Wild Tigers I Have Known (2006)

A lyrical telling of the coming of age of a 13-year-old boy who learns to cope with his newfound sexuality and his unrequited love for the cool kid in school.

Director:

Cam Archer

Writer:

Cam Archer

Stars:

Malcolm Stumpf, Patrick White, Max Paradise

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Malcolm Stumpf	...	Logan
Patrick White	...	Rodeo
Max Paradise	...	Joey
Fairuza Balk	...	Logan's Mom
Kim Dickens	...	The Counselor
Tom Gilroy	...	The Principal
Ruth Elliott	...	Leah (voice)
Joey Coffman
Tim Greer	...	Teacher
Dash Mann
Derek Mitchler
Kylee Mains	...	Excited woman / Teacher (as Kylee Lehe)
Teresa Morales
James Porter
Bernadette Wilson	...	Teacher

Storyline

Junior high in a time of rotary phones. Cougars have been spotted in the area. Logan is 13, the odd kid, with an active imagination and few friends. His young, single mother seems stressed. Latency is giving way to puberty, and Logan, who keeps a tube of lipstick in his dresser, may be gay or, more mysterious, transgender. He stares at himself in the mirror. He becomes friends with Rodeo, older and more mature, good-looking, with girlfriends. They take walks. Logan calls Rodeo and pretends to be a girl. Will he disclose himself to Rodeo? The kids at school talk. The school wants to promote kindness and tolerance. There are stories of child suicide. How do we find our way?

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Plot Keywords:

boy dressed as a girl | crossdressing | gay boy | hooded sweatshirt | roller skate | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 May 2007 (UK)

Also Known As:

Дикие тигры, которых я знал

Filming Locations:

Santa Cruz, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,515, 4 March 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$9,946

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cut and Paste Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min (DVD) 98 min

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Logan: If we both pretend that there was an end, then maybe there really will be a beginning. And it will start with us, running away together. Off, off, off. Far, far, far away. And we'll live with the lions and sleep in trees. Just sleep, that's all we need.

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Connections

Featured in Indie Sex: Teens (2007)

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Soundtracks

The Heart Harmonicon
Written by Colleen (as Cecile Schott)
Performed by Colleen
Courtesy of Leaf Records
By Agreement with Bank Robber Music

User Reviews

A Lion is in the Yard!

My fear in seeing this movie is that it would evoke a feeling of exploitation of a child and make for a very uncomfortable viewing, or a similar feeling of sickness I felt while watching Mysterious Skin, a painful film to watch yet an excellent film. However, I was surprised, this is a visual wonder into the mind of an outcast and his sexual awakening. In fact I found myself relating and remembering my awkwardness towards sex at that age and the gray emotions of trying to understand what I was feeling, emotions and confusion not limited to sexual preference or even gender, just the desire for another and not knowing how to correctly move forward or interpret. The director does a brilliant job and the cinematography creates the mood with music, natural images and hallucinatory visions into this teenagers mind. The young actor, Malcom Stumpf, gives a perfect performance as the outcast, who does not mind that he is not liked by others or uncomfortable with who he is becoming, I hope to see more rewarding work from him in the future. Fairuza Balk turns in a great performance as his frustrated mother trying to relate and get through to her son. At times it feels as if she harbors resentment towards him, but she truly loves him as we see in a very real moment as they lay in the grass. This film was a pleasant surprise and I am glad that I did not pass it by as planned.