all, late October, in New Hampshire (or Quebec for that matter).

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Quotes

Lena Whitehouse: How about you Rolfe? Are you saved?
Rolfe Whitehouse: No, I'm not.
Lena Whitehouse: But then you'll be in hell.
Rolfe Whitehouse: I guess I will. Me and Mom and Wade and Pop. We'll all be there together.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: American Pie/My Life So Far/The Blair Witch Project/Arlington Road/Return with Honor (1999)

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Soundtracks

I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know
Written by Cecil A. Null
Performed by Skeeter Davis
Used by permission of EMI Unart Catalog, Inc.
Courtesy of The RCA Record Label
[Plays in the diner while Wade has a friendly chat with the diner owner and discusses his problems with his ex with Margie]

User Reviews

What it is to be a man

Based on a novel by Russell Banks who also wrote "The Sweet Hereafter", and directed by Paul Schrader of "Raging Bull" and "The Mosquito Coast" fame, the winter landscape and cold bleakness of the town sets the tone for this exploration of the dark legacy of what it is to be a man.

Nick Nolte stars in this dark story of a the lone policeman in a small New Hampshire town investigating a hunting accident. James Coburn is excellent as Nick Nolte's father, a brutal and angry old man who typifies a sick machismo which has in turn afflicted his son. His acting is extraordinary as is Nolte's although their styles are different. Noltle is subtle; his facial expressions are controlled and typical of a man who has learned to hold in emotion. Coburn's face, on the other hand, is more deeply expressive; his eyebrows move, his mouth hardens, his eyes glare.

This is the kind of dark, brooding movie that I like. For a brief few hours I enter its world and get completely absorbed in the characters in the way I did with "A thousand Acres" or "The Horse Whisperers". Like these films, there are no easy answers and the conclusion does not wrap up in a neat little Hollywood package that is soon forgotten.

Details

Official Sites:

Lionsgate Home Entertainment [United States]

Country:

USA Canada Japan

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 February 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Affliction

Filming Locations:

Huntingdon, Quebec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$63,979, 3 January 1999

Gross USA:

$6,330,054

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,330,054

Company Credits

Production Co:

JVC Entertainment Networks, Kingsgate Films, Largo Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White (some scenes)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1