At Close Range (1986)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

James Foley

Writers:

Elliott Lewitt (story) and
Nicholas Kazan (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 April 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

Like father. Like son. Like hell.

Plot:

A boy and his friends seek to join a mid-atlantic gang led by the boy's estranged father, unaware that...

Plot Keywords:

1970s | Murder | Small Town | Gay Slur | Father Son Relationship

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Sean Penn	...	Brad Whitewood Jr.
Christopher Walken	...	Brad Whitewood Sr.
Mary Stuart Masterson	...	Terry
Chris Penn	...	Tommy Whitewood (as Christopher Penn)
Millie Perkins	...	Julie
Eileen Ryan	...	Grandma
Tracey Walter	...	Uncle Patch Whitewood
R.D. Call	...	Dickie
David Strathairn	...	Tony Pine
J.C. Quinn	...	Boyd
Candy Clark	...	Mary Sue
Jake Dengel	...	Lester
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Tim
Stephen Geoffreys	...	Aggie
Crispin Glover	...	Lucas
Noelle Parker	...	Jill
Alan Autry	...	Ernie
Paul Herman	...	Salesman
Gary Gober	...	D.A
Marshall Fallwell Jr.	...	Bartender
Doug Anderson	...	Marshall
Nancy Sherburne	...	Waitress
Terry Baker	...	Customer
Michael Edwards	...	Car Salesman #1
Myke R. Mueller	...	Car Salesman #2
Bob McDivitt	...	Farmer with Shotgun
Bonita Hall	...	Buxom Woman
Terri Coulter	...	Barroom Dancer
Anna Levine	...	Barroom Dancer
Janie Draper	...	Stripper
Charles 'Tatoo' Jensen	...	Older Guy
E.R. Davies	...	Detective Mosker
James Foley	...	Assistant D.A

Directed by
James Foley

Writing credits
Elliott Lewitt		(story) and
Nicholas Kazan		(story)
Nicholas Kazan		(screenplay)

Produced by
John Daly	....	executive producer
Derek Gibson	....	executive producer
Don Guest	....	producer
Elliott Lewitt	....	producer

Cinematography by
Juan Ruiz Anchía

Film Editing by
Howard E. Smith		(as Howard Smith)

Casting by
Risa Bramon Garcia		(as Risa Bramon)
Billy Hopkins

Production Design by
Peter Jamison

Set Decoration by
R. Chris Westlund

Costume Design by
Hilary Rosenfeld

Makeup Department
Leslie Ann Anderson	....	hair stylist
Richard Arrington	....	makeup artist
Mary Beth Felts	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Don Guest	....	unit production manager
Paul McKenna	....	production manager (as Paul McKenna Jr.)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Capra III	....	second assistant director
Ric Kidney	....	first assistant director (as Richard J. Kidney)
Margaret Krueger	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Tommy Allen	....	property master (as Tom Allen)
Randy Bennett	....	swing gang
Jem Cohen	....	assistant property master
Pebble Daniel	....	lead person
Billy Jett	....	swing gang
Mark Ragland	....	set designer
Chuck Roseberry	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
David Brownlow	....	sound recordist
Gail Clark Burch	....	adr editor (as Gail Clark)
Ron Clark	....	supervising sound editor
David J. Hudson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mel Metcalfe	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jack M. Nietzsche Jr.	....	boom operator (as Jack Nietzsche Jr.)
Terry Porter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Ruff	....	post-production sound mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Adams Calvert	....	special effects
Burt Dalton	....	special effects coordinator
Mike Weesner	....	special effects assistant

Stunts
Paul McKenna	....	stunts (as Paul McKenna Jr.)
Fred T. McLaughlin	....	stunts
Chuck Waters	....	stunt coordinator
Chuck Waters	....	stunts
Chris Nielsen	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Anderson	....	grip
Clint Argo	....	assistant electrician
Bernard Auroux	....	first assistant camera
Robert Bruce	....	electrician
Stefan Czapsky	....	gaffer
J. Edgar	....	best boy grip
Morris Flam	....	best boy electric
Jim Harrington	....	grip
John R. Hernandez	....	key grip
Steve Lubbe	....	dolly grip (as Stephen Lubbe)
Mark Emery Moore	....	electrician (as Mark E. Moore)
Michael Papadapolous	....	electrician (as Michael Papadopoulos)
Vance Piper	....	second assistant camera
Joyce Rudolph	....	still photographer
Don Simandl	....	grip
Randy Whiteland	....	electrician
Jeff Wolf	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Jim Cody Harrington	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Danielle Eskinazi	....	casting assistant: Los Angeles
Darilyn Stringer	....	casting: Tennessee

