Frailty (2001)

Director:

Bill Paxton

Writer (WGA):

Brent Hanley (written by)

Release Date:

12 April 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

There are demons among us

Plot:

A man confesses to an FBI agent his family's story of how his religious fanatic father's visions lead to a series of murders to destroy supposed "demons."

Plot Keywords:

Vomit Scene | Disturbing | 1970s | Axe Murder | Brother Brother Relationship

Awards:

3 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Bill Paxton	...	Dad Meiks
Matthew McConaughey	...	Fenton Meiks
Powers Boothe	...	FBI Agent Wesley Doyle
Matt O'Leary	...	Young Fenton
Jeremy Sumpter	...	Young Adam
Luke Askew	...	Sheriff Smalls
Levi Kreis	...	Fenton Meiks
Derk Cheetwood	...	Agent Griffin Hull
Missy Crider	...	Becky Meiks (as Melissa Crider)
Alan Davidson	...	Brad White
Cynthia Ettinger	...	Cynthia Harbridge
Vincent Chase	...	Edward March
Gwen McGee	...	Operator
Edmond Scott Ratliff	...	The Angel
Rebecca Tilney	...	Teacher

Also Known As:

Dämonisch (Germany)
Frailty - Nessuno è al sicuro (Italy)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and some language.

Runtime:

100 min | Austria:96 min

Country:

USA | Germany | Italy

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:18SG (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15 | France:-16 | Germany:18 | Italy:T | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #38149) | Philippines:R-18

Filming Locations:

Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens - 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, California, USA

Company:

American Entertainment

Trivia:

The flashback sequences take place in the summer, but the movie was filmed in November and the breath of some of the actors is visible due to the cold temperature, most notably when Dad and the kids bring the first "demon" into the shed and turn on the light.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the beginning of the burial of Edward March ("Demon #2"), Dad puffs a cigarette that is burned down to the filter. The following frames show the cigarette in his hand is much longer. There is not enough time in between the two frames to light another.

Quotes:

Adam Meiks: He was my father. I loved him even if he had gone crazy.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Anatomy of a Scene: Frailty" (????)

Soundtrack:

A Real Country Song

A Great Debut of Bill Paxton as Director in a Very Scary Low-Budget Movie

Matthew McConaughey is a mysterious man waiting for Agent Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe) in his FBI office. He claims to have information about a serial killer chased by FBI. When Agent Doyle arrives in the office, he tells him that the serial killer is indeed his dead brother. Agent Doyle requests some evidence, and the man tells the story of his life, since his childhood. They were a simple family of three: his widow father Meiks (Bill Paxton), his brother and himself. One night, his father gathers the two brothers and tells them that an angel of God had just visited him and assigned his family to destroy demons. What happens next is one of the most scary movie I have ever seen.

I watched this movie four months ago on VHS, and yesterday I watched again, now on DVD. Although being a low-budget movie, the screenplay is sharp, with no flaw. The cast is outstanding, but I would like to highlight the performance of Matt O'Leary as the young Felton. It is a very difficult and complex role to be performed by a young teenager. The direction of Bill Paxton is remarkable. There is no explicit violence in this horror movie. A great debut behind the camera. I regret the Brazilian title of this movie: 'A Mão do Diabo' (The Devil's Hand'). If at least it were 'The God's Hand', it might be acceptable. But calling this movie as 'the devil's hand' is indeed ridiculous. Brent Hanley, the screenwriter, did not deserve such a lack of respect from the Brazilian distributor. This film is highly recommended. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Mão do Diabo" ("The Devil's Hand")