Hard Candy (2005)

A teenage girl raids a man's home in order to expose him under suspicion that he is a pedophile.

Director:

David Slade

Writer:

Brian Nelson

Stars:

Patrick Wilson, Ellen Page, Sandra Oh

10 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Patrick Wilson	...	Jeff Kohlver
Ellen Page	...	Hayley Stark
Sandra Oh	...	Judy Tokuda
Odessa Rae	...	Janelle Rogers (as Jennifer Holmes)
G.J. Echternkamp	...	Nighthawks Clerk (as Gilbert John)

Storyline

After having online chat room chats for three weeks, "Thonggrrrl14" convinces "Lensman319" to meet in person in a public place, they being up front that they are a fourteen year old girl and thirty-two year old man respectively. They are indeed precocious fourteen year old Hayley Stark and thirty-two year old photographer Jeff Kohlver. Their interactions, including their meeting, are laced with indirect sexual innuendo, most specifically on Hayley's part, although Jeff is clear also in an indirect manner that he does not have sex with minors. Regardless, Hayley is further able to convince Jeff to continue their face-to-face at his place. There, both Hayley and Jeff's true intentions come to light, their meeting which was no accident on either side, and the intentions which may be incompatible and have serious and deadly consequences.

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Plot Keywords:

pedophilia | manipulation | missing person poster | sexual predator | online dating | 

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Taglines:

Strangers shouldn't talk to little girls.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing violent and aberrant sexual content involving a teen, and for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 April 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hard Candy

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$950,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$58,049, 16 April 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,007,962, 4 June 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lions Gate Films, Vulcan Productions, Launchpad Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ellen Page's initial audition was off-putting for director and producers because she had shaved her head for her previous film role, Mouth to Mouth (2005). At first, she was even mistaken for a boy. The effect of her haircut was countered upon donning a wig, as she then gave a phenomenal reading.

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Goofs

The bloody mark on Hayley's forehead moves around.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Hayley Stark: Mmm. This is soo good. I want more.
Jeff Kohlver: Don't get greedy.

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Connections

Referenced in Pop Culture Beast's Halloween Horror Picks: Spider Baby (2014)

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Soundtracks

Elephant Woman
Performed by Blonde Redhead
Composed by Blonde Redhead
Licensed Courtesy of 4AD Beggars Group

User Reviews

Excellent movie, but be aware it may be disturbing by the subject of it.

This is a film about a girl of 14 years old and a 32 years old guy. It is a movie about Hayley (more than excellent Ellen Page) and Jeff, about pedophilia and about how a pedophile must feel. Or maybe it is only a history of vengeance. You won't know until the end of the film. It sure is a difficult subject for a movie, but the script is excellently profiled in the psychological horror and does not turn to be obscene or anything than can visually or verbally hurt the sensibility of anyone. It is more like disturbing to hear a teenage girl speak how she does, and it is fascinating how your feelings will go from one character to the other during the movie until you realize that no matter what the end is, everyone is guilty of something and it is not to us, humans, to decide what bad actions can be justified by other bad actions.

Try on it, and be open-minded.

Sorry about any orthographic mistake, I'm not used to English writing.