Arlington Road

Last updated
Arlington Road
Arlington Road film.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Mark Pellington
Written by Ehren Kruger
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBobby Bukowski
Edited by Conrad Buff
Music by Angelo Badalamenti
Production
companies
Distributed byScreen Gems (United States) [1]
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (International) [3]
Release dates
  • March 19, 1999 (1999-03-19)(United Kingdom)
  • July 9, 1999 (1999-07-09)(United States)
Running time
119 minutes [1]
Countries
  • United Kingdom [1]
  • United States [1]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$31 million
Box office$41.1 million

Arlington Road is a 1999 drama film [1] directed by Mark Pellington and starring Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, and Hope Davis. The film tells the story of a widowed George Washington University professor who suspects his new neighbors are involved in terrorism and becomes obsessed with foiling their terrorist plot. The film was heavily inspired by the growing concern in the 1990s regarding the right-wing militia movement, Ruby Ridge, the Waco siege and Oklahoma City bombing. [4]

Contents

Ehren Kruger wrote the script, which won the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' (AMPAS) Nicholl Fellowship in 1996. The film was to have been originally released by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, but the film's United States distribution rights were sold to Sony Pictures Entertainment for $6 million. [5] The eventual release was the second title for Screen Gems (and its first wide theatrical release) while PolyGram (now part of Universal Studios) handled foreign rights.

Plot

Michael Faraday is a history professor at George Washington University specializing in terrorism. His FBI agent wife Leah died in the line of duty in a Ruby Ridge-style standoff, and Michael now lives with his 9-year-old son Grant in Reston, Virginia. He is still friends with Leah's partner Whit Carver, and is dating his former graduate student Brooke.

Upon finding a severely injured boy named Brady stumbling in his neighborhood, Michael rushes him to the hospital, where the wounds are determined to be caused by fireworks. Michael meets Brady's parents, structural engineer Oliver Lang and housewife Cheryl, discovering they are his neighbors. They become friends, and their sons join the Discoverers, a Boy Scouts-style group.

In casual conversation, Oliver expresses his sympathy for Leah's death by displaying potentially violent anti-government beliefs. This, and the cause of Brady's injuries, arouses suspicion in Michael. He also finds blueprints in Oliver's possession that are not for his purported building project, and receives misdirected mail suggesting Oliver lied about his college years. Brooke and Whit dismiss his concerns as paranoia.

Michael takes his class on a field trip to the site where Leah was killed, and excoriates the FBI for igniting the standoff after failing to probe the besieged family. His students appear uneasy.

Michael reluctantly lets Grant go to a Discoverers camp with Brady. His research reveals that Oliver was born William Fenimore and tried to blow up a Kansas post office at age 16. Oliver discovers Michael's interest and confronts him, stating that his immature act (in revenge for the government's role in his father's suicide) cost him imprisonment and a new identity to hide his past from his children, which he regrets.

Michael appears to let the matter drop. However, Brooke later spots Oliver swapping cars and exchanging metal boxes with strangers. From a payphone, she leaves Michael a message lending validity to his suspicions, but is discovered by Cheryl.

Michael learns of Brooke's (off-screen) death, presented as a car accident, on the news. After discovering that messages had been erased from his answering machine, Michael asks Whit to check FBI records about Oliver and recent calls to his home. He also visits the father of the late Dean Scobee, accused of blowing up a federal building 14 months earlier in St. Louis, from where the Langs had moved. The elder Scobee is certain Dean was innocent given the numerous infant victims. Michael sees Dean in a Discoverers group photo with Brady, and frantically rushes to retrieve Grant from the camp. Troop leaders tell him that Grant was taken home with Brady, and Michael storms into the Langs' home; Oliver confirms that his group killed Brooke, refuses to reveal Grant's whereabouts, and threatens Grant's life should Michael speak to law enforcement.

