Urbania (2000)

A tour of The Anger Stage.

Director:

Jon Shear

Writers:

Daniel Reitz (play), Daniel Reitz (screenplay)

Stars:

Dan Futterman, Scott Denny, Paige Turco

5 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dan Futterman	...	Charlie
Sam Ball	...	Dean (as Samuel Ball)
Lothaire Bluteau	...	Bill
Alan Cumming	...	Brett
Josh Hamilton	...	Matt
Matt Keeslar	...	Chris
James Simon	...	Sam
Megan Dodds	...	Deedee
Gabriel Olds	...	Ron
Barbara Sukowa	...	Clara - The Married Woman
Gerry Bamman	...	Don
Scott Denny	...	Ken
Pamela Shaw	...	Judy - The Photo Lady
David Wheir	...	Gary
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Christopher Bradley	...	Efraim - The Window Couple

Storyline

Charlie takes an odyssey through grief during a fall weekend in New York City. His encounters are planned and chance: with a homeless man who sleeps by his building, with a friend who's dying, with the couple who lives (and noisily loves) in the flat above him, with a bartender and a one-night-stand he follows home, and with a tattooed stranger whom he seeks out and befriends. Along the way, Charlie inhabits a city full of moments of violence and of stories and legends: a kidney thief, a microwaved poodle, a rat in a hot dog bun, a baby left on a car top, a tourist's toothbrush, needles in public-phone change slots. Charlie lives and tells his own stories. What caused his melancholy?

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Plot Keywords:

new york | needle | tourist | hot dog bun | rat | 

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Taglines:

Your life can change in a second

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violent and sexual content, including related dialogue, and for language and some drug use

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 August 2001 (Israel)

Also Known As:

Urban Folk Tales

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$225,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$72,129, 17 September 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,032,075

Company Credits

Production Co:

Daly-Harris Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Matt is describing his encounter with Clara, she eats the cherry the moment he gives her the drink, but in subsequent shots, the cherry is still floating on the surface of the drink.

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Quotes

Charlie: Distract me, man. Take me out of my own head for two minutes.

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Connections

References Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971)

User Reviews

A true gem.

I recently saw this movie and let me say this, WOW. I was blown away by the whole thing! I was shocked at the end especially. Director Jon Shear did a terrific job, and i am appauled that he recieved little or no recognition for this movie. It was powerful, totally redeeming the silly and love-stricken gay films of recent memory, (Beautiful Thing, Get Real and the like,). It gave the gay film industry and not to mention society a new face. Dan Futterman, (Bless him,) did an about-face on his career with this movie, as did Samuel Ball, Matt Keeslar, and Alan Cumming. If i could, id award ALL of those in this film. The depth, power and heat of Urbania are its real stunning feats. It plays as a hetero-flick, (at the beginning, i thought Charlie was straight,) and engulfs us in heart-warming and loving flash-backs. But towards the climax, the film reveals its true colors. Gay characters have never been played with such villanous or sinister-esque qualities. It is a slap in the face for those who think the homosexual community is weak and "sissified." Futterman's brilliance for villany upheld the main idea and the motive behind Charlie's actions. I was shaken when the movie was over, shaken in a good way. If this movie had gone through mainstream release,(which it should have,) homosexuals would be seen in another light. A more darker light which would bring heterosexuals closer to accepting the gay community as the people they are. ****, (four stars out of four) -a shocking, brilliant, and redeeming work of art-