L.I.E. (2001)

A 15-year-old Long Island boy loses everything and everyone he knows, soon becoming involved in a relationship with a much older man.

Director:

Michael Cuesta

Writers:

Stephen M. Ryder, Michael Cuesta

Stars:

Brian Cox, Paul Dano, Bruce Altman

20 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Dano	...	Howie Blitzer (as Paul Franklin Dano)
Bruce Altman	...	Marty Blitzer
Billy Kay	...	Gary
James Costa	...	Kevin Cole
Tony Michael Donnelly	...	Brian (as Tony Donnelly)
Michelle Carano	...	Newscaster
Tatiana Burgos	...	Marty's Girlfriend
Brian Cox	...	Big John Harrigan
B. Constance Barry	...	Anne Harrigan
Walter Masterson	...	Scott
Brad Silnutzer	...	Henry
Bob Gerardi	...	Clifford
Adam LeFevre	...	Elliot
Frank Rivers	...	Man with Pizza (as Frank G. Rivers)
Anthony F. Peragine	...	Tough Kid #1

Storyline

Fifteen-year-old Howie loses just about everything and everyone in the space of a single week, but ends up finding himself in the process. His mother has just died. His father, a building contractor, can barely keep tabs on his young girlfriend, let alone his own son. Thusly, the teen must navigate his adolescence virtually unsupervised. Floating towards an ill-behaved existence, Howie and his crowd begin robbing houses in the middle-class neighborhoods off the Long Island Expressway. Together, he and his best friend Gary break into a place belonging to an old guy named Big John, a local man who is a respected pillar of the community. When Big John fingers Gary for the crime, Howie learns that his pal has been leading a secret, dangerous but also alluring double life. Subsequently, we also discover that Big John has secrets of his own.

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Plot Keywords:

ephebophile | u.s. marine | thief | theft | shaving | 

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Taglines:

On the Long Island Expressway there are lanes going east, lanes going west, and lanes going straight to hell.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content involving teens, language and brief violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 November 2002 (UK)

Also Known As:

L.I.E. Long Island Expressway

Filming Locations:

217 Broadway, Amityville, Long Island, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$700,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$82,530, 9 September 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,141,829, 24 February 2002

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alter Ego Entertainment, Belladonna Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Howie's birthday is on July 8, which is the same as director Michael Cuesta.

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Goofs

The second black eye that Howie receives disappears and reappears from shot to shot. It is absent in the scene in which Howie and Big John shave; however, it is present in several scenes beforehand and afterward.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Howie: L.I.E. Long Island Expressway. You got the lanes going east, and you got the lanes going west. And you also got the lanes going straight to hell. Lot of people died on it. Harry Chapin, Alan Pakula, the movie director. You probably heard of them. But you never heard of Sylvia Blitzer, my mom. She died on a crash on Exit 52. I really miss her. It's taken a lot of people and I hope it doesn't get me.

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Alternate Versions

The uncut version (originally rated NC-17) is available on DVD. It features a longer sex scene near the beginning.

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Connections

References Casablanca (1942)

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Soundtracks

My Sh*t is Digital
Written and Performed by Dove

User Reviews

A true to life tale of a young suburban male teenager.

I've practically lived this film so I know what it portray's isn't exploitive or audacious in the negative sense. It's a simple story of a kid growing up in the suburbs. The meaninglessness and frustration of this way of life I felt was painted nicely by the cinematographer and the director. The omnipotent lukewarm attempts by the high school and social structure were represented in a fair manner. It's a story of a teenager dealing with many things straight on. This movie is really an interesting look into modern western life as seen by a young kid. The movie draw's you in like all good film-making should. The acting is great. The story will hold your attention and be engaging to you regardless of your childhood. The only stumbling blocks will be your own pretenses or cynicism. It's not a complex story on the surface but everything that isn't spelled out is where the weight of the film resides.