The Company You Keep (2012)

After a journalist discovers his identity, a former Weather Underground activist goes on the run.

Director:

Robert Redford

Writers:

Lem Dobbs (screenplay by), Neil Gordon (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Robert Redford, Brit Marling, Stanley Tucci

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Redford	...	Jim Grant / Nick Sloan
Shia LaBeouf	...	Ben Shepard
Julie Christie	...	Mimi Lurie
Susan Sarandon	...	Sharon Solarz
Nick Nolte	...	Donal Fitzgerald
Chris Cooper	...	Daniel Sloan
Terrence Howard	...	FBI Agent Cornelius
Stanley Tucci	...	Ray Fuller
Richard Jenkins	...	Jed Lewis
Anna Kendrick	...	Diana
Brendan Gleeson	...	Henry Osborne
Brit Marling	...	Rebecca Osborne
Sam Elliott	...	Mac Mcleod
Stephen Root	...	Billy Cusimano
Jackie Evancho	...	Isabel Grant (as Jacqueline Evancho)

Storyline

After years in hiding, ex-Weather Underground militant, Nick Sloan, a.k.a. Jim Grant, learns about his old compatriot's arrest for a bank robbery turned deadly in the 1970s, for which he is wanted as an accomplice. This puts the ambitious young local reporter, Ben Shepard, on the scent of a story that exposes Nick as well. As such, Nick goes on the run while taking his daughter to safety. With that accomplished, Nick stays one step ahead of the F.B.I. while pursuing a faint hope to clear his name. Meanwhile, Shepard digs deeper into the case as he discovers the true complexities of another times' determined ideals, even as Nick faces their consequences with another.

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Plot Keywords:

surveillance | 1st amendment | reference to the march on washington | new york city new york | harbor | 

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Taglines:

You can't escape the past

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shia LaBeouf and Susan Sarandon appeared in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010).

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Goofs

In an opening scene, Jim Grant and his daughter leave the house to get in the car, and Grant's car door is already open.

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Quotes

Sharon Solarz: You don't have kids, do you?
Ben Shepard: No. I... I barely have furniture.
Sharon Solarz: Well, if you do, you'll realize that they change you.

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Connections

Referenced in On Cinema: 'The Company You Keep' and 'Jurassic Park 3D' (2013)

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Soundtracks

Traitors Gate
Performed by Billy Nomates
Written by Tristan Lambeth and Bob Farrell

User Reviews

All-Star Cast in Good Thriller

The Company You Keep (2012)

*** (out of 4)

Robert Redford directs and all-star cast in this political thriller about the past coming back to haunt you. When a former Weather Underground member (Susan Sarandon) turns herself in for a murder committed thirty years earlier, a reporter (Shia LaBeouf) soon realizes that a local man (Redford) might have some connection. Soon this man goes on the run and it's up to the reporter to try and find out why and put all the pieces together. THE COMPANY YOU KEEP certainly has some flaws but for the most part I thought it was an extremely well-made thriller with some terrific performances. As with Redford's previous film THE CONSPIRATOR, this here certainly has some things to say about current politics but thankfully none of them come off as preaching. I thought the film's story was actually quite compelling but a lot of this was due to you enjoying the all-star cast. Redford turns in his best performances in ages as he has no problem slipping into this role as a man on the run. I thought he was very believable early on and as all the twists in the story come out the actor still manages to make us care for him and want to see him succeed. LaBeouf probably gives the weakest performances in the film but he's still quite good and comes across well as the young reporter. The supporting cast includes top acts like Sarandon, Nick Nolte, Sam Elliott, Richard Jenkins, Terrence Howard, Stanley Tucci, Anna Kendrick, Chris Cooper and Julie Christie. What's amazing is that this all-star cast just doesn't stick out like a sore thumb and all of them fit into their roles so we see characters and not famous actors. I think the one major flaw in the film deals with the FBI manhunt of Redford. I just think these scenes needed to have a lot more tension than they did. I liked the laid back nature of the picture and it's clear that the director wanted this to follow in the footsteps of pictures like ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and ABSENCE OF MALICE. This here doesn't quite reach their levels but it's still very much worth watching.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 April 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Company You Keep

Filming Locations:

Fort Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$131,718, 7 April 2013

Gross USA:

$5,133,027

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$20,014,680

Company Credits

Production Co:

Voltage Pictures, Wildwood Enterprises, Brightlight Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1