Whit tells Michael that the FBI discovered nothing suspicious surrounding Oliver/William, and that Michael's missing message came from a payphone. Michael drives to the source of Brooke's call, from where he follows a suspicious delivery vehicle and watches some of Oliver's acquaintances loading metal boxes into it.

Michael follows the van and is shocked to see Grant at the window. Oliver intercepts Michael's car and beats him, promising to kill Grant and expounding his group's mission and their current target: the J. Edgar Hoover Building. Michael overpowers Oliver and illegally drives into the FBI headquarters garage pursuing a van that turns out to be empty. When Whit tells him that he is the only unauthorized person there, Michael rushes back to his own car, discovering a bomb in the trunk seconds before it detonates. The blast partially collapses the FBI headquarters, as Oliver watches from a distance.

A news montage, portraying Michael as a lonewolf terrorist seeking revenge for Leah's death, shows that the Langs have successfully framed him. Statements from Michael's students (one of whom is a conspirator) support the official story, giving accounts of his paranoia and his grudge against the FBI. Grant, now orphaned, moves in with relatives, unaware of his father's innocence. Oliver and Cheryl put their house up for sale and prepare to move to another suburb where their group will groom another fall guy for their next attack. [4]

Cast

Reception

Box office

Sony paid $6 million to acquire the film's United States distribution rights. [5] It opened at #6 in its opening weekend with $7,515,145 behind American Pie , Wild Wild West 's second, Big Daddy 's third, and Tarzan and The General's Daughter 's fourth weekends. [6] The film eventually grossed $24,756,177 in the United States theatrically. [7]

The film made a worldwide gross of $41 million on a budget of $31 million. [8]

Critical response

The film holds a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 92 reviews. with the site's consensus stating; "A suspenseful thriller led by strong cast performances built around a somewhat implausible story." [9] and a 2/4 rating by Roger Ebert, [10] who wrote of the film:

Arlington Road is a thriller that contains ideas. Any movie with ideas is likely to attract audiences who have ideas of their own, but to think for a second about the logic of this plot is fatal. [10]

Home media

The film was initially released on VHS and DVD October 26, 1999 by Columbia TriStar Home Video. A Blu-ray of the film was later released on August 7, 2007 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Television adaptation

In April 2021, it was announced a television series adaptation based on the film was in development at Paramount+. The project is to be a co-production between CBS Studios and Village Roadshow Television with Pellington and Seth Fisher serving as executive producers. [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Miss Congeniality</i> (film) 2000 film by Donald Petrie

Miss Congeniality is a 2000 American action comedy film directed by Donald Petrie, written by Marc Lawrence, Katie Ford, and Caryn Lucas, and produced by and starring Sandra Bullock as Gracie Hart, a tomboy agent who is asked by the FBI to go undercover as a contestant when a terrorist threatens to bomb the Miss United States pageant. Michael Caine, Benjamin Bratt, Candice Bergen, William Shatner, and Ernie Hudson star in supporting roles.

<i>Blue Streak</i> (film) 1999 film by Les Mayfield

Blue Streak is a 1999 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Les Mayfield. Inspired by the 1965 film The Big Job, the film stars Martin Lawrence, Luke Wilson, Dave Chappelle, Peter Greene, Nicole Ari Parker and William Forsythe. Lawrence plays Miles, a jewel thief who tries to retrieve a diamond he left at a police station, whereupon he disguises himself as a detective and gets paired with a real policeman to investigate burglaries. The film was shot on location in California. The prime shooting spot was Sony Pictures Studios, which is located in Culver City, California.

<i>Mickey Blue Eyes</i> 1999 American romcom crime film

Mickey Blue Eyes is a 1999 romantic comedy crime film directed by Kelly Makin. Hugh Grant stars as Michael Felgate, an English auctioneer living in New York City who becomes entangled in his soon-to-be father-in-law's mafia connections. Several of the minor roles are played by actors later featured in The Sopranos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Pellington</span> American film director, writer, and producer

Mark Pellington is an American film director, writer, and producer.

