Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006)

A film set in a strange afterlife way station that has been reserved for people who have committed suicide.

Director:

Goran Dukic

Writers:

Goran Dukic (screenplay), Etgar Keret (short story "Kneller's Happy Campers")

Stars:

Patrick Fugit, Shea Whigham, Tom Waits

9 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Arnett	...	Messiah
Abraham Benrubi	...	Erik
Leslie Bibb	...	Desiree
Mark Boone Junior	...	Mike (as Mark Boone Jr.)
Cameron Bowen	...	Kostya
Clayne Crawford	...	Jim
Chase Ellison	...	Kid Kostya
Patrick Fugit	...	Zia
Adam Gifford	...	Gas Station Attendant (as Adam G.)
Mary Pat Gleason	...	Eugene's Mother
John Hawkes	...	Yan
Mikal P. Lazarev	...	Nanuk
Aaron Parker Mouser	...	Max (as Aaron Mouser)
Nick Offerman	...	Cop
Anatol Rezmeritza	...	Eugene's Father

Storyline

Despondent over his breakup with Desiree, Zia slashes his wrists and goes to an afterlife peopled by suicides, a high-desert landscape dotted by old tires, burned-out cars, and abandoned sofas. He gets a job in a pizza joint. By chance, Zia learns that Desiree offed herself a few months after he did, and she's looking for him. He sets off with Eugene (an electrocuted Russian rocker) to find her, and they pick up a hitchhiker, Mikal, who's looking for the People in Charge, believing she's there by mistake. They're soon at the camp of Kneller, where casual miracles proliferate. They hear rumors of a miraculous king. Can Zia find Desiree? Then what? Where there's death there's hope.

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | hitchhiker | death | afterlife | camping | 

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Taglines:

An Offbeat Comedy, A Love Story, A Road Movie - But Everybody's Dead

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and disturbing content involving suicide

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

2 November 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Csuklónyiszálók

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$42,808, 21 October 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$316,996, 14 December 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

No Matter Pictures, Crispy Films, Adam Sherman

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene in which Mikal asks to drive the car was filmed at 9400 Tehachapi Willow Springs Rd, Rosamond, California.

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Goofs

Approximately 44 minutes into the movie, when Zia first encounters the note written by Desiree, she writes the letter "I" in cursive, when he goes outside to show it to his two friends, the letter "I" in the note is shown again in print.

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Quotes

Kneller: Once upon a time there was a crooked tree and a straight tree. And they grew next to each other. And every day the straight tree would look at the crooked tree and he would say, "You're crooked. You've always been crooked and you'll continue to be crooked. But look at me! Look at me!" said the straight tree. He said, "I'm tall and I'm straight." And then one day the lumberjacks came into the forest and looked around, and the manager in charge said, "Cut all the straight trees." And that crooked...

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Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Bee Movie/Wristcutters: A Love Story/No Country for Old Men/Martian Child/Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains (2007)

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Soundtracks

Love Song
Performed by Mikal Lazarev

User Reviews

Although dark, oddly uplifting

Bleak film of death and a depressing afterlife. Lots of nice little touches, like with the music - you only pick up on it after talking with people about it. From what I understand not completely faithful to the book, although I didn't read it. Good humor, oddly uplifting due to the romance.

Saw this at Sundance this year, was one of the 3 best we saw. Patrick Fugit was brilliant. Shannon was also strong. If you like dark films, you won't be disappointed. Can't comment on technical aspects of film, since i'm not in the industry.

Summary: Great cast, good writing. Fun times by all.