Live Free or Die (2006)

Lackluster criminals look to pull a job in the Granite State.

Directors:

Gregg Kavet, Andy Robin

Writers:

Gregg Kavet, Andy Robin

Stars:

Aaron Stanford, Paul Schneider, Judah Friedlander

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aaron Stanford	...	John 'Rugged' Rudgate
Peter Anthony Tambakis	...	Marcus (as Peter Tambakis)
Frank Pando	...	Trucker
Paul Schneider	...	Jeff Lagrand
Jeffrey Maroun	...	Cashier (as Jeffrey J. Maroun)
Judah Friedlander	...	Hesh
Clark Middleton	...	Larry
Carlo Alban	...	Todd Thomas
Kevin Dunn	...	Chief Monson
Michael Rapaport	...	Lt. Putney
Zooey Deschanel	...	Cheryl
Tracy M. Smith	...	Sharon (as Tracy Smith)
R.E. Rodgers	...	Oldfield
Adam LaFramboise	...	Ted
Kim Director	...	Donna

Storyline

It's not the crime, it's the cover-up. In small-town, hard-scrabble New Hampshire, foul-mouthed all-talk slacker John "Rugged" Rudgate fancies himself a criminal. When a local plumber stares him down at a pub, Rugged vows revenge, pouring brake fluid in the man's water supply. When the man dies from unrelated causes, Rugged and his side-kick, the even dimmer Jeff, try to cover up what they think is murder. One bad decision begets another.

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Plot Keywords:

cover up | water | revenge | plumber | new hampshire | 

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Taglines:

The criminal mind is a terrible thing to waste

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive language including sex references

Details

Official Sites:

MySpace Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 March 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Zeis eleftheros i pethaineis...

Filming Locations:

Claremont, New Hampshire, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,875, 1 April 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$12,706, 6 April 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Full Content Productions,Sound Pictures,Two Lane Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min 92 min (European Film Market)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Live Free Or Die" is New Hampshire's (the granite state) motto.

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Goofs

The kid who reports buying stolen speakers to the police identifies himself as "Todd Thompkins" in the movie, but is listed as "Todd Thomas" in the credits.

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Quotes

Lagrand: Ooo... Ice.

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Connections

References UFC 1: The Beginning (1993)

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Soundtracks

Summer's Gonna Be My Girl
Written by Bobby Harlow, John Krautner, Christopher Fachini
Performed by The Go
Courtesy of Peacock Angel Publishing, Rhythm King Music, North Star Media

User Reviews

a novel setting and a sweet tone make for a fun offbeat comedy

Scenic New Hampshire serves as the novel setting for "Live Free or Die" (not to be confused with the later Bruce Willis film, "Live Free or Die HARD"), an entertaining indie comedy that takes its title from the state's time-honored motto of in-your-face defiance.

John Rudgate - who goes by the nickname "Rugged" - is an inept wannabe tough guy who fancies himself a notorious outlaw. He spends most of his days riding around in a dilapidated van trying to convince others - as well as himself - that he is, indeed, the most feared lawbreaker in the county. In reality, the "stolen" merchandise he is moving is actually his own stuff, and the gun he keeps in a drawer in the kitchen is nothing more than a water pistol. The folks in town shrug him off as little more than an irritating pest with delusions of criminal grandeur. Like any villain worth his salt, Rudgate needs to find himself a sycophantic henchman who will do a substantial amount of his dirty work for him. He alights on Lagrand, a simpleminded, but sweet-natured acquaintance who co-owns a storage facility with his sister, a clear-eyed pragmatist who, unlike her brother, knows a BS-ing con artist when she sees one.

Although the movie can't entirely shake free of the "oddball quirkiness" factor that seems to afflict so much of regional film-making these days, movie makers Gregg Kavet and Andy Robin evince a genuine affection for their characters and a sly way with storytelling that go a long way towards mitigating that weakness. They are aided immeasurably by wonderfully self-effacing performances by Paul Schneider, Michael Rapaport, Zooey Deschanel, and, above all, Aaron Stanford, who, as Rudgate, turns a potentially one-note caricature into an endearingly original and surprisingly memorable comic figure. And, besides, the colorful New England setting is alone worth the price of a rental.