<i>Breakdown</i> (1997 film) American thriller by Jonathan Mostow

Breakdown is a 1997 American thriller film directed and co-written by Jonathan Mostow. It stars Kurt Russell, J. T. Walsh and Kathleen Quinlan. The original music score was composed by Basil Poledouris. The film was produced by Dino De Laurentiis and Martha De Laurentiis, and released on May 2, 1997 by Paramount Pictures. It is one of the final films featuring Walsh to be released in his lifetime. The film received positive reviews and gained a strong cult following.

<i>Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous</i> 2005 American film

Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous is a 2005 American female buddy action comedy film and sequel to the 2000 film Miss Congeniality directed by John Pasquin and written by co-producer Marc Lawrence with the title role played once again by star and co-producer Sandra Bullock. William Shatner, Ernie Hudson and Heather Burns also reprised their roles from the previous film with Regina King, Enrique Murciano, Diedrich Bader and Treat Williams joining the cast.

<i>Baby Geniuses</i> 1999 film by Bob Clark

Baby Geniuses is a 1999 American family comedy film directed by Bob Clark and written by Clark and Greg Michael, from a story by Clark, Steven Paul, Francisca Matos, and Robert Grasmere. It stars Kathleen Turner, Christopher Lloyd, Kim Cattrall, Peter MacNicol, and Ruby Dee.

<i>Trojan War</i> (film) 1997 film by George Huang

Trojan War is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by George Huang and starring Will Friedle, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Marley Shelton. The film was a critical and box office failure. Produced for $15 million, it made only $309 in ticket sales because it was played at two movie theaters in the United States and was pulled after only a week.

<i>Big Mommas House 2</i> 2006 film by John Whitesell

Big Momma's House 2 is a 2006 American crime comedy film, the sequel to 2000's Big Momma's House and the second installment of the Big Momma Trilogy. The film was directed by John Whitesell and stars Martin Lawrence reprising his role as FBI agent Malcolm Turner, along with Nia Long, Zachary Levi, Mark Moses, Emily Procter, Kat Dennings and Chloë Grace Moretz in supporting roles. Like its predecessor and successor, the film was panned by critics.

<i>The Mothman Prophecies</i> (film) 2002 film by Mark Pellington

The Mothman Prophecies is a 2002 American supernatural horror-mystery film directed by Mark Pellington, and starring Richard Gere and Laura Linney. Based on the 1975 book of the same name by parapsychologist and Fortean author John Keel, the screenplay was written by Richard Hatem.

<i>Extreme Measures</i> 1996 film

Extreme Measures is a 1996 crime thriller film based on Michael Palmer's 1991 novel of the same name, dealing with the ethics of medical sacrifices. The film was directed by Michael Apted and starred Hugh Grant, Gene Hackman, Sarah Jessica Parker, and David Morse.

<i>Run Fatboy Run</i> 2007 film

Run Fatboy Run is a 2007 comedy film directed by David Schwimmer, written by Michael Ian Black and Simon Pegg, and starring Pegg, Dylan Moran, Thandiwe Newton, Harish Patel, India de Beaufort and Hank Azaria. It was released in the United Kingdom on 7 September 2007, in Canada on 10 September 2007, and in the United States on 28 March 2008.

<i>Henry Poole Is Here</i> 2008 American film

Henry Poole Is Here is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by Mark Pellington. The screenplay by Albert Torres focuses on a dying man whose religious neighbor insists the water stain on the side wall of his house is an image of Jesus Christ.

<i>The Informant!</i> 2009 film by Steven Soderbergh

The Informant! is a 2009 American biographical-crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh. Written by Scott Z. Burns, the film stars Matt Damon as the titular informant named Mark Whitacre, as well as Scott Bakula, Joel McHale and Melanie Lynskey. It depicts Whitacre's involvement as a whistleblower in the lysine price-fixing conspiracy of the mid-1990s, based on the 2000 nonfiction book The Informant, by journalist Kurt Eichenwald.

