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The United States of Leland (2003)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Matthew Ryan Hoge (written by)
Release Date:
25 March 2005 (Italy)
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Tagline:
Crime. Confusion. Compassion. They're all just states of mind.
Plot:
"The United States of Leland" tells the story of a young man's experience in a juvenile detention center that touches on the tumultuous changes that befall his family and the community in which he lives. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
2 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
User Comments:
An extremely moving, touching, thought-provoking movie
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Don Cheadle | ... | Pearl Madison |
 | Ryan Gosling | ... | Leland P. Fitzgerald |
 | Chris Klein | ... | Allen Harris |
 | Jena Malone | ... | Becky Pollard |
 | Lena Olin | ... | Marybeth Fitzgerald |
 | Kevin Spacey | ... | Albert T. Fitzgerald |
 | Michelle Williams | ... | Julie Pollard |
 | Martin Donovan | ... | Harry Pollard |
 | Ann Magnuson | ... | Karen Pollard |
 | Kerry Washington | ... | Ayesha |
 | Sherilyn Fenn | ... | Mrs. Calderon |
 | Matt Malloy | ... | Charlie |
| Wesley Jonathan | ... | Bengel |
 | Michael Peña | ... | Guillermo |
 | Michael Welch | ... | Ryan Pollard |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for language and some drug content.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
108 min | Canada:104 min (Ontario)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Singapore:NC-16 |
Brazil:14 |
Iceland:12 |
Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) |
Australia:M |
Canada:14A |
USA:R |
Argentina:13 |
UK:15
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: In the scene where Becky and Leland are walking at around 2 in the morning, in the background you can see it begin to rain, but both Leland's and Becky's clothes remain perfectly dry.
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Quotes:
Pearl Madison:
You'll have to forgive Mr. Madison today, he's moving kinda slow. His head's hurting like it's the end of the world.
Guillermo: You been drinking that cheap ass burgundy, ain't you?
Pearl Madison: No comment.
Bengel: That stuff's gonna make you go blind, Sir.
Pearl Madison: Hey, 3 bucks, 2 liters. I couldn't pass it up.
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Guillermo: You been drinking that cheap ass burgundy, ain't you?
Pearl Madison: No comment.
Bengel: That stuff's gonna make you go blind, Sir.
Pearl Madison: Hey, 3 bucks, 2 liters. I couldn't pass it up.
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Movie Connections:
References The Maltese Falcon (1941)
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Soundtrack:
Manitoba
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FAQ
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Leland Fitzgerald (Ryan Gosling) is sent to jail for the murder of an autistic kid. When pressured with the question 'Why?' he doesn't have an answer. While in jail he meets Pearl (Don Cheadle), his teacher, who decides to take matters into his own hands and helps Leland figure out why he did it. Throughout this film we learn all about Leland's troubled life, including his ex-girlfriend Becky(Jena Malone), his famous father Albert(Kevin Spacey)and his whole sad life.
This film is Matthew Ryan Hoge's second movie, and it is spectacular in nearly everyway. This is one movie which will leave you thinking in the end, and wondering about how it all works. The movie is quite dark, but if you can handle that then you will realize just how good a film it is.
In this movie, there is no bad guy. There is no one you can blame for anything that happens. There's no stereotyping, and the audience does not try to prove Leland guilty. Instead, we sit back, relax, and watch this boy's life unfold throughout the corse of the movie. All the problems depicted in the story are very real. Drug addiction, parental expectations, overwhelming sadness; they all exist in our world.
Ryan Gosling gives one of the greatest performances of his career in this movie, as the depressed teenager Leland. His father lives in Europe and doesn't really care much about his son. The only person he loves is Becky, but she has problems of her own. He knows exactly what he did, but as he says in the film, 'You want a why, but maybe there isn't one. Maybe this is something that just happened.' There is a why, but we don't find out about it until the end. As you watch the movie, the audience finds themselves amazed that such a young person could know so much about the world. Leland notices things that people tend to ignore.
A particular thought-provoking scene which really affected me was during one of Leland's conversations with Pearl. Pearl just cheated on his wife and when Leland asks why, Pearl replies that he's only human. Then Leland says something which never really occurs to anyone: "Why do people only say that when they've done something wrong?"
Another fantastic acting job was provided by Chris Klein. In the film he plays Allen Harris, the boyfriend of Becky's sister Julie (Michelle Williams). Although he is not one of the main characters, I found myself amazed at how deep his character was. You can relate to Allen a lot. You know how much he cares for the Pollard family. It's as if they were his own flesh and blood. By the end of the movie, you realize just how far he would go to help them.
Overall, this movie is a masterpiece which has been overlooked by quite a few people. If, however, you take the time to watch it, you will most likely see that everything I've mentioned above is true. And once you're finished watching it, you'll never look at the world the same way again.
9.5/10