Keys to Tulsa

Last updated
Keys to Tulsa
Keys to tulsa.jpg
Original film poster
Directed by Leslie Greif
Written by Harley Peyton
Based onKeys to Tulsa
by Brian Fair Berkey
Produced by
  • Leslie Greif
  • Harley Peyton
Starring
Cinematography Robert Fraisse
Edited by
  • Eric L. Beason
  • Louis Cioffi
  • Michael R. Miller
Music by Stephen Endelman
Production
companies
Distributed by Gramercy Pictures
Release date
  • April 11, 1997 (1997-04-11)
Running time
113 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$57,252 [1]

Keys to Tulsa is a 1997 American crime film directed by Leslie Greif in his directorial debut, written by Harley Peyton, and starring Eric Stoltz and James Spader. It is based on the 1991 novel of the same name by Brian Fair Berkey. There is an unrated version that runs 3 minutes longer than the theatrical release.

Contents

Plot

The story revolves around a perpetual loser and slacker named Richter Boudreau. Richter is from a privileged background in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and works as a movie reviewer at a local newspaper only because his sour widowed mother Cynthia pulled strings for him to land the job. He is dissatisfied with the direction that his life has taken; he is about to be fired any day from his job because he can't meet deadlines, he lives in a dilapidated farmhouse, he uses and sells drugs behind the scenes for some extra cash, and he is so irresponsible with life and finances in which he has gotten so far behind on his bills that his electricity has just been cut off which ruins a blind date he has in the opening scene with a neurotic gold-digger named Trudy.

Richter also owes money to Ronnie Stover, an abusive drug dealer who he deals with. Ronnie is married to Vicky, a beautiful woman who was disowned by her socially prominent family for her involvement with Ronnie. Richter is still in love with Vicky despite having ended their relationship many years before. Vicky is the sister of Keith, a misogynistic alcoholic whose large inheritance fails to soothe his anger, loneliness, and depression. Cherry is an exotic dancer from Chicago who buys drugs from Ronnie and gets romantically involved with Richter.

Richter learns that Ronnie plans to blackmail Bedford Shaw, the son of a socially prominent businessman named Harmon Shaw, after Cherry tells Richter that Bedford Shaw murdered her friend, a stripper/prostitute, in a motel room and that she took photographs. Ronnie attempts to involve Richter by having him hold on to a mysterious black pouch and by exploiting Richter's newspaper connections. Richter wants no part of the blackmail scheme. But he gets in over his head when Keith discovers that Richter has been sleeping with Vicky.

Cast

Production and casting

Shooting occurred in both Dallas, Texas and Tulsa, Oklahoma, despite being set entirely in Tulsa. The scenes at the offices of Richter's newspaper were shot in the headquarters of the Dallas Observer .

For the role of Ronnie Stover, James Spader dyed his hair from light brown to black. [2] Spader was friends with co-star Eric Stoltz, who also worked with him on The New Kids (1985) and 2 Days in the Valley (1996). Stoltz has said that Spader helped him get cast in 2 Days in the Valley, and that he in turn helped Spader get cast in Keys to Tulsa. Spader remembered that, "Eric just returned the favor with a movie we shot six months after 2 Days called Keys to Tulsa. He read the script and convinced the producer that I'd be great as a drug dealer." [3] In an interview on the Dallas set of the film with Entertainment Tonight , Stoltz said he was excited to be working with Mary Tyler Moore, saying that "it's always a little shocking to look up and have a line like 'Oh Come on Mom', and you're looking at Mary Tyler Moore, and you think 'Oh, that's Mary Tyler Moore!'." [4] In this same interview, Moore said she was moving away from television roles at the time because she believed that the medium didn't have the same impact that it was once did. Moore had not appeared in many theatrical films during the late 1980s and early-mid 1990s, saying in the interview that "it's not so much that I've been selective, as big screen has been selective. There aren't that many roles that are interesting, so I don't do this as often as I'd like to." [4]

Music

The soundtrack prominently features the Australian didgeridoo instrument, performed by Graham Wiggins. The scene where Joanna Going's character Cherry performs a strip routine includes the 1994 song "Little Suicides" by singer Lori Carson and her band The Golden Palominos, even though the original novel was set in the late 1980s Reagan era.

