Love and Death on Long Island (1997)

Giles De'Ath (Sir John Hurt) is a widower who doesn't like anything modern. He goes to movies and falls in love with movie star Ronnie Bostock (Jason Priestly). He then investigates ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Kwietniowski

Writers:

Gilbert Adair (novel), Richard Kwietniowski

Stars:

John Hurt, Jason Priestley, Fiona Loewi

4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Hurt	...	Giles De'Ath
Jason Priestley	...	Ronnie Bostock
Fiona Loewi	...	Audrey
Sheila Hancock	...	Mrs. Barker
Harvey Atkin	...	Lou
Maury Chaykin	...	Irving Buckmuller
Gawn Grainger	...	Henry
Elizabeth Quinn	...	Mrs. Reed
Linda Busby	...	Mrs. Abbott
Bill Leadbitter	...	Eldridge
Anne Reid	...	Maureen (as Ann Reid)
Danny Webb	...	Video Assistant (as Daniel Webb)
Andrew Barrow	...	Harry
Dean Gatiss	...	Rob (as Dean Gariss)
Robert McKewley	...	Video Salesman

Storyline

Giles De'Ath (Sir John Hurt) is a widower who doesn't like anything modern. He goes to movies and falls in love with movie star Ronnie Bostock (Jason Priestly). He then investigates everything about the movie and Ronnie. After that, he travels to Long Island City, where Ronnie lives, and meets him, pretending that Ronnie is a great actor, and that's why Giles admires him.

---

Plot Keywords:

actor | obsession | star | love | obsessive love | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, thematic elements and some sexual content

Details

Country:

UK Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 March 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Amour et mort à Long Island

Filming Locations:

Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$78,151, 8 March 1998

Gross USA:

$2,581,012

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,581,012

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arts Council of England, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), British Screen Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When the mailman delivers mail to Ronnie Bostock's mailbox,he raises the mailbox flag, presumably to signal to the resident that mail has been delivered. (Ronnie's girlfriend, seeing the mailbox flag has been raised, seems to interpret the signal accordingly.) Although it may be the convention for mail delivery wherever the director/writer is from, it is not the case on Long Island, where it is the custom for the resident to raise the mailbox flag to alert the mailman that mail is in the mailbox waiting to be picked up. Once the mail has been picked up, the mailman lowers the flag - the opposite of what occurred in the film.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Giles De'Ath: It is so difficult to know where I should begin, especially when, unlike you, I already know the ending. But let us say that this story began with end of another.

---

Connections

References Porky's (1981)

User Reviews

Wonderful and unique character study

Locked out of his apartment, old-fashioned writer Giles De'Ath (John Hurt) almost reluctantly decides to take in a movie. Accidentally wandering in to see Hot Pants College II instead of the E.M. Forster adaptation for which he bought a ticket, the lonely man becomes transfixed by the sight of a hunky actor (Jason Priestley) and begins an obsession that makes for a thoroughly satisfying and entertaining story. First-time director Kwietniowski expertly observes the wildly disparate natures of these two men while keeping both of them entirely credible and believable. I particularly enjoyed Giles' compilation of Ronnie Bostock clippings from teeny-bopper magazines, carefully arranged and titled "Bostockiana" before being securely locked away in a desk drawer.