Life During Wartime (2009)

Friends, family, and lovers struggle to find love, forgiveness, and meaning in an almost war-torn world riddled with comedy and pathos.

Director:

Todd Solondz

Writer:

Todd Solondz

Stars:

Shirley Henderson, Allison Janney, Ally Sheedy

3 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shirley Henderson	...	Joy
Michael Kenneth Williams	...	Allen
Roslyn Ruff	...	Waitress
Allison Janney	...	Trish
Michael Lerner	...	Harvey
Dylan Riley Snyder	...	Timmy
Ciarán Hinds	...	Bill
Renée Taylor	...	Mona
Rebecca Chiles	...	Hostess
Paul Reubens	...	Andy
Emma Hinz	...	Chloe
Charlotte Rampling	...	Jacqueline
Ally Sheedy	...	Helen
Gaby Hoffmann	...	Wanda (as Gaby Hoffman)
Rich Pecci	...	Mark

Storyline

Separated from her incarcerated husband Bill (Hinds), Trish (Janney) is about to be married again. Bill is a pedophile, so Trish couldn't be more excited to have Harvey (Lerner), a "normal" father figure for her two sons. But when Bill is released from prison and the boys finally meet their future stepdad, the family is forced to decide whether to forgive or to forget. Trish's sister, the virginal, angelic Joy (Henderson), is also haunted by ghosts of lovers past. On leave from her degenerate husband, Allen (Williams), and her job at a New Jersey correctional facility, Joy unwittingly leaves behind a trail of shame and exposed secrets wherever she goes. In one of the film's most stylized sequences, the image of Joy walking the dark streets of Miami in her nightgown maintains her innocence against a backdrop of self-affliction and desire.

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Plot Keywords:

ex convict | kiss | reference to william s. burroughs' naked lunch | reference to che guevara | boy | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content, brief nudity, and language including some disturbing dialogue

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an interview with People magazine, Allison Janney said she and Michael Lerner were almost injured during the filming of their sex scene. "We had to have sex up against a wall and they started spraying us with glistening stuff to make us look sweaty, but no-one seemed to realise that we were standing on a marble floor. They said 'Action' and he pulled me up against the wall and his feet slipped out from under him and he went crashing down on the floor. It was terrible, but it was one of those moments I'll never forget."

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Goofs

The plane has no name or identifying number on its outside, as mandated by ICAO, the international aviation agency.

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Quotes

Trish: Are you seeing anyone?
Mark Wiener: No, I'm more focused on China. Everything else is history. It's just a question of time.

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Connections

References I'm Not There (2007)

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Soundtracks

Life During Wartime
Music by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by Todd Solondz
Performed by Devendra Banhart

User Reviews

A Dark....Dark Film.

Caught this film at the Toronto International Film Festival. Life During Wartime is a depressing and envelop pushing film that crosses boundaries, but never feels gross or shocking for the sake of it. For those familiar with Todd Solondz previous films Welcome To The Dollhouse and Happiness, you know what type of material is in his films. This one is no exception.

Telling the story of a dysfunctional family, we follow 3 separate stories. The father, who was just released from prison after some cruel and disgusting charges tries to find his son, to make sure he doesn't turn out like him. The son is in college, he has two siblings, a younger brother who is turning 13 and becoming a man with a bar mitzvah and a younger sister who is a karaoke singer. The wife/mother is looking for a new lover in her life and finds this other man who makes her, in her own words to her 12 year old son, wet. Finally the sister of the mother who mixes romance and her work. The problem is that death follows her wherever she goes and it has kind of driven her crazy.

Get all that? This is my first Todd Solondz film, but I know of his previous films and what they dealt with and I can say that Happiness is darker. Life During Wartime isn't with it's fair share of uncomfortable scenes. Specifically the son asking about his father and why he is in prison. The father is played by Ciarán Hinds, who has little dialogue, but the scenes in which he confronts his son is powerful and stands as the most memorable. Paul Reubens plays an interesting character who's only two scenes, but those two scenes are stand outs.

Everything about the film is awkward, straight from the beginning. There are moments that you laugh at, that make you feel dirty. Janey as the mother is comical and if you're a fan of Happiness look out for some recurring characters, just played by different actors.

The film is well shot and acted, it doesn't really drag, but it is slow. It's mostly scene after scene of conversations. It's not a laugh riot and there are no laugh out loud scenes. The comedy is dark and subtle at times. It's more dramatic and depressing than comedic. It feels short and the ending leaves a lot to be desired. It was abrupt and left a lot of questions unanswered.

It explores how well one can forgive someone and mirrors reality. It will divide the audience and fans of his earlier work will most likely be satisfied. I enjoyed it, but it's not a film I would want to see again. I give it credit for being a well done film and it's thought provoking in some scenes, as a whole the film is good. It just has a certain audience and you'll know if you're one of them or not.

Details

Official Sites:

Werc Werk Works

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 April 2010 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Untitled Todd Solondz Project

Filming Locations:

Puerto Rico

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$30,507, 25 July 2010

Gross USA:

$281,447

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$807,162

Company Credits

Production Co:

Werc Werk Works

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1