Release and reception

Keys to Tulsa received a limited theatrical release in the United States during April 1997. [5] [6] [7] It was reviewed on the April 12, 1997 episode of Siskel and Ebert , which coincidentally also featured a review of another Eric Stoltz film, Anaconda . [8] It received a thumbs down from both Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. The San Francisco Chronicle stated it had "far too many minor characters", as well as "[more] than enough for three or four mediocre movies." [9] Marc Savlov of The Austin Chronicle remarked in 1997, "When a film with a cast this stellar falls flat on its face like this one does, well, it makes you wanna holler." [10] Savlov also noted that, "After the romantic interlude of Joanna Going's performance in Still Breathing (which to date has only screened at film festivals -- such as SXSW), it's a shock, of sorts, to see her as an alcoholic topless dancer with a penchant for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not a bad shock, mind you, just, you know, a shock. She's miscast." [10]

Deseret News movie critic Chris Hicks criticized the film in his April 1997 review. He wrote, "Writer-director Leslie Greif ( Heaven's Prisoners , Meet Wally Sparks ) has allowed some racist underpinnings to creep in as his characters refer with some frequency to black people by using a particularly unpleasant epithet. And there aren't any black characters to balance the film, save one — a hooker who is brutally violated and beaten to death." [11] Hicks concluded his review by remarking, "There are some solid laughs early on, and if the humor had held up throughout it might have redeemed the picture. But instead, the film just meanders along until it runs completely out of steam." [11]

A more positive review came from Variety's Todd McCarthy, who called it a "wonderfully written and performed comic crime meller." [12] He states, "Keys to Tulsa might seem on paper to be one more unneeded, late-in-the-cycle Tarantino retread. But this distinctively tasty dish adroitly mixes its genre ingredients with fresh takes on class grudges, Great Plains lifestyles, generational and family strains and life stasis in a way that makes it a satisfying meal unto itself [...] Peyton’s beautifully constructed script nails the shifting motivations and subtext of every scene and provides spiky dialogue to boot. The colorfully eclectic cast also delivers in spades, with Stoltz holding his own as 'the black sheep son of a black sheep'." [12]

It was given a UK theatrical release during August 1997. British critic Ryan Gilbey, writing for The Independent , remarked, "What on earth is going on in Keys to Tulsa? [...] this nonsensical picture appears to have been directed by a coma victim and edited by an axe maniac." [13]

In his 1999 book Cinema of Outsiders: The Rise of American Independent Film, Emanuel Levy wrote that, "The Tarantino effect seems to be in decline, judging by the failure of such offshoots as Keys to Tulsa (1997) and Very Bad Things (1998). Harley Peyton's script from Brian Fair Berkey's novel is deft and witty, but Leslie Grief's awkward direction in Keys to Tulsa lacks modulation and visual style." [14] Keys to Tulsa was included in Magill's Cinema Annual 1998: A Survey of the Films of 1997, with the book characterizing it as being "long on bizarre, colorful characters, but short on any kind of cohesive, interesting plot." [15]

Home video

The film was released to the American VHS market on September 2, 1997. [16] It came in both rated and unrated versions, with the latter including several instances of nudity involving Joanna Going's character. That year, it was also released on LaserDisc in the United States and Japan (where the film was titled Blackmail). [17] [18] On December 17, 2002, it was released to DVD by Artisan. [19] Liberation Hall later reissued the film on DVD in December 2020. [20]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Outsiders</i> (novel) 1967 novel by S. E. Hinton

The Outsiders is a coming-of-age novel by S.E. Hinton published in 1967 by Viking Press. The book details the conflict between two rival gangs of White Americans divided by their socioeconomic status: the working-class "Greasers" and the upper-middle-class "Socs". The story is told in first-person perspective by teenage protagonist Ponyboy Curtis, and takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1965, although this is never explicitly stated in the book.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Stoltz</span> American actor, director and film producer

Eric Stoltz is an American actor, director and producer. He played Rocky Dennis in the biographical drama film Mask (1985), which earned him the nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.

