Shot in the Heart (2001) (TV)

Director:

Agnieszka Holland

Writers (WGA):

Mikal Gilmore (book)
Frank Pugliese (teleplay)

Release Date:

13 October 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller | Mystery

Tagline:

He was worth more dead than he ever was alive... but not to me. I was Gary Gilmore's brother.

Plot:

Based on Mikal Gilmore's book about the final days in 1977 of his brother Gary, who murdered two men.

Plot Keywords:

1970s | Brother | Capital Punishment | Mormon | Murder

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Anne Kathryn Parma	...	Wanda Brown
Ashley Edwards	...	Alta Brown
Evyn Clark	...	Bessie (Age 12)
Kim Abunuwara	...	Melissa Brown
Rick Macy	...	Will Brown
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Mikal Gilmore
Terry Beaver	...	Richard Giaque
Lee Tergesen	...	Frank Gilmore, Jr.
Reid Sasser	...	Guard No 1
Elias Koteas	...	Gary Gilmore
Brett Fleisher	...	Gaylen Gilmore
Sam Shepard	...	Frank Gilmore, Sr.
Trevor Gosden	...	Mikal (Age 5-12)
Amy Madigan	...	Bessie Gilmore
Paul Wesley	...	Gary (Age 15-22) (as Paul Wasilewski)

Also Known As:

Shot in the Dark (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some strong violence.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:16 | USA:R | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

Home Box Office (HBO)

Movie Connections:

Version of The Executioner's Song (1982) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Old Shep

A brilliantly acted non-addition to the Gilmore pantheon

Shot In The Heart tells the familiar Gary Gilmore story from a slightly different perspective, that of his estranged brother Mikal. Those familiar with Gilmore's tale will find this an interesting take on his story, reminding us that the victims he left behind included his own family as well as the families of the men he murdered so senselessly. Gilmore himself (played by Elias Koteas in a fantastic performance) is all here, from his cod philosophy (trust him to have read Nietsche and only quote the bits that suit him) to his complete lack of understanding of his own motives.

The star of the show is, however, Giovanni Ribisi as Mikal. He has a rabbit-in-the-headlights quality, looks fragile and vulnerable and you can't believe the two are related, never mind brothers. Since Gary has been in jail pretty much continuously since the age of 14 you can see why they don't know each other, but when the movie starts you also can't see how they ever will. However blood will out ... and they find enough shared memories to build something between them that transcends the time and place in which they do it.

Unfortunately there are a few things wrong with this movie. It doesn't purport to tell the whole story of Gilmore's life but that's OK, it doesn't have to. I'm pretty familiar with the source material though, so my boyfriend called on me to answer a seemingly endless run of questions: What happened to Galen? Who's Nicole? How did the two murders happen and how did he get caught? And when the younger Gilmores first appeared ... Who is everyone - which brother's which? Now I don't think a movie has to tell you everything and its sometimes better to leave things hinted at rather than explained, but there is an unnecessary level of confusion here that distracts a neophyte viewer from the action. But I'm nitpicking ... the acting alone is more than worth the price of admission.

High points? The two main performances, the slimy, self-interested supporting cast, the theme of white horses, and the mysterious stranger with the sandwiches. Mikal's last meeting with Gary will make you cry ... and if it doesn't, it darn well should.

I don't believe this movie got a cinema release in the UK but it is out on video this week so go get it. Highly recommended.