L.I.E. [Rated] DVD

L.I.E.
A teenaged boy in desperate need of a father figure finds one in a place no one should ever have to look in this controversial drama. Howie (Paul Franklin Dano) is a 15-year-old who has been emotionally at sea ever since the death of his mother in an auto accident several years before. Howie's father Marty (Bruce Altman) is also having trouble dealing with the loss, and distracts himself with empty sex while avoiding authorities attempting to prosecute him for using unsafe materials in his building contracting business. Howie falls in with a group of homeless delinquents his own age, becoming especially close to streetwise Gary (Billy Kay). In time, Howie begins to wonder if his feelings for Gary go past ordinary friendship, but the issue of his sexuality is forced into a very different light after Gary persuades Howie to join him in robbing the home of middle-aged former Marine Big John Harrigan (Brian Cox). It doesn't take long for Big John to track down the culprits after Howie and Gary steal several guns from his house, but Howie learns that Big John and Gary have met before -- Gary sometimes works as a male prostitute, and Big John, whose tastes run to boys in their early teens, is a regular customer. When Gary runs away to California, Big John proposes that Howie work off their debt by having sex with him; while Howie is hardly comfortable with this arrangement, he has nowhere else to go after his father ends up in jail, and he finds an unexpected degree of emotional support in his relationship with the curiously compassionate pedophile, who comes to understand just how badly Howie needs help. L.I.E. (the title stands for "Long Island Expressway") premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast Brian Cox as Big John Harrigan Paul Franklin Dano as Howie Blitzer Billy Kay as Gary Terrio Bruce Altman as Marty Blitzer James Costa as Kevin Cole Tony Donnelly as Brian Walter Masterson as Scott Marcia de Bonis as Guidance Counselor Adam Le Fevre as Marty's Lawyer

Crew Judy Henderson - Casting Jose Gilberto Molinari-Rosaly - Co-producer Daniel Glicker - Costume Designer Jose Gilberto Molinari-Rosaly - First Assistant Director Michael Cuesta - Director Eric Carlson - Editor Kane Platt - Editor Pierre Foldes - Composer (Music Score) Elise Bennet - Production Designer Romeo Tirone - Cinematographer Linda Moran - Producer Rene Bastian - Producer David Alvarez - Sound/Sound Designer Michael Cuesta - Screenwriter Stephen M. Ryder - Screenwriter Gerald Cuesta - Screenwriter

L.I.E.
A difficult, tricky subject is given thoughtful, droll treatment by terrific first-time writer/director Michael Cuesta in this funny, revealing look at the unlikely bond between an aging ex-Marine who happens to like very young boys and a deserted 15-year old who enters his life. Instead of reveling in smutty put-ons and generalizations about pedophilia and teenage rebellion, the movie looks deeper at the complexities of its highly intriguing male characters and becomes an acute study of behavior and loneliness. The film is successful mostly due to the superlative performances in the lead roles by Brian Cox and Paul Franklin Dano, both of whom inject emotional validity and uncommon depth into characters that could have been lazily conceived. Their relationship unfolds in a refreshing, naturalistic fashion, and until the hollow final scenes (which wrap the movie up far too neatly), it never hits a single false note in the execution. A fine feature debut, markedly better than many recent independents due to its sensitive portrait of troubled individuals, the film premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival but took some time finding a distributor due to its strong subject matter and ratings board disputes. (The film received an NC-17 upon submission, which seems highly unwarranted.) ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
 

Billy Kay: Independent Spirit Awards, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic (nominated) Brian Cox: American Film Institute, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pic (nominated) Brian Cox: Independent Spirit Awards, Best Actor (nominated) Gerald Cuesta: Independent Spirit Awards, Best First Screenplay (nominated) Linda Moran: Independent Spirit Awards, Producers Award (winner) Michael Cuesta: Independent Spirit Awards, Best Director (nominated) Michael Cuesta: Independent Spirit Awards, Best First Screenplay (nominated) Paul Franklin Dano: Independent Spirit Awards, Best Debut Performance (winner) Rene Bastian: Independent Spirit Awards, Producers Award (winner) Stephen M. Ryder: Independent Spirit Awards, Best First Screenplay (nominated)

Independent Spirit Awards, Best Picture (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: Sound Processing: Additional Features: Original theatrical trailer Scene selections Deleted scenes Commentary by director Michael Cuesta and actor Brian Cox MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: Content Length: 96 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 2. Long Island Expressway [4:10] 3. Breaking and Entering [6:07] 4. Big John's Birthday [6:28] 5. Sniffing Around [6:48] 6. A Sticky Issue [10:00] 7. Working It Off [7:38] 8. Gary Splits [10:40] 9. Walt Whitman [9:11] 10. Busted [9:24] 11. A Father Figure [10:55] 12. Federal Prison [10:40] 13. End Credits [3:33]