<i>Some Kind of Wonderful</i> (film) 1987 American romantic drama film by Howard Deutch

Some Kind of Wonderful is a 1987 American teen romantic drama film directed by Howard Deutch and starring Eric Stoltz, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Lea Thompson. It is one of several successful teen dramas written by John Hughes in the 1980s. Blue-collar teen Keith goes out with the popular Amanda, a girl he's always dreamed of dating. Her ex-boyfriend plots revenge on him, while Keith's tomboy best friend Watts realizes she has feelings for Keith. The film had its premiere in Hollywood on February 23, 1987, and widely released theatrically in the United States on February 27.

Joanna Gleason is a Canadian-American actress and singer. She is a Tony Award–winning musical theatre actress and has also had a number of notable film and TV roles. She is known for originating the role of the Baker's Wife in Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. She is also known for her film work in Mike Nichols' Heartburn (1986), Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), and Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (1997). She has had television roles in shows such as ER, Friends, The West Wing, The Good Wife and The Affair.

While the music of Oklahoma is relatively young, Oklahoma has been a state for just over 100 years, and it has a rich history and many fine and influential musicians.

<i>2 Days in the Valley</i> 1996 film by John Herzfeld

2 Days in the Valley is a 1996 American neo noir crime black comedy film written and directed by John Herzfeld. The film stars Danny Aiello, Greg Cruttwell, Jeff Daniels, Teri Hatcher, Glenne Headly, Peter Horton, Marsha Mason, Paul Mazursky, James Spader, Eric Stoltz, and Charlize Theron. Marketed in the UK as Two Days in the Valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Gunton</span> American film, television, and theatre actor

Bob Gunton is an American character actor of stage and screen. He is known for playing strict authoritarian characters, including Warden Samuel Norton in the 1994 prison drama The Shawshank Redemption, Chief George Earle in 1993's Demolition Man, Dr. Walcott, the domineering dean of Virginia Medical School in Patch Adams, and Secretary of State Cyrus Vance in Argo. He also played Leland Owlsley in the Daredevil television series, Secretary of Defense Ethan Kanin in 24, and Noah Taylor in Desperate Housewives.

Under the Radar is an American music magazine that features interviews with accompanying photo-shoots. Each issue includes opinion and commentary of the indie music scene as well as reviews of books, DVDs, and albums. The magazine posts web-exclusive interviews and reviews on its website.

<i>Caprica</i> 2010 science fiction TV-series

Caprica is a 2010 American science fiction drama television series, which is a prequel spin-off of the 2004–2009 series Battlestar Galactica. Caprica is set 58 years before the main series, and shows how humanity first created the Cylon androids who would later turn against their human masters. Among Caprica's main characters are the father and uncle of William Adama, the man who becomes the senior surviving military leader of the fleet which represents the remnants of the Twelve Colonies in Battlestar Galactica.

Fire by Nite was a Christian variety show produced by Willie George Ministries in Tulsa, Oklahoma. FBN was hosted by Blaine Bartel for most of its production and marketed primarily to Christian youth. Episodes typically centered on a relevant theme intermixed with comedic skits, interviews with popular Christian musicians, musical performances, and light evangelism.

<i>Trois</i> 2000 erotic thriller film

Trois is a 2000 erotic thriller film directed by Rob Hardy and produced by William Packer. It stars Gary Dourdan, Kenya Moore and Gretchen Palmer. The film was given a limited theatrical release and was one of the year's highest grossing African American-oriented films as well as one of the top fifty highest grossing independent films of 2000. The film was followed by two sequels, Trois 2: Pandora's Box (2002) and Trois: The Escort (2004).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joanna Moore</span> American actress (1934–1997)

Joanna Moore was an American film and television actress, who, between 1956 and 1976, appeared in 17 feature films and guest-starred in nearly a hundred television series episodes. After 1976, personal problems derailed her career and she landed only two minor film roles.

The Razzie Award for Worst Screen Combo is an award presented at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst movie pairing or cast of the past year. The following is a list of nominees and recipients of the awards, along with the film(s) for which they were nominated.

"'The Thin White Line" is the fourteenth episode of the first season of the American crime-thriller television series Millennium. It premiered on the Fox network on February 14, 1997. The episode was written by Glen Morgan and James Wong and directed by Thomas J. Wright. "The Thin White Line" featured guest appearances by Jeremy Roberts and Scott Heindl.

