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    The Cold Lands

    • 20132013
    • UnratedUnrated
    • 1h 40min
    IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    486
    YOUR RATING
    • Cast & crew
    • User reviews
    • IMDbPro
    The Cold Lands (2013)
    When his self-reliant mother dies unexpectedly, Atticus flees deep into the forests surrounding his Catskills home. Wandering the woods in shock, relying on what meager food and shelter he comes across, Atticus' grasp on reality begins to fray. His nerves worn thin, Atticus latches on when he encounters Carter, a scruffy, pot smoking drifter, who lives out of his car and sells handmade necklaces on the festival circuit. A wary alliance forms, with each dependent on the other, but neither sure he is making the right decision.
    Play trailer2:22
    1 Video
    15 Photos
    Drama

    When his self-reliant mother dies unexpectedly, Atticus flees deep into the forests surrounding his Catskills home. Wandering the woods in shock, relying on what meager food and shelter he c... Read allWhen his self-reliant mother dies unexpectedly, Atticus flees deep into the forests surrounding his Catskills home. Wandering the woods in shock, relying on what meager food and shelter he comes across, Atticus' grasp on reality begins to fray. His nerves worn thin, Atticus latch... Read allWhen his self-reliant mother dies unexpectedly, Atticus flees deep into the forests surrounding his Catskills home. Wandering the woods in shock, relying on what meager food and shelter he comes across, Atticus' grasp on reality begins to fray. His nerves worn thin, Atticus latches on when he encounters Carter, a scruffy, pot smoking drifter, who lives out of his car ... Read all

    IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    486
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Tom Gilroy
    • Writer
      • Tom Gilroy(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Lili Taylor
      • Silas Yelich
      • Maggie Low
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Tom Gilroy
    • Writer
      • Tom Gilroy(screenplay)
    • Stars
      • Lili Taylor
      • Silas Yelich
      • Maggie Low
    • See more at IMDbPro
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 4User reviews
    • 12Critic reviews
    • 66Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Theatrical Trailer
    Trailer 2:22
    Theatrical Trailer

    Photos15

    Peter Scanavino and Silas Yelich in The Cold Lands (2013)
    Peter Scanavino and Silas Yelich in The Cold Lands (2013)
    Peter Scanavino and Silas Yelich in The Cold Lands (2013)
    Lili Taylor and Silas Yelich in The Cold Lands (2013)
    Silas Yelich in The Cold Lands (2013)
    Peter Scanavino in The Cold Lands (2013)
    Lili Taylor and Silas Yelich in The Cold Lands (2013)
    Silas Yelich in The Cold Lands (2013)
    The Cold Lands (2013)
    Peter Scanavino and Silas Yelich in The Cold Lands (2013)
    Silas Yelich in The Cold Lands (2013)
    Lili Taylor in The Cold Lands (2013)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Lili Taylor
    Lili Taylor
    • Nicoleas Nicole
    Silas Yelich
    Silas Yelich
    • Atticus Garfieldas Atticus Garfield
    Maggie Low
    Maggie Low
    • Maggieas Maggie
    Deb Monteith
    • EMTas EMT
    Barry Kuhar
    • Hunter #1as Hunter #1
    Tim Quinn
    • Hunter #2as Hunter #2
    Liam Fitzgerald
    • Hunter #3as Hunter #3
    Andrew Van Dusen
    • Man with Gunas Man with Gun
    Peter Scanavino
    Peter Scanavino
    • Carteras Carter
    Peter Rufa
    • Grillmanas Grillman
    Nick Sandow
    Nick Sandow
    • Foremanas Foreman
    Jonathan Gatt
    • Cashieras Cashier
    Trace Henderson
    Trace Henderson
    • Addisonas Addison
    John Ventimiglia
    John Ventimiglia
    • Jacksonas Jackson
    Sean Crespo
    Sean Crespo
    • Copas Cop
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Tom Gilroy
    • Writer
      • Tom Gilroy(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    See production, box office, & company info

    Storyline

    Edit
    When his self-reliant mother dies unexpectedly, Atticus flees deep into the forests surrounding his Catskills home. Wandering the woods in shock, relying on what meager food and shelter he comes across, Atticus' grasp on reality begins to fray. His nerves worn thin, Atticus latches on when he encounters Carter, a scruffy, pot smoking drifter, who lives out of his car and sells handmade necklaces on the festival circuit. A wary alliance forms, with each dependent on the other, but neither sure he is making the right decision. —Production
    woodsmother son relationshipcatskill mountainsdeath of motherrunaway201 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • Unrated
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Connections
      References Heathers (1988)

    User reviews4

    Review
    Top review
    5/10
    Hear the trombone
    Greetings again from the darkness. A favorite at some film festivals, this little film starts off very strong and captures our attention with the odd, yet fascinating dynamic between mother (Lili Taylor) and adolescent son Atticus (newcomer Silas Yelich). She spends much of her day committed to making sure her son learns to be self-sufficient. Their borderline off-the-grid minimalistic lifestyle has her also teaching him history and music. This is definitely not Hanna, where the parent teaches the kid to be an assassin.

    Teasing a theme of The State vs The Individual, the story suffers once untreated diabetes removes mom from the picture, leaving Atticus to fend for himself. Having Atticus meander aimlessly through the forest makes sense given his background, but the story loses all focus at this point. Unfortunately it doesn't really regain traction when Atticus latches on to the free-spirited hippie Carter (Peter Scanavino). Carter becomes a quasi-father figure and big brother, but his endless stream of screw-ups can't be offset by his hand-crafted jewelry. He attempts to sell the goods at hippie festivals seemingly designed for pot smoking and skinny dipping.

    With this beautifully photographed film, writer/director Tom Gilroy could have used a bit more attention to the script. The mother-son story easily could have lingered longer, and the Carter-Atticus story needed a bit more direction - more than just making the point that Carter has mostly good intentions. Young Silas Yelich looks really good on screen, but is given little to do, so we aren't sure what to expect with his future work.

    With some elements of Mud and Running on Empty, the look and feel of the movie gets us set up for a nice indie treat. Unfortunately, the script lets us down in the second half.
    helpful•14
    14
    • ferguson-6
    • Jun 3, 2014

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 14, 2014 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Rensselaerville, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Cinereach
      • Journeyman Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 40min
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Film Presence Co-Founders Sara Kiener and Merrill Sterritt Set to Join Cinereach
    Film Presence Co-Founders Sara Kiener and Merrill Sterritt Set to Join Cinereach
    Nov 17Indiewire
    Exclusive: Sf Film Society Awards Month-Long Artist Residency Award
    Exclusive: Sf Film Society Awards Month-Long Artist Residency Award
    Jul 28Thompson on Hollywood

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