Leaves of Grass | |
---|---|
Directed by | Tim Blake Nelson |
Written by | Tim Blake Nelson |
Produced by |
|
Starring |
|
Cinematography | Roberto Schaefer |
Edited by | Michelle Botticelli |
Music by | Jeff Danna |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Millennium Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 105 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $9 million [1] |
Box office | $1,018,753 [1] |
Leaves of Grass is a 2009 American black comedy film written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson. It stars Edward Norton as twin brothers, alongside Richard Dreyfuss, Nelson, Susan Sarandon, Melanie Lynskey and Keri Russell.
Set in Nelson's home state of Oklahoma, most of the film was actually filmed in northwestern Louisiana, which was selected for its generous film production incentives. A few scenes were filmed in Tulsa. [2] [3]
Leaves of Grass was featured at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival, [4] and had a limited domestic release by First Look Studios on just six screen April 2, 2010. [5] It failed to impress at the domestic box office, earning a meager US$70,066 in ticket sales against a production budget of US$ 9,000,000. [6] Critical reception was slightly positive, but mixed. [7] The film fared much better internationally, earning US$948,687. [1]
Bill Kincaid is lecturing his class at Brown University about Plato's Socratic dialogues. Meanwhile, Bill's identical twin brother Brady Kincaid is living in Oklahoma, growing and selling hydroponic cannabis. Brady is under pressure from local drug lord Pug Rothbaum to expand his sales. Despite needing money to repay a debt to Rothbaum, Brady refuses.
After a phone call from Brady's partner Bolger telling him that Brady has died from a crossbow arrow, Bill flies to Tulsa, meeting a Jewish orthodontist on the plane. In Tulsa, Bill is mistaken for Brady and is beaten up and knocked unconscious by rival marijuana dealers angry that Brady has taken half their territory. When Bill wakes, he finds that Brady is alive and has tricked him into travelling to Tulsa. Brady asks Bill to pretend to be Brady while he goes up state to "take care" of Rothbaum. Bill initially refuses, but later agrees, after meeting local poet Janet as he wants to stay and get to know her better.
While Bill (pretending to be Brady) visits their mother, thus giving Brady an alibi, Bolger and Brady go to a synagogue in Tulsa, where Rothbaum is listening to a sermon. Also present is Ken Feinman, the orthodontist Bill met on the plane. He sees Brady and mistakes him for Bill. Brady and Bolger leave with Rothbaum, and Rothbaum demands the money Brady owes him. When Rothbaum threatens to kill them if they don't pay up, Bolger shoots Rothbaum's thugs, and Brady stabs Rothbaum, killing him.
In Tulsa, Ken Feinman hears of Rothbaum's murder and figures everything out. He purchases a gun and sets off for Brady's house, where he encounters Bill and Brady and threatens to shoot them. Bill takes the gun from him but Ken panics and uses Bolger's rifle to shoot Brady, after which Bill shoots Ken in retaliation. Before dying, Brady tells Bill to place the gun in his hand, which Bill does.
After an abortive attempt to sell Brady's dope-growing system to one of Brady's former rivals, Bill is shot through the chest by a crossbow. Bolger frantically drives him to hospital, saving Bill's life, and thereby repaying his debt to Brady (who had saved his life in prison). Bill is forced to stay in Tulsa for a long recuperation after his injury, allowing him time to heal his relationship with his mother and develop his romance with Janet.
The film featured the following songs: [9]
The film premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. Film critic Roger Ebert stated that he considered it his favorite of the festival. [10] The film was not picked up for distribution at TIFF, so producer Avi Lerner planned to release it on April 2, 2010 through his own First Look Studios. This plan was abandoned on April 1 when Telepathic Studios gave Lerner enough funds to give the film a wider Summer 2010 release, due to positive reception at South by Southwest. [11] For unknown reasons, this plan was also scrapped; ultimately, Leaves of Grass debuted theatrically on just six screens, grossing a little over $1 million worldwide. [1] [5]
DVD and Blu-ray versions of the film were released on October 12, 2010, [12] and an extended edition is sold exclusively on Blu-ray with an additional 46 minutes of content.[ citation needed ]
Leaves of Grass received mixed reviews from film critics, with praise being given to Norton's dual performance. Rotten Tomatoes reports that 61% of 38 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 5.66/10. The website's critical consensus states that "Edward Norton delivers one of his finest performances in Leaves of Grass, but he's overpowered by the movie's many jarring tonal shifts." [7] Metacritic, assigned the film a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, based on reviews from 10 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [13]
"Leaves of Grass has the structure and the elements of a classical Greek drama: There's treachery, mistaken identity, deadly plots, and ambition; that it takes place in the middle of Oklahoma is almost irrelevant", said Paul Constant. [14] Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars, and stated that "Tim Blake Nelson's Leaves of Grass is some kind of sweet, wacky masterpiece. It takes all sorts of risks, including a dual role with Edward Norton playing twin brothers, and it pulls them off." [15] He closed his review with "Here's a quote for the video box: 'One of the year's best!' No, Tim Blake Nelson...thank you." [15] Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times also gave a positive review, particularly praising that "Edward Norton turns in not just one but two terrific performances in "Leaves of Grass," an offbeat thriller that is deepened — rather than derailed — by its tricky shift from darkly funny to just plain dark." He also praised Richard Dreyfuss, Susan Sarandon, and Josh Pais for their performances. [16] Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times gave it an "NYT Critics' Pick", and particular praised the actors, saying "Mr. Norton is a pleasure to watch, and so is everyone else." He also approved of how the "film keeps you deliciously off-balance: it’s funny and unnerving at the same time." [17] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly stated that "the movie bubbles with intellectual curiosity and narrative ambition. And for that I dig it, even if Leaves of Grass has the habit of swerving and sometimes lurching from tone to tone." She praised the acting of Norton and Keri Russell. On an A to F scale, she gave the film a B+. [18]
