Behind the Red Door (2003)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Matia Karrell

Writers (WGA):

Matia Karrell (written by) &
C.W. Cressler (written by)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A dying man must reunite with his sister to face their family's violent past and find peace in their lives.

Plot Keywords:

AIDS | Homosexual | Brother Sister Relationship | Domestic Violence

Cast

Kyra Sedgwick	...	Natalie
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Roy
Stockard Channing	...	Julia
Chuck Shamata	...	Father
Hannah Lochner	...	Young Natalie
Corey Staden	...	Young Roy
Phillip Craig	...	Detective Kinzer
Jason Carter	...	Sonny
Laura Press	...	Michelle
Ian Ryan	...	Arthur
William Colgate	...	Dr. Goldberg
Joseph Rutten	...	Uncle Ernest
Mary Walsh	...	Anna
Frank Holden	...	Driver
Matt Sharpe	...	George

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:R | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Company:

Blue Rider Pictures

Quotes:

Roy: Oh, God, this town's going to remember us. The couple that went 'beep'.

No One Prefers to Be Alone

The talented photographer Natalie (Kyra Sedgwick) is having financial difficulties in New York. Her friend and agent Julia (Stockard Channing) finds a two day job in Boston for US$ 20,000.00, and the reluctant Natalie accepts the work due to her need of money. When she arrives, she finds that she was hired by her arrogant gay brother Roy (Kiefer Sutherland), a successful designer. Natalie has broken the relationship and they have not seen each other for ten years. When she finishes her assignment, Roy asks her to stay one more day for his birthday party, and after that he tells her that he has AIDS. Natalie stays with him and along his last days, their resentments change to fraternal love.

"Behind the Red Door" is a little movie, with a single and quite pointless story and great performances. Kiefer Sutherland surprises in the role of gay – we are used to see him performing tough detectives and agents; Kyra Sedgwick is also great, as usual, and Stockard Channing is wasted in a minor role. Unfortunately the screenplay is not good: the quarrel of the siblings, why they have broken their relationship, is never explained; the death of their mother by the father is pointless and goes nowhere; and the financial position of the siblings could suggest that Natalie stayed with and bore Roy in the beginning just because of his wealthy testament and job position – Roy promises to pay for everything, even for her to stay with him in his birthday party. The lead trio of actor and actresses deserved a better screenplay. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil) "Uma Porta Para o Passado" ("A Door to the Past")