The United States of Leland (2003)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Matthew Ryan Hoge

Writer (WGA):

Matthew Ryan Hoge (written by)

Release Date:

1 July 2005 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Crime

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.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Prison | Stabbing | Aspiring Writer | Cheating On Girlfriend

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

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

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some drug content.

Runtime:

108 min | Canada:104 min (Ontario)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

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:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

MDP Worldwide

Goofs:

Factual errors: In this movie, set in Arizona, all the cars shown have front and back license plates. However, in Arizona you are only issued two license plates if you have a personalized plate which none of the cars in the movie had.

Quotes:

Airplane Woman: Excuse me. I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, but aren't you an actor?
Albert T. Fitzgerald: Aren't we all dear
Airplane Woman: [laughs] No, no, no. I mean a famous actor. You know, a movie star actor? I know your face
Albert T. Fitzgerald: I was in Stanley Kubrick's musical, the one about the alcoholic pirates. I played Captain Morgan.
[smiles]
Albert T. Fitzgerald: Whenever you're done with the front page dear

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Anatomy of a Scene: The United States of Leland" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Broke My Glasses in New Orleans

Original and thought provoking

Leland P. Fitzgerald (Ryan Gosling) has committed an unspeakable crime, the stabbing of the retarded younger brother of his ex-girlfriend Becky (Jena Malone). No one, least of all Leland himself, can explain why he's done what he's done, whether the act was premeditated or spontaneous, done out of hatred or love.

In the detention center, Leland meets Pearl Madison (Don Cheadle), a onetime novel writer who sees in Leland's case a second opportunity. But Pearl also wants to understand Leland's motivation and takes him under his wing as a confidante in the prison.

The film jumps from the past to the present several times, often allowing the past to act as a context to the present, and vice versa. Writer/director Matthew Ryan Hodge shows how Leland's crime - and the events leading up to it - affect the people in his life, from Becky to her family to Leland's mother (Lena Olin) and estranged father (Kevin Spacey) to Allen (Chris Klein), a young man who is staying with Becky's family after the death of his own mother.

The chief asset in the movie is Gosling, who is perfectly cast as the 15-year-old pseudopsychopath. Like Bartleby the Scrivener, Gosling's Leland just exists; he shows little emotion during the film, but instead his expressions belie an ocean of guilt, sadness, love, and rage.

Each of the main actors offered perhaps their best work to date, save Spacey (who's not exactly a novice). Special praise is due to Malone and Klein, two young performers who are better known for lighthearted comedy fare than the heavy drama of this movie.

Another huge benefit in terms of the story is that none of the characters is flawless; none are heroes out to save the day. This is simply not a black-and-white movie.