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Willard (2003)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
14 March 2003 (USA)
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Tagline:
A new breed of friendship more
Plot:
A young man with an unusual connection with rats, uses them at his own sociopathic will. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
1 win
&
2 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(14 articles)
Gunplay gets the Fox TV treatment
(From Corona's Coming Attractions. 2 November 2009, 7:37 AM, PST)
Cursed Soldier Roams the West Gunplay
(From shocktillyoudrop. 2 November 2009)
(From Corona's Coming Attractions. 2 November 2009, 7:37 AM, PST)
Cursed Soldier Roams the West Gunplay
(From shocktillyoudrop. 2 November 2009)
User Comments:
Offbeat and inventive - a great modern remake!
more (208 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast) | Crispin Glover | ... | Willard |
 | R. Lee Ermey | ... | Mr. Martin |
 | Laura Harring | ... | Cathryn (as Laura Elena Harring) |
 | Jackie Burroughs | ... | Mrs. Stiles |
| Ashlyn Gere | ... | Ms. Leach (as Kimberly Patton) |
| William S. Taylor | ... | Mr. Garter |
| Edward Horn | ... | Colquitt |
| Gus Lynch | ... | George Foxx |
| Laara Sadiq | ... | Janice Mantis |
| David Parker | ... | Detective Boxer |
 | Ty Olsson | ... | Officer Salmon |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for terror/violence, some sexual content and language.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
USA:100 min | UK:96 min (DVD)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
New Zealand:M |
Iceland:16 |
Portugal:M/16 |
Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) |
USA:PG-13 (NO. 39665) |
Australia:M |
Denmark:15 |
Finland:K-15 |
Germany:12 |
Hong Kong:IIB |
Philippines:PG-13 |
Singapore:PG |
Spain:13 |
UK:15
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The film was originally conceived as a R rated picture and was shot with that rating in mind. However, following the success of other PG-13 rated horror movies like The Ring (2002), executives at New Line asked the director to tone down the violence and language for the more commercial lower rating. This was done by shorting the demise of R. Lee Ermey's character Mr. Martin and cutting some of his lines.
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Goofs:
Continuity: Willard lays out some glue strips to catch the mice. A mouse steps on one and gets stuck. When Willard first sees it, the mouse is only glued on the bottom 3/4 of its body. Its front legs are free and it is crawling away with its belly and lower legs flattened onto the strip. Then Willard decides to save it. In the next shot of the mouse, all four feet are on the glue strip with its belly raised up. It is also in the center of the glue strip whereas before it was hanging off one end of it.
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Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Year of the Rat (2003) (V)
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Soundtrack:
Ben
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FAQ
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I'm not a big fan of the whole horror remake craze (to say the least), but the original Willard had some good ideas that weren't capitalised on, thus making it ripe for a remake - and Glen Morgan has really capitalised on that fact with this film! There aren't many remakes I will say this for - but EVERYTHING about this film is better than the 1971 original. The plot of the original film wasn't very original - taking obvious influence from Psycho and a number of offbeat 'revenge' movies. The story here plays out in more or less exactly the same way, but more is made of it, which gives every element of it more weight. The plot focuses on a loner named Willard Stiles. Willard lives with his aging, decrepit mother in an old house. Willard works for a Mr Martin, the partner of his father in the business that belonged to the pair of them. There's some litigation that says Martin can't fire Willard - but that doesn't stop him trying! Feeling humiliated at work and at the hands of his mother, Willard turns to the rats in his cellar for friendship...
One of my main criticisms of the 1971 original was that Bruce Davison wasn't creepy enough for the role. That problem has certainly been solved here as Crispin Glover was pretty much born to play this part! Glover fits the role like a glove, and even manages to convince during Willard's outburst scenes, which in fairness are pretty pathetic. The Ernest Borgnine role is taken over by R. Lee Ermey, who again fits into the role nicely. He's excellent at the sadistic roles, and this film enforces that. The opening credit sequence will give you a pretty good idea of what you're in for - director Glen Morgan has given the film a dark fantasy feel, which is brought about by the eerie old house in which most of the film takes place and the dark cinematography. The rats themselves are made much better use of in this film too, and the central pair of Socrates and Ben are almost given a human character. There's a fair bit of gore, and while the special effects can sometimes go over the top; that always fits with the style of the film. The director wasn't afraid to take a chance either - the sequence with a cat and the Jackson 5's "Ben" really ran the risk of being a little too silly, but again it comes off well. Overall, this remake is a really good film and easily one of the best modern re-imaging's. Highly recommended!