Synopsis
A withdrawn young man, Leland Fitzgerald is imprisoned for the murder of a mentally disabled boy, who also happened to be the brother of his girlfriend, Becky. As the community struggles to deal with the killing, Pearl Madison, a teacher at the prison, decides to write about Leland's case. Meanwhile, others affected by the murder, including Becky and her sister, Julie, must contend with their own problems.
Votre Filmothèque
Cast
- Don CheadlePearl Madison
- Ryan GoslingLeland P. Fitzgerald
- Chris KleinAllen Harris
- Kevin SpaceyAlbert T. Fitzgerald
- Jena MaloneBecky Pollard
- Lena OlinMarybeth Fitzgerald
- Michelle WilliamsJulie Pollard
- Martin DonovanHarry Pollard
- Ann MagnusonKaren Pollard
- Kerry WashingtonAyesha
Recommandations
- 80
Film Threat
Thoroughly entertaining and will possibly get you thinking about certain choices you've made in your life. - 80
Washington Post
A compelling, exquisitely acted drama about the shock waves emanating from -- and toward -- a single act of almost inexplicable violence. - 60
The Hollywood Reporter
A complex and often compelling melodrama, at times almost verging on soap opera. - 50
L.A. Weekly
Only Chris Klein, as the lovesick live-in boyfriend of Becky's sister, is given anything like an active emotional arc to play, and he runs with it so beautifully that he steals the movie. - 40
Variety
Hoge shows no particular directorial style, bringing a bland, anonymous look to the generic Southern California suburban locations. - 40
The A.V. Club
Hoge, who scripted and directed The United States Of Leland, caters to his cast too much. He gives almost every character a way-too-involved subplot, which distracts from the heart of his story. - 40
Los Angeles Times
An ambitious and intelligent film probing that chronic contemporary phenomenon, the seemingly senseless crime, but it is ultimately unsatisfying for all its efforts and various pluses. - 30
Village Voice
The movie's idiotic fascination with the senselessness of its central act is scarily close to a fetish.
