21 Grams (2003)

A freak accident brings together a critically ill mathematician, a grieving mother, and a born-again ex-con.

Director:

Alejandro G. Iñárritu (as Alejandro González Iñárritu)

Writer:

Guillermo Arriaga

Stars:

Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 30 wins & 77 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Penn	...	Paul Rivers
Naomi Watts	...	Cristina Peck
Danny Huston	...	Michael
Carly Nahon	...	Cathy
Claire Pakis	...	Laura
Benicio Del Toro	...	Jack Jordan
Nick Nichols	...	Boy
Charlotte Gainsbourg	...	Mary Rivers
John Rubinstein	...	Gynecologist
Eddie Marsan	...	Reverend John
Loyd Keith Salter	...	Fat Man
Antef A. Harris	...	Basketball Guy
Melissa Leo	...	Marianne Jordan
Marc Musso	...	Freddy (as Marc Thomas Musso)
Teresa Delgado	...	Gina

Storyline

Paul Rivers, an ailing mathematician lovelessly married to English émigré; Christina Peck, who's hiding a secret past; and Jack Jordan, an ex-convict who has found Jesus are brought together by a terrible accident which - dum-da-dum - 'changes their lives'.

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Plot Keywords:

sex in bed | breasts | unfaithfulness | extramarital affair | female nudity | 

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Taglines:

They say we all lose 21 grams at the exact moment of our death... everyone. The weight of a stack of nickels. The weight of a chocolate bar. The weight of a hummingbird...

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexuality, some violence and drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of two 2003's releases starring both Sean Penn and Kevin Chapman. They also starred in Mystic River (2003).

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Goofs

Christina crosses the street as traffic is stopped at a green light.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Michael: Check, please.
Cathy: Look Daddy, a volcano.
[Cathy blows bubbles into her soft drink]
Michael: It's very pretty. Drink up your volcano. All right. We're going. Mommy's waiting.
Cathy: Daddy, please. Just one more minute.

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Crazy Credits

Paul Murphey is credited twice for video assist operator.

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Connections

Referenced in Jarls quizshow: Episode #1.6 (2012)

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Soundtracks

Can I Be Forgiven?
Written by Mike Morgan and Gustavo Santaolalla

User Reviews

One step short of movie heaven

This movie is very, very good. Unlike some others I do not think the unchronological storytelling hurts the movie, on the contrary I think that the pieces that the viewer has to put together in order to get the picture of the whole story just make it more interesting.

On the other hand, no matter how good the movie actually is it is one step short of masterpiece. It is like you are climbing to heaven but you cannot make it over the last step. The story is good, the filming is good, the acting is good, but there is still SOMETHING missing for this movie to be added to my hall of all time faves. Maybe it is the music, this film does not have a strong score, maybe all the components do not add up well together... It is hard to describe why, but I was not as stunned as I usually am after watching movies I rate at 10.

Thus, I was deciding between 8 a 9, finally I voted 9 but it is a rather weak one.

Details

Official Sites:

Bim Distribuzione [Italy]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 January 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

21 Grams

Filming Locations:

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$274,454, 23 November 2003

Gross USA:

$16,290,476

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$60,427,839

Company Credits

Production Co:

This Is That Productions, Y Productions, Mediana Productions Filmgesellschaft

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1