Guncrazy (1992)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Tamra Davis

Writer (WGA):

Matthew Bright (written by)

Release Date:

20 January 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Love made them crazy. Guns made them outlaws.

Plot:

A trashy teen murders her sexually abusive step-father, then helps get her reformed prison pen-pal released on good behavior so that she can re-corrupt him.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Prison | Letter | Rape | Gun

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Wed. July 15	3:10 PM	TMC
Sat. July 18	4:00 PM	TMC
Fri. July 24	3:00 PM	TMC

Cast

Drew Barrymore	...	Anita Minteer
Robert Greenberg	...	Mr. Sheets
Rodney Harvey	...	Tom
Jeremy Davies	...	Bill
Dan Eisenstein	...	Chuck
Joe Dallesandro	...	Rooney
Willow Tipton	...	School Girl
James LeGros	...	Howard
Ione Skye	...	Joy
James Oseland	...	Sally
Thomas E. Weyer	...	Guard
Billy Drago	...	Hank Fulton
Tom Smith-Alden	...	Parole Officer #1
James Wheaton	...	Parole Officer #2
Gerald Lynn Walker	...	Parole Officer #3

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:18 | Spain:18 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Zeta Entertainment

Trivia:

It was filmed in 23 days.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Clerks. (1994)

Soundtrack:

IF I GIVE MY HEART

Pen pal from Chino

We thought this film was a remake of the much better film noir of the same title, or as it's known in this forum, "Deadly is the Female", a 1949 Joseph Lewis' film with a screen play by MacKinlay Kantor. But no, this is another film altogether using the same title as the other one. As directed by Tamra Davis, with the screen treatment by Matthew Bright, this is a film that tries to deliver, but in the end, it's predictable, as we know the mistakes of the couple at the center of the story would work against them.

Anita Minteer seems to be a loner. We watch her in school, where she is not a popular girl in any shape, or form. Some of the pot heads from her school take her for a ride in which two end up having sex with her. Anita has been left to fend for herself by her absent mother, who has gone to Fresno to make some money and ultimately have Anita come live with her. Anita is being sexually abused by her mother's good for nothing boyfriend. The girl loves to learn how to use guns, and Rooney, who wants to keeps her, complies. A sad mistake! Her love for guns will ultimately be her downfall and that of the only person that really loved her.

At school, Anita, and her class, have been asked to find a pen pal, as part of a project. She finds one, but unfortunately, Howard, who writes to her, is in jail. Anita finds a kind garage owner, who is also the head of a weird congregation, to vouch for Howard, who is paroled and comes to work in the town. Howard, is a man who has had no luck, either with women, or in anything else. It's sort of inevitable Anita and Howard fall in love and are married by the minister. Fate is against this duo; in a series of events, Howard will go back to his old ways when forced to do so. We realize there's no way out for this doomed man, or for Anita.

The film doesn't disappoint thanks to the charismatic Drew Barrymore playing Anita. This is a girl too wise for her own good. James Legros, is as always, an interesting actor to watch. His take on Howard, is right. In supporting roles, Joe Dallesandro plays Anita mother's boyfriend, a creep that takes advantage of the situation. Michael Ironside is also seen as Howard's parole officer and Ione Skye plays his daughter, Anita's rebellious friend.

Tamra Davis directs with an eye for detail. This film will not disappoint to crime film fans.