Loverboy (2005)

Director:

Kevin Bacon

Writers:

Hannah Shakespeare (screenplay)
Victoria Redel (novel)

Release Date:

16 March 2006 (Israel)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Some mothers aren't meant to be moms.

Plot:

A neglected daughter becomes a possessive mother in an emotional journey into the heart and mind of a woman who loved too much.

Plot Keywords:

School | Flashback | Motherhood | Obsession | Absent Father

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Kyra Sedgwick	...	Emily
Dominic Scott Kay	...	Paul (6 years old)
Kevin Bacon	...	Marty
Blair Brown	...	Jeanette Rawley
Matt Dillon	...	Mark
Oliver Platt	...	Mr. Pomeroy
Campbell Scott	...	Paul's Father
Marisa Tomei	...	Sybil
Sosie Bacon	...	Emily (10 years old)
Travis Bacon	...	Lenny
John Lafayette	...	Allen Rawley
Jessica Stone	...	Anita Biddle
Melissa Errico	...	Miss Silken
Nancy Giles	...	Principal
Carolyn McCormick	...	Ruth the Realtor

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality.

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-13

Filming Locations:

Hillsdale, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Bigel / Mailer Films

Quotes:

Emily: Fitting in with the outside world, respectability, suitability, conformity, were never high on my priority list; neither was normalcy. I admit: I cultivated arrogance. The world would be our school; I wanted to learn it and teach it to you.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Making 'Loverboy' (2006) (V)

Beautiful, haunted and sad

I can't say I'm very surprised by the rating this great movie gets, nor am I shocked to see some moronic comments on how the storyline is "horrible" or "gross". The topic and development of the story are controversial and sensitive to say the least and it's a sad reality that people just can't get pass their judgemental posturing and try to see things from another point of view.

Kyra Sedgwick carries the movie on her shoulders from start to finish. Not only does she give poetry and the right amount of quirkiness to a character that could have been nightmarish otherwise but she really manages to convey the love her character feels for her son effortlessly so much so that the transition to her psychotic obsession is seamless. Even if the plot is made in such a way that it's impossible for you to empathize with her, you certainly feel for her.

The direction is remarkable and adds to the magic of the world Emily creates for her son. Bacon did a great job of going back and forth in time without being confusing, which was a major challenge with the script and the editing works perfectly at revealing Emily's character and story bit by bit without divulging more than necessary and all the while framing what's important to understand her behavior.

It's never tacky, nor judgemental, nor is it complacent. It's a story of love and how far it can go. Recommended.