Leaves of Grass (2009)

An Ivy League professor is lured back to his Oklahoma hometown, where his twin brother, a small-time pot grower, has concocted a scheme to take down a local drug lord.

Director:

Tim Blake Nelson

Writer:

Tim Blake Nelson

Stars:

Edward Norton, Keri Russell, Henry Max Nelson

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Edward Norton	...	Bill Kincaid / Brady Kincaid
Lucy DeVito	...	Anne Greenstein
Kent Jude Bernard	...	Philosophy Student
Amelia Campbell	...	Maggie Harmon
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Bolger
Randal Reeder	...	Shaver
Leo Fabian	...	Waddell
Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	Big Joe Sharpe
Tina Parker	...	Sharon
Susan Sarandon	...	Daisy
Ty Burrell	...	Professor Sorenson
Lee Wilkof	...	Professor Levy
Melanie Lynskey	...	Colleen
Josh Pais	...	Ken Feinman
Lisa Benavides-Nelson	...	Suzie Feinman

Storyline

The lives of a set of identical twins, one an Ivy League philosophy professor, the other a small-time and brilliant marijuana grower, intertwine when the professor is lured back to his Oklahoma hometown for a doomed scheme against a local drug lord.

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Plot Keywords:

stabbed in the stomach | menorah | synagogue | crossbow | twins | 

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Taglines:

Drugs, Murder, and Brotherly Love.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, pervasive language, and drug content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

17 September 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Escroc(s) en herbe

Filming Locations:

Plain Dealing, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$20,987, 19 September 2010, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$68,009, 10 October 2010

Company Credits

Production Co:

Millennium Films, Langley Films, Class 5 Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Brady's TVZ tattoo is a reference to musician Townes Van Zandt.

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Goofs

When Brady goes to sleep in the waterbed with the black light on he is fully dressed. When he wakes up, he's in a t-shirt and boxer shorts.

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Quotes

Janet: You still leaving tomorrow.
Bill Kincaid: I think so.
Janet: I'll miss you.
Bill Kincaid: And we barely know each other.
Janet: "You have not known what you are. You have slumbered upon yourself all your life. Your eyelids have been the same as closed most of the time. What you have done returns already in mockeries. The mockeries are not you. Underneath them, and within them, I see you lurk."
Bill Kincaid: [absorbing what she'd just quoted] Who was that?
Janet: Walt Whitman.
Bill Kincaid: I don't think I ever imagined hearing him recited to me by a girl gutting a 40 ...
[...]

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Connections

References The Merchant of Venice (2004)

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Soundtracks

Illegal Smile
Written by John Prine
Performed by John Prine
Published by Walden Music o/b/o itself and Sour Grapes (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Best Regional American Film Since Fargo?

I never saw this one coming... Set in contemporary Oklahoma, "Leaves of Grass" is a safe bet for finest film in Oklahoma history. Edward Norton delivers an outstanding performance, guided by a superb screenplay from director Tim Blake Nelson. Richard Dreyfuss and Keri Russell bolster a strong supporting cast. The script is noteworthy for its verisimilitude on a wild range of subjects from Socrates to hydroponic marijuana production. "Leaves of Grass" is a profoundly intelligent film made with genuine philosophical insight and laser sharp wit. If you go into this film expecting a stereotypical pot comedy, you're in for a shock. The pacing of the film is excellent, tightening the screws until you're on the edge of your seat. In fact, it's spectacularly tough to write a spoiler-free review of "Leaves of Grass". Ultimately, Norton and Nelson deliver a film that would make the Coen Brothers proud.