Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011)

Railroad executive Dagny Taggart and steel mogul Henry Rearden form an alliance to fight the increasingly authoritarian government of the United States.

Director:

Paul Johansson

Writers:

Brian Patrick O'Toole (screenplay by), John Aglialoro (screenplay by)

Stars:

Taylor Schilling, Grant Bowler, Matthew Marsden

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Taylor Schilling	...	Dagny Taggart
Grant Bowler	...	Henry 'Hank' Rearden
Matthew Marsden	...	James Taggart
Edi Gathegi	...	Eddie Willers
Jsu Garcia	...	Francisco D'Anconia
Graham Beckel	...	Ellis Wyatt
Jon Polito	...	Orren Boyle
Patrick Fischler	...	Paul Larkin
Rebecca Wisocky	...	Lillian Rearden
Michael Lerner	...	Wesley Mouch
Neill Barry	...	Phillip Rearden
Christina Pickles	...	Mother Rearden
Paul Johansson	...	John Galt
Joel McKinnon Miller	...	Herbert Mowen
Steven Chester Prince	...	Engineer

Storyline

It was great to be alive, once, but the world was perishing. Factories were shutting down, transportation was grinding to a halt, granaries were empty--and key people who had once kept it running were disappearing all over the country. As the lights winked out and the cities went cold, nothing was left to anyone but misery. No one knew how to stop it, no one understood why it was happening - except one woman, the operating executive of a once mighty transcontinental railroad, who suspects the answer may rest with a remarkable invention and the man who created it - a man who once said he would stop the motor of the world. Everything now depends on finding him and discovering the answer to the question on the lips of everyone as they whisper it in fear: Who *is* John Galt?

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Plot Keywords:

life support | static electricity | low budget film | egoism | self made man | 

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Taglines:

Who is John Galt?

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Variety, The Godfather (1972) producer Albert S. Ruddy spent years trying to bring the novel to the big screen, attracting the interest of Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway along the way.

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Goofs

The change of seasons in the Colorado scenes clearly do not match the dates shown in the film. The aspen trees are always shown at the beginning of their seasonal change, which happens in late September and into October. It would not be seen at other times.

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Quotes

Henry Rearden: What exactly is your motive here?
Francisco D'Anconia: Let us say, to give you the words you need for the time when you'll need them.

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Connections

Referenced in Ayn Rand & the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged (2011)

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Soundtracks

Appetizer for String Quartet
Written by Steve Weisberg (Stove Proeber Music-BMI)
Performed by The Atlas String Quartet
Produced by Lee Curreri and Steve Weisberg

User Reviews

Making it about Haves & Have-nots is too simple-minded

When other reviewers write that many people rate this movie low because they disagree with Ayn Rand's philosophy and values, they fail to realize that her characters - this movie's characters - are unsympathetic and almost across the board unlikable.

The Screenplay and its character development, with the necessary creation of drama on which the story hinges, is the foundation of any film. This production failed from the start.

I won't even go into the extreme mess they made of the politics behind the corporate machinations depicted here, except to say that this story was like Wall Street's answer to its fraudulent actions that caused the long-term collapse of our country's economy and the immediate collapse of the whole world's. Who can sympathize with those whose only goal is undying greed?

In the end, who can or will identify or empathize with the characters here who show active disregard and even distaste for other human beings, like the ones buying the movie ticket?

One positive is the two lead actors, with huge props to Taylor Schilling; however, both characters are still too chilly and distant to warrant carrying about them. They are characters from the mind of Ayn Rand, and she was well-known for being fairly strange and certainly not warm. So, it is what it is.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

German English

Release Date:

15 April 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Atlas Shrugged: Part I

Filming Locations:

Piru Mansion - 829 & 837 Park Road, Piru, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,677,000, 17 April 2011

Gross USA:

$4,627,375

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,627,375

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atlas Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1