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, Etgar Keret (novel)

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 | afterlife | road trip | black hole | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Eugene (Shea Whigham) isn't smoking pot throughout the film, he's actually smoking tobacco cigarettes. Actor Whigham noticed director Goran Dukic smoked loose tobacco and rolled his own cigarettes and carried it in a plastic bag, and said that's what he wanted Eugene to smoke.

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Goofs

Pouring a beer on electric guitar strings, even with the amp turned on, would be very unlikely to cause electrocution. There is no high voltage current on the guitar itself; about the only way to get electrocuted on stage is through faulty grounding in the sound system and stage set-up, and that would kill you, beer or no beer!

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Quotes

Zia: Listen, you know what? Forget Desiree. I got another reason for you to go.
Eugene: Give it shot.
Zia: You got anything better to do?

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movies Where the Lead Character is Dead (2016)

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Soundtracks

A Song For You
Written and Performed by Gram Parsons
Courtesy of Reprise Records
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Roadtrip meets black comedy meets love story

This is one of the best movies I've seen in a while! It's also one of the funniest movies I've seen recently.

The beginning definitely sets you up for the action to come and adds shock value. The first half hour or so was hilarious, filled with nice little humorous tidbits. Then it launches into the whole road trip scheme and focuses a lot more on the characters' emotional journey.

What's also neat for anyone who's spent a lot of time in Los Angeles and the valley is that you can recognize most of the scenery. This brings the plot into our world a little and makes it sort of familiar. The characters bring you along with them on their journey.

Patrick Fugit was fantastic in his role, as were all of the other actors. There were even a few surprise castings that had the audience roaring with laughter and cheering towards the end of the film.

This is truly a character-driven film of the type that you don't find much anymore. You won't regret any minute of it!

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

2 November 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wristcutters: A Love Story

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$42,808, 21 October 2007

Gross USA:

$446,165

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$454,026

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