<i>Fired Up!</i> 2009 film by Will Gluck

Fired Up! is a 2009 American teen sex comedy film directed by Will Gluck who is also credited with writing the film under the pseudonym Freedom Jones. The film's plot revolves around two popular high school football players who decide to attend a cheerleading camp for the summer to get close to its 300 female cheerleaders. The film was released on February 2, 2009, by Screen Gems. The film received negative reviews from critics and audiences and was a commercial flop, having grossed $18.5 million against a $20 million budget.

<i>The Ghost Writer</i> (film) 2010 film by Roman Polanski

The Ghost Writer is a 2010 neo-noir political thriller film directed by Roman Polanski. The film is an adaptation of a 2007 Robert Harris novel, The Ghost, with the screenplay written by Polanski and Harris. It stars Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, and Olivia Williams.

<i>Trust</i> (2010 film) 2010 American film

Trust is a 2010 American drama thriller film directed by David Schwimmer and written by Andy Bellin and Robert Festinger, based on an uncredited story by Schwimmer. Starring Clive Owen, Catherine Keener, Jason Clarke, Liana Liberato, and Viola Davis, the film follows a fourteen-year-old girl who becomes a victim of sexual abuse after meeting a man posing as a teenage boy on an online chat room.

<i>Black and White</i> (1999 drama film) 1999 American film directed by James Toback

Black and White is a 1999 American film directed by James Toback and starring Robert Downey Jr., Gaby Hoffmann, Allan Houston, Jared Leto, Scott Caan, Claudia Schiffer, Brooke Shields, Bijou Phillips and members of the Wu-Tang Clan and Onyx. The film also features Ben Stiller as a sleazy police detective, as well as Mike Tyson playing himself and Michael B. Jordan in his film debut. It had its first showing at the Telluride Film Festival on September 4, 1999, followed by a second screening at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 15, 1999. It had its theatrical release in the United States on April 5, 2000.

<i>You Were Never Really Here</i> 2017 film by Lynne Ramsay

You Were Never Really Here is a 2017 neo-noir crime psychological thriller film written and directed by Lynne Ramsay. Based on the 2013 novella of the same name by Jonathan Ames, it stars Joaquin Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov, Alex Manette, John Doman, and Judith Roberts. In the film, a traumatized mercenary named Joe (Phoenix) is hired by a politician to find and rescue his daughter who has been kidnapped by a human trafficking network, which Joe is instructed to destroy by any violent means. The film was co-produced between the United Kingdom, France and the United States.

<i>Munger Road</i> (film) 2011 American film

Munger Road is a 2011 American independent horror film starring Bruce Davison. It is based on the haunted namesake road located in the state of Illinois. The film was written and directed by St. Charles native, Nicholas Smith.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Arlington Road (1999)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Arlington Road (1999) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  3. "Arlington Road (1998)". BBFC. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Masciotra, David (3 March 2023). "ARLINGTON ROAD: THE CONSPIRACY THRILLER THAT FORESAW THE SPREAD OF FAR-RIGHT EXTREMISM IN AMERICA". CrimeReads. Literary Hub. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Archives". Los Angeles Times . 15 September 1999.
  6. Weekend Box Office Results for July 9-11, 1999 - Box Office Mojo
  7. Arlington Road (1999) - Box Office Mojo
  8. Arlington Road (1999) - Box Office Mojo
  9. Arlington Road – Rotten Tomatoes
  10. 1 2 Ebert, Roger (July 9, 1999). "Arlington Road". RogerEbert.com. Chicago Sun-Times.
  11. Andreeva, Nellie (April 13, 2021). "'Arlington Road' TV Series Based On Movie In Works At Paramount+ From Mark Pellington & Seth Fisher". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 14, 2021.