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gayle M. Kennedy	....	wardrobe assistant
Eileen Sieff Stroup	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Eileen Mae Sieff)
Cynthia Turnbull	....	costume design consultant

Editorial Department
Donn Aron	....	assistant editor (as Donn Aaron)
Jo Barnett	....	post-production coordinator
Bob Hagans	....	color timer
Vivian Hengsteler	....	negative cutter
Steven Shainberg	....	apprentice editor

Music Department
Budd Carr	....	music supervisor
Ken Johnson	....	music editor
Michael Mason	....	music recording engineer
Robby Weaver	....	music recording engineer
Daniel J. Johnson	....	co-music editor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
David Dodson	....	transportation co-captain
Jack Hager	....	driver
Larry M. Jackson	....	driver
Jack Lawrence	....	driver
Bill Myers	....	transportation coordinator
Jackie Newell	....	driver
James Newell	....	driver
Chris Nielsen	....	driver
John Christian Nielsen	....	driver
Daniel Quick	....	driver
Randall Quick	....	driver
Charles Renfroe	....	transportation captain
Chris Summerell	....	driver
Fred Timmons	....	driver
Anthony Werthan	....	driver

Other crew
Frans J. Afman	....	motion picture banking (as Frans Afman)
Jo Barnett	....	production accountant
Ron Bledsoe	....	wrangler
John Collier Bennett	....	production assistant
John Collier Bennett	....	production assistant: Los Angeles (as J.C. Bennett)
Dell Fagen	....	assistant accountant (as Dell Fagan)
Gary Forkum	....	dog handler
Eva Giera	....	production assistant: Los Angeles
Marianne Graham	....	first aid
Alan Grodin	....	legal services
Katherine Haber	....	production coordinator (as Katy Haber)
Lita Harvey	....	assistant location manager
Graham Henderson	....	production executive
Michael Hodgson	....	consultant: graphics
Carla Holland	....	caterer
Robert Jellen	....	insurance (as Bob Jellen)
Shane Kerwin	....	double: Mr. Penn
Shane Kerwin	....	stand-in: Mr. Penn
Kurt Klaus	....	production assistant
Tony Kunewalder	....	production assistant
Ray Kybartas	....	physical development trainer: Mr. Penn
Jack Lawrence	....	wrangler
Jonathan Locke	....	assistant craft service
Paul McKenna	....	production assistant (as Paul McKenna Jr.)
Kerry Lyn McKissick	....	script supervisor
Katherine Ann Moore	....	unit publicist (as Katherine A. Moore)
Martha Moore	....	production secretary
Sandy Myers	....	dispatcher
Joan Neal	....	location manager
Meeghan Ochs	....	assistant: Mr. Penn (as Meegan Ochs)
Warren Oliver	....	craft service
Bridget Oram	....	assistant: Mr. Foley
June Petersen	....	production associate
Pliny Porter	....	production assistant
Trudy Salven	....	travel arrangements
Kate Sanford	....	production assistant (as Katherine Sanford)
Lech Slocinski	....	production assistant
Danny Wonnacott	....	caterer
Joseph Wonnacott	....	caterer
Kate Sanford	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Hemdale Film

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1987) (France) (theatrical)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Vestron Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• 1st International  travel arrangements
• Albert G. Ruben and Company  insurance
• Bertus Productions  music recording
• Cooper, Epstein & Hurewitz  legal services
• Credit Lyonnais Bank (Nederland) N.V.  motion picture banking
• Film Finance  completion guarantee
• Glen Glenn Sound  re-recording facilities
• Glen Glenn Sound  sound re-recording
• K!SSPROOF Entertainment  cast appearance booking
• Otto Nemenz International  camera equipment provided by
• PS-A Atlanta  production equipment
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Rock Solid Security of Nashville  security
• Sound FX  sound editing
• TST International  travel arrangements
• Unique Catering  catering

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #27933) | Australia:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Franklin, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Hemdale Film

Trivia:

Screenwriter Nicholas Kazan originally wrote in the script a scene in which after Brad Sr. and Brad Jr. "do laundry", Brad Sr. takes little Brad to a whorehouse. The scene was not filmed due to "reasons beyond his control".

