Little Men (2016)

A new pair of best friends have their bond tested by their parents' battle over a dress shop lease.

Director:

Ira Sachs

Writers:

Mauricio Zacharias, Ira Sachs

Stars:

Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle, Paulina García

1 win & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Theo Taplitz	...	Jake Jardine
John Procaccino	...	Mr. Plummer
Ching Valdes-Aran	...	Pilar
Stan Carp	...	Sal Bartolini
Paulina García	...	Leonor Calvelli (as Paulina Garcia)
Talia Balsam	...	Audrey
Greg Kinnear	...	Brian Jardine
Jennifer Ehle	...	Kathy Jardine
Michael Barbieri	...	Tony Calvelli
Stella Schnabel	...	Nina
Yolonda Ross	...	Arkadina
Leah Gardiner	...	Director (as Leah C. Gardiner)
Maliq Johnson	...	Umar
Anthony A. Flamminio	...	Joey (as Anthony Angelo Flamminio)
Alfred Molina	...	Hernán

Storyline

Despite dissimilarities, two middle-school boys from one-child households (Jake and Tony) form a natural friendship when Jake moves with family into his recently deceased grandfather's Brooklyn apartment above the dress shop business of Tony's mother. Extrovert Tony plays soccer, desires to become an actor (like Jake's father) and is sociable, while introvert Jake likes to draw, build his portfolio and be somewhat reclusive. Their best friend status is challenged by Jake's parents inheriting ownership of the building where Tony's mother runs her dress business, asking for three times the rent she previously paid within the upscaling neighborhood. The boys retaliate with silence, but it will likely not be enough.

---

Plot Keywords:

best friend | father son relationship | gentrification | eviction | teenage boy with a ponytail | 

---

Taglines:

Be on each other's side.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic elements, smoking and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA Greece Brazil

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

4 May 2017 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

Thank You for Being Honest

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$30,368, 7 August 2016, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$702,191, 25 November 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

Race Point Films, Faliro House Productions, Charlie Guidance Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michael Barbieri was accepted at New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts after the film premiered.

---

Goofs

The film is supposed to be actual but Angola is a nation since November,11 1975, not a Portuguese Colony.

---

Quotes

Brian Jardine: You two ever think about anybody other than yourselves? Huh? Say something, Jake! SAY SOMETHING! One of the hardest things to realize when you're a child is that your parents are people, too. You understand that? They care about things, they make mistakes, and they try to do what they think is the right thing to do. Does any of what I'm saying make any sense to you?

---

Soundtracks

The City Never Sleeps
Written by Viva Ruiz and Gavin Russom
Performed by The Crystal Arc
Courtesy of DFA Records
By arrangement with Bank Robber Music

User Reviews

A severely underdeveloped wasted potential

Had this movie been more about the boys and less about the hard-to-like adults, it could have been something pure, fresh, exciting. Unfortunately, it turns out to be nothing but a constant skidding into the margins of a plot that never gets past the original idea.

Was this filmed with the sole purpose of indulging the viewer with a superbly shot, colorful urban reality? It gains ground there. Maybe we were supposed to pour out our emotional responses on account of Greg Kinnear's, admittedly very talented, ever-downcast writhing eyebrows? Because that would be another minor win for Little Men.

Alas, I don't think either of those points carry any sort of validity so, all in all, it all wraps up into a sad 'no'.