An American soldier struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer.An American soldier struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer.An American soldier struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer.
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 17 wins & 47 nominations total
Brian Adam DeJesus
- Teenager #1
- (as Brian DeJesus)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe scene where Will (Ben Foster) and Olivia (Samantha Morton) speak to each other in her kitchen is eight minutes long and was shot in one take. Co-writer and director Oren Moverman allowed actors and actresses to improvise in certain scenes.
- GoofsSeveral times throughout the movie, Captain Stone notifies next of kin of deceased soldiers without first getting positive confirmation that they are, in fact, the soldier's next of kin. Casualty Notification Officers are required to make sure that the person they are addressing is actually the next of kin before making notification. This is not a mistake that a professional like Captain Stone would make.
- Quotes
Captain Tony Stone: [walking to deliver the news to a wife that her husband has died] It could be worse. It could be Christmas.
- Alternate versionsThere are two versions available. Runtimes are "1h 53m (113 min)" and "1h 45m (105 min) (Berlin International) (Germany)".
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Zombieland/A Serious Man/Whip It (2009)
- SoundtracksPut Your Hands Up
Performed by Plive (as P-Live)
Written by Christian Salyer, Isaiah Perkins
Published by Engine Co. 30/4tian Music/Engine Co. 35/4tian2 Music
Courtesy of 5 Alarm Music
Featured review
The Messenger has incredible acting by Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, and Samantha Morton.
The film has a curious flow to it. It begins predictable, yet remains engaging, exposing a heart-breaking consequence of war no family wants to face. Although the news remains the same, emotions run just as deep at each door. Every scene is handled marvelously through subtle performances by the actors. As the film unfolds, the viewer sinks into the complex characters on screen, discomforted by the internal struggles that slowly surface.
The Messenger is a non-linear, character-driven film with exceptional performances but might not be for everyone.
The film has a curious flow to it. It begins predictable, yet remains engaging, exposing a heart-breaking consequence of war no family wants to face. Although the news remains the same, emotions run just as deep at each door. Every scene is handled marvelously through subtle performances by the actors. As the film unfolds, the viewer sinks into the complex characters on screen, discomforted by the internal struggles that slowly surface.
The Messenger is a non-linear, character-driven film with exceptional performances but might not be for everyone.
- Lepidopterous_
- Jan 5, 2010
- Permalink
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $6,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $1,109,660
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $44,523
- Nov 15, 2009
- Gross worldwide
- $1,595,417
- Runtime1 hour 53 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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