Crime + Punishment in Suburbia (2000)

A darkly romantic story of murder and redemption, set against an eerily familiar American landscape.

Director:

Rob Schmidt

Writer:

Larry Gross

Stars:

Monica Keena, Ellen Barkin, Michael Ironside

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Monica Keena	...	Roseanne Skolnick
Ellen Barkin	...	Maggie Skolnick
Michael Ironside	...	Fred Skolnick
Vincent Kartheiser	...	Vincent
James DeBello	...	Jimmy
Jeffrey Wright	...	Chris
Conchata Ferrell	...	Bella
Marshall R. Teague	...	Coach (as Marshall Teague)
Nicki Aycox	...	Cecil
Christian Payne	...	Dean
Anthony Chow	...	Teacher (as Anthony C. Chow)
Bonnie Somerville	...	Stuck Up Girl
Lucinda Jenney	...	Vincent's Mom
Jim Boyce	...	Mr. Dwyer
Matt Champagne	...	Counselor Lord

Storyline

This is a contemporary fable loosely based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment". Roseanne is outwardly a perfect and popular teen. However, her image is hiding the abuse at her stepfather's hands, and she decides to take revenge. The events that follow are a mix of dark humor and an exploration of modern morality as Roseanne faces not only a fellow suburbanite who knows, but her own conscience as well.

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Plot Keywords:

weeping man | corpse | shot in the stomach | television news | watching tv | 

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Taglines:

No one stays innocent forever

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brutal violence, strong sexuality, language and substance abuse

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 August 2000 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Crime + Punishment in Suburbia

Filming Locations:

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,893, 17 September 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$26,394, 8 October 2000

Company Credits

Production Co:

G2 Films, Killer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Loosely based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment.

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Quotes

Vincent: Do you want to know why we left New York?
Roseanne: [just looks at him]
Vincent: I robbed this old lady who lived next door to us.
Roseanne: You did?
Vincent: Yeah. Smashed up a bunch of stuff, got caught. They said I was walking the halls like a damaged little fucker.
[laughs]
Roseanne: I think you still are.

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Connections

Referenced in 'Reservoir Dogs' Revisited (2005)

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Soundtracks

Burn, Don't Freeze
Written by Carrie Brownstein
Performed by Sleater-Kinney

User Reviews

Strangely haunting and beautiful

The 3 best aspects to this film are the acting, cinematography and soundtrack.

This film just made me a big fan of Monica Keena and Vincent Kartheiser. Both delivered dynamic and intriguing performances. Monica Keena's character is transformed throughout the film and she's able to convey that arc with great subtlety. Vincent Kartheiser's character was also conveyed very well, not overdone like so many other goth/nerd characters are portrayed.

The cinematography was great - visually compelling imagery and an unsteadiness throughout that lends to the feel of uneasiness with what is happening to the characters. It lends itself to the feelings, moods of not only the characters in the film but to the viewer as well. A great film engages the viewer and makes them feel as though they have been drawn into the world of the film.

Finally I'm a big fan of music and soundtracks that aren't cliché and don't dominate a scene. I'd love to get my hands on a list of all the songs used in the film.

The writing was decent, and many of the supporting actors played their parts very well - this easily could have devolved into overblown and overacted performances but nobody in the cast fell prey to that trap.

There's a strange morality to the story - one not easily discerned after one viewing. Of course there can be comparisons to the film "American Beauty" and while that one garnered all the praise and awards I believe this film is much more challenging yet far more fulfilling. It's more subtle and the answers aren't so easy to ascertain. I'll be watching this movie many times and I have a feeling I'll discover something new each time. Great movie!