Things Behind the Sun (2001)

Director:

Allison Anders

Writers (WGA):

Allison Anders (written by) &
Kurt Voss (written by)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Raped of her innocence. Robbed of his manhood. In search of a second chance.

Plot:

A young music journalist's dark memories are awakened when he goes to interview a female rock singer, and both are forced to confront troubling secrets from their pasts.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Florida | Female Nudity | Alcoholics Anonymous | First Love

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Aria Alpert	...	Violet
Ruben Anders	...	Carlos
Rosanna Arquette	...	Pete
Mitchell Boshnack	...	Cape Canaveral Police Officer #1
Owen Butler	...	Young Owen
Caitlin Caldwell	...	Girl at House
Don Cheadle	...	Chuck
Bill Cordell	...	AA Secretary
Justin DePrume	...	Young Dan (as Justin De Prume)
Kim Dickens	...	Sherry
Hal Dion	...	Public Defender
Brittany Renee Finamore	...	Young Sherry (as Brittany Finamore)
Alison Folland	...	Lulu
Jessie Gelaznick	...	Magazine Intern / L.A. Club Band: Cowboys and Indians
Jade Gordon	...	Sam

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual violence, sexuality, language and substance abuse.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

UK:15 | Australia:MA (cable rating) | Australia:R (original rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA

Company:

Echo Lake Productions (I)

Trivia:

The film is based on Allison Anders' personal experience when she was raped at the age of 12 and then brutally manhandled by a stepfather until she ran away from home at the age of 17. The rape scene in the film was actually filmed in exactly the same house where Anders was raped as a child.

Soundtrack:

Everybody Lets Me Down

Wow

This film knocked me for a loop. The acting is uniformly terrific and i believe it was filmed with digital cameras. There are two rape scenes that are to my mind the most realistic depictions i've ever seen. This is not rape as sex but rape as brutal violence. A few minutes in a childs life that stays with them for ever. The performances by Kim Dickens and Gabriel Mann as the adult rape victims are completely different yet both seem so true. I took this as a double rape even though one character was technically the rapist. I saw this movie on tv and at times you almost have to force yourself not to change channels. Watching the young Sherry walking away from the house after being raped, dragging her skate board, seems so real you feel like you are peeking through the curtains at someones real life pain. This is a very honest, painful movie and perhaps the best thing is the ending. No shinning light of salvation but a few glimmering shreds of hope for both the central characters. This one will stay with me for a long time.