"Episode 6", also known as "Realization Time", is the seventh episode of the first season of the American mystery television series Twin Peaks. The episode was written by Harley Peyton, and directed by Caleb Deschanel. "Episode 6" features series regulars Kyle MacLachlan, Sherilyn Fenn and Eric Da Re, with guest appearances by Chris Mulkey and David Patrick Kelly.

The Heart of Justice, is a 1992 television film starring Eric Stoltz, Jennifer Connelly, Dermot Mulroney and Dennis Hopper. It was Vincent Price's final acting role before his death in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vincent Hubbard</span> Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Vincent Hubbard is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Richard Blackwood. He was introduced by executive producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins during the show's 30th anniversary celebrations, and was later revealed to be the husband of Kim Fox. He made his first appearance on 17 February 2015 during the show's 5015th episode, and returned on two occasions on 19 February, one of which was in a flashback episode in which he gives Ronnie Mitchell a gun. During these appearances, he is only credited as "Vincent", concealing his connection to Kim. He returned as a regular character on 21 April 2015.

<i>Last Rampage</i> 2017 American film

Last Rampage is a 2017 American crime drama film directed by Dwight Little. The screenplay by Alvaro Rodriguez and Jason Rosenblatt is based on the non-fiction book Last Rampage: The Escape of Gary Tison by University of Arizona Political Science Professor James W. Clarke, and details the true story of Tison's 1978 prison escape and subsequent murders. The film stars Robert Patrick as Tison, Heather Graham as his wife Dorothy, and Chris Browning as his accomplice Randy Greenawalt. Bruce Davison plays a fictional law enforcement official pursuing Tison, and Alex MacNicoll, Skyy Moore, and Casey Thomas Brown portray Tison's three sons.

References

  1. ↑ Keys To Tulsa at Box Office Mojo
  2. ↑ "SPADER GETS THE KINKS OUT". 15 September 2002.
  3. ↑ https://www.mcall.com/1996/09/28/spotlight-on-eric-stoltz-valley-is-yet-another-peak-in-actors-twisting-career-path/ [ bare URL ]
  4. 1 2 Interview on the set of Keys to Tulsa, Entertainment Tonight
  5. ↑ Boxoffice. April 1997
  6. ↑ "3rd Taos fest wraps; Marks wins acreage". Variety. Apr 15, 1997. Retrieved Sep 19, 2020.
  7. ↑ Roman, Monica (Apr 22, 1997). "'Amy' wide move makes room at the top for 'Anna'" . Retrieved Sep 19, 2020.
  8. ↑ Star Tribune , Apr 6, 1997, p. 264
  9. ↑ Shulgasser, Barbara (Apr 11, 1997). "'Keys to Tulsa' won't open many doors or eyes". SFGate. Retrieved Sep 19, 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Movie Review: Keys to Tulsa". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved Sep 19, 2020.
  11. 1 2 "Film review: Keys to Tulsa". Deseret News. Apr 11, 1997. Retrieved Sep 19, 2020.
  12. 1 2 McCarthy, Todd (Apr 13, 1997). "Keys to Tulsa" . Retrieved Sep 19, 2020.
  13. ↑ "It's all in your mind". The Independent. Aug 21, 1997. Retrieved Sep 19, 2020.
  14. ↑ Levy, Emanuel (September 1999). Cinema of Outsiders: The Rise of American Independent Film. NYU Press. p. 150. ISBN   9780814752890 . Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  15. ↑ Fhaner, Beth A. (1998). Magill's Cinema Annual 1998: A Survey of the Films of 1997. Visible Ink Press. ISBN   9781578590568 . Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  16. ↑ Hettrick, Scott (Oct 10, 1997). "'ANACONDA'A WILD RIDE". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved Aug 14, 2020.
  17. ↑ https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/07851/ID4000PG/Keys-to-Tulsa [ bare URL ]
  18. ↑ https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/25798/PILF-2356/Keys-to-Tulsa-(Blackmail) [ bare URL ]
  19. ↑ "DVD Talk".
  20. ↑ "Amazon.com". Amazon.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.