Rites of Passage (1999)

An attorney decides to take a trip with his father to their isolated family cabin to talk things out but their ensuing family argument is suddenly interrupted by two escaped convicts.

Director:

Victor Salva

Writer:

Victor Salva

Stars:

Jason Behr, Dean Stockwell, James Remar

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Behr	...	Cambell Farraday
Dean Stockwell	...	Del Farraday
James Remar	...	Frank Dabbo
Robert Glen Keith	...	D.J. Farraday
Jaimz Woolvett	...	Red Tenney
Marianna Elliott	...	Trooper Macintosh
Rondell Sheridan	...	Trooper Dixon
George Georgiadis	...	Cabby
Nancy Sawyer	...	Jaimie Cutter
Joseph Foss	...	Clerk
Brenda James	...	Ginny Farley (scenes deleted)
Joseph Kell	...	Gary Desoto
Thomas G. Waites	...	John Willio (as Thomas Waites)
Andreas Michael Lamelas	...	Young Cambell (as Andreas Michaels)
Kenny Cloutier	...	Young D.J.

Storyline

When lawyer DJ Farraday discovers his father has been having an affair, the two drive out to the remote family cabin to talk things over. What neither expects is that DJ's estranged gay brother Campbell will already be there, apparently planning a weekend retreat with his boyfriend. But father and sons are forced to put aside their grievances when two escaped convicts show up and put everyone's lives in danger.

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Plot Keywords:

escaped convict | cabin | lawyer | attorney | escaped prisoner | 

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Taglines:

The secrets some men keep can be killers.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

There was an additional scene, available on the DVD, called "D.J. Farraday's Family," and which included his wife, and two young children, outside of their house on a driveway basketball court, but the actress who portrays his wife, and the actors who portray his two children are not shown in the credited cast, and their names are not disclosed in the scene.

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Quotes

Campbell Farraday: Billy's dead, he died a year ago. I guess he didn't fight it much or take is meds or something, because you can beat it now if you try - I just gotta think he didn't try.

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Connections

References Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

User Reviews

A highly personal project from director Victor Salva is a nicely executed, low-budget independent thriller.

This is basically a character-driven thriller exploring some routine familial issues between a middle-class father and his two sons. I say routine, because the conflicts are reasonably familiar: the father's having a mid-life, extra-marital fling; one son's gay; and the other son's bogged down in his own suburban mediocrity; not to mention that the whole drama takes place overnight in the woods, an almost absurd setting for all the abounding macho bonding. In spite of this theatrical, TV-movie veneer, RITES OF PASSAGE is still a satisfying low-budget feature thanks to a very appealing cast and the mature, sure-handed direction of Victor Salva (POWDER). It's an involving little ensemble drama with an amazing amount of tension and truth. No small mention should be made of Jason Behr, a WB-TV pretty-boy type who really carries the picture with a surprisingly inspired performance; although a lot of sympathy for his character is still a result of his physical appeal, he does a very good job here alongside excellent performers like Dean Stockwell and James Remar. Still, I doubt if a lot of the enthusiasm for this film would be there without Behr's good looks. In spite of what I've read in a few of the other reviews, the little bit of violence and profanity in this picture are of the PG-13 variety; as a matter of fact, it could have been a bit more aggressive with it's sexuality and brutality in order to intensify the motivations culminating in this one-night, boys-to-men catharsis. I'll tell you, though, it's too bad family crises aren't this easily resolved by a boy's night out in the woods.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 October 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rites of Passage

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

World International Network (WIN), Daly-Harris Productions, Davis Entertainment Classics

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1