Monster (2003)

Based on the life of Aileen Wuornos, a Daytona Beach prostitute who became a serial killer.

Director:

Patty Jenkins

Writer:

Patty Jenkins

Stars:

Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern

Won 1 Oscar. Another 29 wins & 26 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlize Theron	...	Aileen
Christina Ricci	...	Selby
Bruce Dern	...	Thomas
Lee Tergesen	...	Vincent Corey
Annie Corley	...	Donna
Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	Gene / Stuttering "John"
Marco St. John	...	Evan / Undercover "John"
Marc Macaulay	...	Will / Daddy "John"
Scott Wilson	...	Horton / Last "John"
Rus Blackwell	...	Cop
Tim Ware	...	Chuck
Stephan Jones	...	Lawyer
Brett Rice	...	Charles
Kaitlin Riley	...	Teenage Aileen
Cree Ivey	...	7-Year-Old Aileen

Storyline

The true story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos who was convicted of luring men to their death and eventually executed in 2002. In 1989, she was working as a prostitute and finally makes a friend when she meets and begins a relationship with a young woman, Selby. Determined to straighten out her life, she tries to find legitimate work but with little education and limited social skills, she fails at every turn. She starts working as a hooker hitching rides along the local interstate highway and after robbing a few clients has an encounter with a vicious client whom she kills in self-defense. After that however she just takes to killing clients taking their money and car. Once arrested she claims self-defense but is eventually convicted.

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Plot Keywords:

prostitute | lesbian | female killer | serial killer | hooker | 

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Taglines:

Based on a true story

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and sexual content, and for pervasive language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Charlize Theron said that after she won an Oscar for her performance, instead of people talking about her acting abilities, she had to deal with every interviewer obsessing over how a pretty, thin person could possibly be "brave" enough to gain weight and, as it has since become known in the industry, "go ugly." "Charlize Theron Sacrifices Great Looks for Great Part in Monster," a typical Vancouver Sun piece exclaimed. "When the first photo stills from Monster were published, no one could believe that Theron would downplay her 'greatest asset' to become a homeless lesbian prostitute and serial killer."

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Goofs

When Aileen Wuornos gets nabbed, the stains on her grey sweatshirt change noticeably several times.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[narrating]
Aileen: I always wanted to be in the movies.
[pause]
Aileen: When I was little I thought for sure that one day, I could be a big, big star. Or maybe just beautiful... beautiful and rich, like the women on TV. Yeah, I had a lot of dreams. And I guess you can call me a real romantic, because I truly believe that one day, they'll come true. So I dreamed about it for hours. As the years went by, I learnt to stop sharing them with people. They said I was dreaming. But back then, I believed it ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Skull & Bones (2007)

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Soundtracks

Crazy Girl
(1999)
Written by Scott Nickoley, Jamie Dunlap
Performed by Molly Pasutti
Courtesy of Mark Ferrari/Master Source
Under License from Master Source

User Reviews

Hard and bleak story

I had my reservations before watching this. I was sceptical cause of the buzz. Everyone was talking about the way Theron, "the most gorgeous woman alive", transformed herself into Aileen. A prostitute who killed several clients. I thought Theron was just looking for success, another ambitious actress wanting a gold statue. That director Jenkins had a reason to make the film didn't matter for me then.

But everyone involved in this film deserve the credit. Monster is gripping. It's a film that makes you feel almost every emotion you can think of: sadness, anger, compassion, wrath. It confuses you. Do you identify with Aileen or do you disapprove of her actions? I guess both. You despise her for killing the men. But the film challenges that. You can almost explain (and thus condone) her actions. I guess the one thing that stayed with me was that it occurred to me what it must feel like to be really and utterly alone in this world.

Details

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 January 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Monster

Filming Locations:

Casselberry, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$86,831, 28 December 2003

Gross USA:

$34,469,210

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$58,469,210

Company Credits

Production Co:

Media 8 Entertainment, Newmarket Films, DEJ Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1