City Island (2009)

The Rizzos, a family who doesn't share their habits, aspirations, and careers with one another, find their delicate web of lies disturbed by the arrival of a young ex-con (Strait) brought ... See full summary »

Director:

Raymond De Felitta

Writer:

Raymond De Felitta

Stars:

Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Steven Strait

3 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Andy Garcia	...	Vince Rizzo
Julianna Margulies	...	Joyce Rizzo
Steven Strait	...	Tony
Emily Mortimer	...	Molly
Ezra Miller	...	Vince Jr.
Dominik García-Lorido	...	Vivian Rizzo
Carrie Baker Reynolds	...	Denise
Hope Glendon-Ross	...	Cheryl
Alan Arkin	...	Michael Malakov
Louis Mustillo	...	Bruno
Jee Young Han	...	Casting Assistant
Sarah Saltzberg	...	Casting Director
Curtiss Cook	...	Matt Cruniff
Sharon Angela	...	Tanya
Marianne Ebert	...	Ezmalia (as Marianni Ebert)

Storyline

The Rizzos, a family who doesn't share their habits, aspirations, and careers with one another, find their delicate web of lies disturbed by the arrival of a young ex-con (Strait) brought home by Vince (Garcia), the patriarch of the family, who is a corrections officer in real life, and a hopeful actor in private.

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Plot Keywords:

peeping tom | subjective camera | lie | aspiring actor | teenage boy | 

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Taglines:

Truth is stranger than family

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, smoking and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 April 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Asuntos de familia

Filming Locations:

City Island, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$32,001, 21 March 2010, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$6,670,712, 29 August 2010

Company Credits

Production Co:

CineSon Entertainment, Medici Entertainment, Lucky Monkey Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

It's interesting to find out that the exteriors, including the final climactic scene, of this movie were actually filmed on City Island, Bronx. If you look up City Island on Google Maps and zoom in to 1 Horton Street on "street view" you'll see the house that served as the exterior shots in the movie. Though the house across the street where the "Botero" lady lives is completely different.

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Goofs

The 'D' on the front of the Ford is missing before the accident; then is there after the accident; then it is missing again.

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Quotes

Tony: Can I ask you, like, why I'm chained to a Ford?
Vince Rizzo: I'm gonna unchain you, Tony, but first I gotta tell you something. You see this house here? That's my home. My grandfather built this home and I share it with my family.
Tony: Oh, you got them chained up in the house too?
Vince Rizzo: You're gonna get real nice food and a real nice place to live for the first time in 3 years, so you better behave yourself.
Tony: And all this because you knew my bitch mother?
Vince Rizzo: Well, I gotta admit, you know, Nan could be difficult sometimes....
[...]

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: Video Guide 2010 (2010)

User Reviews

Name a better film for the first quarter of 2010

Plotted somewhat like a farce but as emotionally resonate as the best comedy-dramas, City Island is most aptly described, simply and literally, as wonderful. The cast is unfailingly strong with producer Andy Garcia giving himself the meatiest role – to great effect. A few too many "dems" and "dose" may lace his New York accent but he is funny, sincere, frustrated and perseverant in a wide panoply of scenes with actors who have either been TV-type cast (Juliana Margulies), indie-film type cast (Emily Mortimer) or not yet had a real chance to really strut their stuff (Steven Straight, Dominik Garcia-Lorido, and a promising Ezra Miller). Alan Arkin pops in with his usual world-weary Weltanshauung but it plays wonderfully here.

Still, you can see good acting in a number of films (though not an ensemble as strong as this). What separates City Island from the comedy-drama mainland is a story that is both fantastical and yet credible. The premise of what befalls this particular prison guard is a little over-the-top, as are the nonstop (funny) family feuds, but it all feels real. The story detours into little tide pools of drama for each character and here, too, every subplot provides laughs – and it all comes together in a tsunami of comedy at the end, true to its farcical roots. But there's a surprisingly strong current of emotion too in a finale that argues secrets are probably best revealed when you feel least safe in doing so.

The best film I've seen to date this year.