Road to Perdition (2002)

A mob enforcer's son witnesses a murder, forcing him and his father to take to the road, and his father down a path of redemption and revenge.

Director:

Sam Mendes

Writers:

Max Allan Collins (graphic novel), Richard Piers Rayner (graphic novel)

Stars:

Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin, Rob Maxey

Won 1 Oscar. Another 22 wins & 82 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tyler Hoechlin	...	Michael Sullivan Jr.
Rob Maxey	...	Drugstore Owner
Liam Aiken	...	Peter Sullivan
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Annie Sullivan
Tom Hanks	...	Michael Sullivan
Paul Newman	...	John Rooney
Daniel Craig	...	Connor Rooney
Ciarán Hinds	...	Finn McGovern
Craig Spidle	...	Rooney's Henchman
Ian Barford	...	Rooney's Henchman
Stephen P. Dunn	...	Finn McGovern's Henchman (as Stephen Dunn)
Paul Turner	...	Finn McGovern's Henchman
Kathleen Keane	...	Irish Musician
Brendan McKinney	...	Irish Musician
Jackie Moran	...	Irish Musician

Storyline

1931. Mike Sullivan and Connor Rooney are two henchmen of elderly downstate IL-based (Quad City area, though much of the action takes place in the Chicago area) Irish-American mobster John Rooney, Connor's father. In many respects, John treats Mike more as his son, who he raised as his own after Mike was orphaned, than the volatile Connor, who nonetheless sees himself as the heir apparent to the family business. One evening, Mike's eldest son, twelve year old Michael Sullivan Jr., who has no idea what his father does for a living, witnesses Connor and his father gun down an associate and his men, the situation gone wrong initiated from an action by Connor. Caught witnessing the incident, Michael is sworn to secrecy about what he saw. Regardless, Connor, not wanting any loose ends, makes an attempt to kill Mike, his wife and their two sons. Mike and the surviving members of his family know that they need to go on the run as Connor, who has gone into hiding, will be protected through ...

---

Plot Keywords:

based on comic book | violence | surprise ending | 1930s | dog | 

---

Taglines:

Pray for Michael Sullivan

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Fox [UK]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 July 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Camino a la perdición

Filming Locations:

Aurora, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$22,079,481, 14 July 2002

Gross USA:

$104,454,762

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$181,001,478

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks, Twentieth Century Fox, The Zanuck Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Conrad Hall, the director of photography who also worked on Cool Hand Luke and Harper, cried during the shooting, reminding that how Newman was beautiful those decades earlier and still was years later.

---

Goofs

Bullets fired into Michael's back at the lake house exit his chest with enough velocity to cause blood spatter on the picture window inches in front of him but don't have enough energy to cause any damage to the window itself.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Michael Sullivan, Jr.: There are many stories about Michael Sullivan. Some say he was a decent man. Some say there was no good in him at all. But I once spent 6 weeks on the road with him, in the winter of 1931. This is our story.

---

Crazy Credits

Thanks to all at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre, London

---

Connections

Featured in Smashing UK Top 10: Top 10 Film Cinematography (2013)

---

Soundtracks

The Reel of Momentum
Traditional
Performed by the "Irish Musicians" (John M. Williams, Kathleen Keane, Brendan McKinney,
Jackie Moran and Kieran O'Hare)

User Reviews

Atmospheric and brilliant mobster movie with extraordinary performance and superb cinematography

This is a splendid movie which fancies itself a revenger father called Michael Sullivan (Tom Hanks) , he is right-hand to Mr Rooney (Paul Newman) who has a nasty son (Daniel Craig) . When the mob enforcer's son (Tyler Hoechlin) spies , he's in for a shock and things go wrong . All of them put Sullivan at odds with Rooney who is forced to side with his son , making Sullivan an enemy of the mob . Sullivan then takes action to protect his family and to put an end to the threat . Forcing him and his son on the run and to take to the road . Pray for Michael Sullivan . Every father is a hero to his son . Every son holds the future for his father . The innocence of a son is surpassed only by the father's will to save it.

Based on the dark graphic novel by Max Collins and Richard Piers Rayner adapted faithfully by David Self. Anyone with a fondness for mobster movies will find quite a bit to admire this fabulous film . This is a magnificent picture , except that the yarn turns so much bathetic and extremely sentimental , at times . This thought-provoking material blends comic-strip , a tridimensional kid's eye pastiche and ordinary mobster movie , though remains fundamentally in comic-book wake . Cast is pretty well , giving outstanding acting . Highlighted by Hanks' acting as father down a path of redemption and revenge , though some critics state Tom is fatally miscast . Paul Newman as mob boss and Daniel Craig are good , the latter as the rutlhess partner in crime . Jude Law as the terminally self-conscious hit-man steals of show as a whacked weegee-style photographer . Other prestigious actors appearing are the following ones : Dylan Baker , Ciran Hinds , Jennifer Jason Leigh and Stanley Tucci as Frank Nitti

The film packs a colorful and glimmering cinematography by Conrad Hall , who previously brought American Beauty , to whom the film is dedicated . It was shot in various locations as Grand Rapids, Saugatuck, Zeeland , Michigan , Pullman , Chicago , Geneva , Evanston , Momence , Beecher , Thornton , Illinois . As well as sensitive and rousing musical score by Thomas Newman. Being lavishly produced by Joan Bradshaw , Walter F. Parkes , Dean Zanuck , Richard D. Zanuck and Sam Mendes himself . This gangster picture was well directed by Sam Mendes , though with no originaly . Mendes is a good director who has made some successful films played by important actors , such as : Jarhead , American Beauty , Revolutionary road , this Road to perdition and two Bond movies : Skyfall and Spectre . Rating: 8/10 . Above average. Well worth watching . Essential and indispensable watching .