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: After Brad Jr. fires off several rounds around his father, he shoves the end of the handgun's barrel right into his father's face. The heat from the rounds that were just fired seconds before should have been enough to burn his father's face, yet Brad Sr. doesn't flinch, and when Brad. Jr. pulls the gun back from his father's face, there is no evidence of a burn.

Quotes:

Brad Whitewood Sr.: How old are you anyway?
Brad Whitewood Jr.: Old enough.
Brad Whitewood Sr.: Damn!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Dialogue: An Interview with Screenwriter Nick Kazan (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

BOOGIE OOGIE OOGIE

Gritty, dark, exceptionally vivid drama

Sean Penn, who has now effectively established himself behind the camera as a fine director as well, once expressed that he didn't care that much for acting. When one reflects on the more brilliant achievements he's made in his career, and can contemplate how physically and emotionally exhausting his best and most difficult roles have been, it's not a statement that comes across as being that unusual. And nowhere can the toll a role can take on an actor be felt more keenly, than in AT CLOSE RANGE, with his portrayal of ne'er-do-well, small town knockabout Brad Whitewood, Jr.

The chilling poignancy of the film and the events it portrays are even more stunning (and depressing) when it is revealed that everything is based on true events.

The direction, photography, editing, scoring and most of all the acting work wonders to convey the ennervating malaise of small-town life in middle America, and how it can affect and motivate people to act or react in ways that propel them into situations that people in more metropolitan areas may smugly observe that they would never find themselves in.

Brad Whitewood Jr. (Penn) and his little brother, Tommy (Chris Penn in an amazing early performance) don't have that luxury. Caught in the inescapable pull of the dying farming community in which they live, like lost stars drifting near the event horizon of a black hole, they have nothing better to do than cruise the main square, get drunk, get high and get into trouble.

The one bright spot in their ocean of darkness is their frequently absentee dad, Brad Whitewood, Sr. (Christopher Walken at his best and most frightening). Suave, cocksure and charismatic, Brad Sr. represents a world of fascinating danger and adventure that has his boys enthralled. Brad Sr. runs a black market ring that deals in stolen equipment parts, amongst various other unlawful and unsavory activities, and as it is revealed early on, when it comes to protecting his bottom line, Brad Sr.'s vicious wrath recognizes no allegiance to loyalty or kin.

To prove themselves worthy of their dad's attentions, Brad, Tommy and their friends (which include future stars John Laughlin, Kiefer Sutherland and Stephen "Fright Night" Geoffreys), decide to start their own gang, with disastrous results. The federal authorities, who have been after Brad Sr. for a long time, decide to use the boys as leverage to nab him, and subpoena them as State witnesses against him. But even they underestimate his capacity for evil, as he demonstrates in one of the film's most graphically shocking setpieces.

Only an actor worth his mettle can hold a scene with Christopher Walken, let alone take it away from him, and Penn proves to be more than worthy of the challenge. You will find both actors doing some of their best, most gut-wrenching work here. A fun time at the movies this is not, but in terms of acting ability, the efforts on display here are damn near flawless, and should have been recognized at Oscar time.

Also commendable are subtle turns by Millie Perkins as the boys' mom, who is adamantly against the idea of having her hooligan estranged husband influencing her boys, yet isn't beneath accepting his guilt money every now and then, and Mary Stuart Masterson, who shines like a beacon as Brad Jr.'s inspiration to dream of a better life, even with a menacing threat to her own from his father, whom she defies, with tragic results.

James Foley's tight direction, the atmospheric and almost surreal lighting and shadows captured masterfully by DP Juan Ruiz Anchia, Nicholas Kazan's sure-handed screenplay, Patrick Leonard's haunting score (the basis for Madonna's hit "Live To Tell"), and as mentioned before, the superb acting, make for an experience that you may not enjoy, but it will most certainly stay with you for a very long time...