One False Move (1992)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Carl Franklin

Writers (WGA):

Billy Bob Thornton (written by) &
Tom Epperson (written by)

Release Date:

8 May 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

All it takes to bring him down is one bullet... one woman or... One False Move.

Plot:

With the assistance of two Los Angeles Police Department detectives, Star City, Arkansas Police Chief...

Plot Keywords:

Arkansas | Small Town | Police | Drugs | Road

Awards:

6 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Bill Paxton	...	Dale 'Hurricane' Dixon
Cynda Williams	...	Fantasia - Lila
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Ray Malcolm
Michael Beach	...	Pluto
Jim Metzler	...	Dud Cole
Earl Billings	...	McFeely
Natalie Canerday	...	Cheryl Ann
Robert Ginnaven	...	Charlie
Robert Anthony Bell	...	Byron
Kevin Hunter	...	Ronnie
Phyllis Kirklin	...	Mrs. Walker
Meredith 'Jeta' Donovan	...	Bonnie
Jimmy Bridges	...	Bobby (as James D. Bridges)
Phyllis Sutton	...	Jackie
Derrick Williams	...	Darren

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:R | Australia:MA (Cable TV rating) | Germany:16 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Canada:R

Filming Locations:

Cotton Plant, Arkansas, USA

Company:

IRS Media

Trivia:

An image of a man shooting a cop was removed from the film's UK poster in the wake of a backlash against screen violence. The film itself was uncut by the British Board of Film Classification.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Fantasia is shot in the head, the "bullet hole" can be seen a fraction of a second before the shot is heard.

Quotes:

Cheryl Ann: He don't know no better, he watches television. I read non-fiction.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: One False Movie (#3.11)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Don't Walk Away from Love

Still on my mind

I watched this film in 1991 and I still think about it frequently. It has become a standard to compare other films. The violence at the beginning made me uncomfortable, and I almost turned it off. I am glad that I didn't, because I would have missed one of the best films of the decade. The movie's pace and tone are perfectly natural - not artificial in any way. I like the scene in the diner best. The two LA cops are joking with each other about the backward local sheriff (Paxton), and they didn't know he was standing there. The awkwardness of the moment encapsulated the film.

I think One False Move, Fargo, and The Sweet Herafter are a great trilogy of movie making at its best. All set in small - real towns with real people.