Strays (1997)

A macho cruiser comes of age. Frustrated by the repetitious grind of one night stands and aimless hustling, study drug dealer Rick is looking for meaning and intimacy in his life. Like his ... See full summary »

Director:

Vin Diesel

Writer:

Vin Diesel

Stars:

Vin Diesel, Joey Dedio, T.K. Kirkland

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vin Diesel	...	Rick
Joey Dedio	...	Fred
T.K. Kirkland	...	Rodney
Mike Epps	...	Mike
F. Valentino Morales	...	Tony
Suzanne Lanza	...	Heather
Darnell Williams	...	Keith
Mihaela Kolich	...	Danielle (as Mihaela Tudorof)
Eugene Osborne Smith	...	Willie
Temple Brooks	...	Amy
Loni Sabrina Stuart	...	Nicole
DeAngela Parrish	...	Suzanne
Marko Kalfa	...	Chris
Joey Iovino	...	Kenny
Louis Albert Von Steidl	...	Jerry Saperstein

Storyline

A macho cruiser comes of age. Frustrated by the repetitious grind of one night stands and aimless hustling, study drug dealer Rick is looking for meaning and intimacy in his life. Like his testosterone-tweaked buddies, Rick is a "stray" # lacking a traditional family structure and wrestling subconsciously with the psychological bruises inflicted by his father's absence. Shielding any vulnerability under the toughened cloak of detachment, Rich has administered his life with deliberate effort to avoid reliance on anyone or anything. But things are about to change. When Rick meets Heather, a corn-fed walking talking "girl next door," he suddenly perceives a new avenue and an opportunity for an open, committed relationship. Though the chemistry between the couple is immediately charged, Rick's street cheek and volatile aggression flare, threatening to extinguish their relationship before it begins. Trying to assimilate into Heather's world, Rick takes heat from his perpetually adolescent ...

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Plot Keywords:

male nudity | male rear nudity | sex scene | undershirt | tanktop | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language, some sexual content and drug material

Did You Know?

Trivia

The role of Caparzo in Saving Private Ryan (1998) was written just for Vin Diesel after director Steven Spielberg saw Diesel's independent film Strays (1997), which was also his directorial, writing, producing and lead acting debut.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Heather: Are you alright?
Rick: Are your parents still together?
Heather: Yeah, why?
Rick: My mother used to see this guy, Frank. He's was an illustrator, not that he had done anything. But he used to bring me these books, children's books, as gifts. He eventually uh, left my mom - most of them did. Anyway, he bought me this, this one book, and it was the only book that I begged my mom to read to me. It was called Ferdinand, Ferdinand the Bull. And he wrote on the inside, To a very special kid. And then, Life's a ...

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Crazy Credits

On the DVD release, the end credits feature an MMVII (2007) copyright date, which reflects the date the DVD was published.

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Connections

References Raging Bull (1980)

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Soundtracks

Come To You
Written by Shani Rigsbee
Performed by Shani Rigsbee
Publishing by Cherokee Charm Music (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Cherokee Music Group

User Reviews

Very good honest movie

This movie rang very true to me. Excellent dialog for the most part. There were some funny parts as well, but mostly it was an honest portrayal of a similar kind of life I used to live. This is as good as anything Spike Lee has done on a similar low budget and your hat as to go off to Vin Diesel for the effort. The only small negative, as others have mentioned, was some of the confrontational language was a bit exaggerated and unnecessary. One really great scene was Vin Diesel singing "If I only had a heart" from the Wizard of Oz... that just plain worked. The interracial friendships were heartening and rang true.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 January 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Strays

Company Credits

Production Co:

One Race Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Color:

Color