Gummo (1997)

Director:

Harmony Korine

Writer:

Harmony Korine (written by)

Release Date:

17 October 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Prepare to visit a town you'd never want to call home.

Plot:

Lonely residents of a tornado-stricken Ohio town wander the deserted landscape trying to fulfill their boring, nihilistic lives.

Plot Keywords:

Arm Wrestling | Nonlinear Timeline | Teenager Nudity | Topless | Bowling Alley

Awards:

4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Jacob Reynolds	...	Solomon
Nick Sutton	...	Tummler
Lara Tosh	...	Girl in Car
Jacob Sewell	...	Bunny Boy
Darby Dougherty	...	Darby
Chloë Sevigny	...	Dot
Carisa Glucksman	...	Helen
Jason Guzak	...	Skinhead #1
Casey Guzak	...	Skinhead #2
Wendall Carr	...	Huntz
James Lawhorn	...	Cowboy #1
James Glass	...	Cowboy #2
Ellen M. Smith	...	Ellen
Charles Matthew Coatney	...	Eddie
Harmony Korine	...	Boy on Couch

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive depiction of anti-social behavior of juveniles,including violence, substance abuse,sexuality and language.

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:16+ (Québec) | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Canada:18A (Alberta) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R18 | Canada:R (Manitoba) | Australia:R | France:-16 | Japan:PG-12 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | USA:R (edited for re-rating)

Filming Locations:

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Company:

Fine Line Features

Trivia:

Out of 40 speaking parts in this film, only five were played by experienced actors.

Goofs:

Continuity: The kid sitting next to Jared Wiggley's arm and head change positions between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Solomon: [voiceover] Xenia, Ohio. Xenia, Ohio. A few years ago, a tornado hit this place. It killed the people, left and right. Dogs died. Cats died. Houses were split open, and you could see necklaces hanging from branches of trees. People's legs and neck bones were sticking out...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Halloween Night (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Like A Prayer

Disturbing but strangely warm

Extremely disturbing film, kind of like a documentary without any narrative. Takes place in the town of Xenia, Ohio in the aftermath of a tornado. The characters are all extremely bizarre, which makes the viewer wonder how realistic things are. The settings, including messy houses and barren streets, are profoundly depressing. Still, there is a sensitivity behind the darkness that lends the film a strangely warm feeling. As well, one feels for the "main characters" (though these characters don't inhabit the film in a traditional sense) despite their misguided acts. Worth seeing for open-minded, patient audiences who don't mind abstract plots and off-topic segues.