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:

revenge | rape | weeping man | corpse | shot in the stomach | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Loosely based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment.

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Quotes

Roseanne: What's wrong with you? Why are you always giving people a reason to laugh at you?
Vincent: I'm sorry, was I not fitting in?

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Connections

Featured in Beyond Clueless (2014)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

not a bad film

I'll admit, I was not in the most jovial of moods when I sat down to view Crime and Punishment in Suburbia, so the plot had a far greater impact than it would have had I been in an upbeat mood. But, at the same time I was expecting yet another glossy teen flick where a mess of pretty people prance around on the screen for ninety minutes, after which the credits roll to the tune of a popular radio hit. However, I found quite the opposite. I was genuinely moved by this film. Though it is not the most original movie I've seen, it touched me in a very unique way.

Ultimately, do not judge this movie by it's generic, mainstream movie cover. It is actually a high quality piece of cinema. And fellow teenagers, drop your Cruel Intentions and Bring It Ons and give this a try. It might not be oscar award material, but it is far more engaging than any of the pg-13 tripe they try and pawn off on you at blockbuster. Give it a shot. If you like it, good. If you don't, oh well.

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

Gross USA:

$26,394

Company Credits

Production Co:

G2 Films, Killer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1