Havoc - Jovens Sem Rumo (2005)

Two affluent suburban girls clash with the Latino gang culture of East Los Angeles.

Director:

Barbara Kopple

Writers:

Stephen Gaghan (story), Jessica Kaplan (story)

Stars:

Anne Hathaway, Bijou Phillips, Shiri Appleby

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anne Hathaway	...	Allison Lang
Bijou Phillips	...	Emily
Shiri Appleby	...	Amanda
Michael Biehn	...	Stuart Lang
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Sam
Matt O'Leary	...	Eric
Freddy Rodríguez	...	Hector
Laura San Giacomo	...	Joanna Lang
Mike Vogel	...	Toby
Raymond Cruz	...	Chino
Alexis Dziena	...	Sasha
Channing Tatum	...	Nick
Jose Luis Vasquez	...	Manuel (as Johnny Vasquez)
Luis Robledo	...	Ace
Sam Hennings	...	Mr. Rubin

Storyline

A pair of naive young girls learn that even the most insignificant actions can have lasting consequences. Influenced by the hip-hop thug lifestyle and seeking to explore life outside of their insulated, culturally homogenized suburb, pretty young teenagers Allison and Emily set their sights on East L.A. to experience the "gangsta" lifestyle firsthand. By the time the pair meet a ruthless Mexican drug dealer named Hector, some true-life Latino gang-bangers, and realize just how far out of their element they really are, it may already be too late to turn back.

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Plot Keywords:

sex scene | promiscuity | mini skirt | sex in car | female nudity | 

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Taglines:

Some lines aren't meant to be crossed...

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

M/16

Details

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

16 October 2005 (Armenia)

Also Known As:

Havoc - Jovens Sem Rumo

Filming Locations:

MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Media 8 Entertainment,Stuhall Productions,S.R.O. Entertainment AG

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min 93 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The song the two girls are singing while trying drugs is "Can I Get A..." by Jay Z. They are singing the part where Amil sings.

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Goofs

When Allison attempts call Emily the day after the incident, she presses a button to hang up the phone. The phone flashes and beeps twice to denote that, not only was the phone already off, but the phone's base was also disconnected.

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Quotes

Stuart Lang: You were arrested! With crack dealers!
[walks to the other end of the counter next to Joanna]
Joanna Lang: [after a long pause] Maybe this hasn't been the easiest place to live, lately.
Stuart Lang: [walks back over across from Allison] Alright, so we talk about it. That's what we're supposed to do. One of us has a problem, we all talk it over.
Allison: [rolling her eyes in disbelief] Oh, right! Who are you kidding? Who can ever talk to you when you're never even here?
Stuart Lang: [raising his voice] Well, I'm gonna' make it easier for you to ...
[...]

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Alternate Versions

"R" rated theatrical and international version running time is 86 minutes. Unrated and extended DVD version running time is 93 minutes. The unrated and extended DVD version was edited by New Line Home Entertainment.

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Connections

Referenced in Everything Wrong with...: Everything Wrong with Les Miserables in 6 Minutes or Less (2013)

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Soundtracks

Loco En El Coco
(Insane in the Brain)
Written by B-Real, Senen Reyes and Larry E. Muggerud
Performed by Cypress Hill
Courtesy of Columbia Records, by arrangement with Sony BMG Music Licensing
Universal Music Corp., Soul Assassin Music and BMG Songs Inc.
Under license from BMG Film & TV Music

User Reviews

Havoc it is

If there is some justice to misjudging investments in movies, then the fact that this film went directly to DVD despite the presence of a crew that includes some impressive names is notable. Writer Stephen Gaghan ('Traffic', 'Rules of Engagement', 'Syriana', etc) has composed a contrived script about rich, bored, Hip Hop imitating, unmotivated teenagers trying to spice up their insignificant lives by treading into the East LA 'danger zone', an experience from which they learn nothing about cross cultural ethnic groups and just return to Pacific Palisades whining about 'damaged goods'. It is an insulting story, one that stereotypes Hispanics as drug-peddling, raping thugs in a totally black and white manner, not taking into consideration the viewpoint of a cultural group's positive attributes and philosophies.

No longer a viable gimmick, the film begins with the tired cliché of a kid making a documentary about his friends, asking what they like and don't like, their goals, their outlooks. The fact that none of the interviewees has a clue about life, preferring to follow the current Hip Hop language (very poorly written) and focusing on sex, drugs, and escapes from their wealthy environments. Among these are three girls, the main character being Allison (Anne Hathaway, miscast in every way), who follow their superficial boyfriends on a joyride for drugs into East LA. There they meet Hector (Freddy Rodríguez, trying his best to create a character without the benefit of a decent script) who sells them drugs and whom Allison eyes. Allison is so shallow she doesn't have a clue about her motivations, just wanting something 'dangerous' to happen. She coaxes her equally clueless girlfriends into going into East LA to seduce Hector and ends up in a ridiculous barter for joining Hector's gang (no mention is made at all about the Chicanas who would never allow these three geeks to enter their territory unchallenged). The results of a barter results in an experience with which the girls cannot cope so they run back to the protection of the dysfunctional parents they loathe to cover the mess of their caper. Attempts to resolve this dumb story fail pathetically.

With so many fine Indie films that go begging for attention, it is a shame money is wasted on this sort of meaningless mess of a film. The 'unrated' designation is probably meant for the occasional nudity and gratuitous sex and language, but here 'Unrated' might just mean that the film is so without merit that it is non-classifiable. Avoid this one and don't think that a fine writer such as Gaghan guarantees a successful story. Grady Harp