The film was not without its detractors. Dennis Harvey of Variety stated that "Nelson's script isn't blackly comic or deep enough to successfully accommodate the introduction of jarring violence," and criticized the subplot of Pais' character, Dreyfuss' performance, and the "perfunctory" romance between Norton and Russell. He strongly praised Norton's acting, stating that his dual-role "is very much the main attraction, and reward, of 'Leaves of Grass.'", and also praised Nelson's acting, stating that "Nelson himself provides the most valuable support in the colorful if variable cast." [19] Rex Reed of New York Observer was extremely critical, particularly of Nelson, saying "It’s just another oblique backfire from Tim Blake Nelson, whose work as a writer-director in general wallows in a bog of mediocrity" and that "Nelson, a cornball actor at best, is over the top as a larcenous Pa Kettle of a redneck sidekick." He finished his review stating that "The mirror-has-two-faces-idea is nothing new. From Bette Davis in Dead Ringer to Sam Rockwell in Moon , dozens of seasoned actors have lit each other’s cigarettes while the audience thinks it’s seeing double, and they’ve done it in much better pictures than this one. In Leaves of Grass, it seems irrelevant and recycled—essentially nothing more than a gimmick that wears out fast." He gave the film a rating of two out of four. [20]
Timothy Blake Nelson is an American actor and playwright. Described as a "modern character actor", his roles include Delmar O'Donnell in O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), Gideon in Minority Report (2002), Doctor Steve Pendanski in Holes (2003), Doctor Jonathan Jacobo in Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), Danny Dalton Jr. in Syriana (2005), Samuel Sterns in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Richard Schell in Lincoln (2012), the titular character of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) and Henry McCarty in Old Henry (2021). He portrayed Wade Tillman / Looking Glass in the HBO limited series Watchmen (2019), for which he received a Critics' Choice Television Awards nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2020.
William James Murray is an American actor and comedian, known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas.
Edward Harrison Norton is an American actor and producer. After graduating from Yale College in 1991 with a degree in history, he worked for a few months in Japan before moving to Manhattan to pursue an acting career. He gained recognition and critical acclaim for his debut in Primal Fear (1996), which earned him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination in the same category. His role as a redeemed neo-Nazi in American History X (1998) earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He also starred in the film Fight Club (1999), which garnered a cult following.
Timothy Francis Robbins is an American actor, director, and producer. He is best known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film The Shawshank Redemption (1994), and Jacob Singer in Jacob's Ladder (1990), as well as winning an Academy Award and Golden Globe award for his role in Mystic River (2003) and another Golden Globe for The Player (1992).
Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy sports film. It is partly based upon the minor-league baseball experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor-league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina.
Cross Canadian Ragweed was an American rock band formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1994. The band consisted of Cody Canada, Grady Cross (guitar), Randy Ragsdale (drums), and Jeremy Plato. The group released five studio albums and three live albums from 1994 until 2010. The band was at the forefront of the rise of the red dirt music scene in Oklahoma and the Texas Music scene. After almost 15 years together, the group disbanded in 2010.
Leon Russell was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and roll, country, gospel, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, southern rock, blues rock, folk, surf and the Tulsa sound. His recordings earned six gold records and he received two Grammy Awards from seven nominations. In 1973 Billboard named Russell the "Top Concert Attraction in the World". In 2011, he was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Gregory's Girl is a 1980 Scottish coming-of-age romantic comedy film written and directed by Bill Forsyth and starring John Gordon Sinclair, Dee Hepburn and Clare Grogan. The film is set in and around a state secondary school in the Abronhill district of Cumbernauld.
Elizabethtown is a 2005 American romantic tragicomedy film written and directed by Cameron Crowe and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Its story follows a young shoe designer, Drew Baylor, who is fired from his job after costing his company an industry record of nearly one billion dollars. On the verge of suicide, Drew receives a call from his sister telling him that their father has died while visiting their former hometown of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Deciding to postpone his suicide and bring their father's body back to Oregon, he then becomes involved in an unexpected romance with Claire Colburn, whom he meets near the start of his journey. Elizabethtown stars Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, Alec Baldwin, and Susan Sarandon.
A Very Brady Sequel is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Arlene Sanford, with a screenplay by Harry Elfont, Deborah Kaplan, James Berg and Stan Zimmerman, and starring Shelley Long, Gary Cole and Tim Matheson. It also features cameos from RuPaul, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Rosie O'Donnell, Barbara Eden, David Spade, and Richard Belzer.
The Tulsa World is an American daily newspaper. It serves the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. The printed edition is the second-most circulated newspaper in the state, after The Oklahoman.
Tulsa is a 1949 American Western action film directed by Stuart Heisler and starring Susan Hayward and Robert Preston, and featured Lloyd Gough, Chill Wills, and Ed Begley in one of his earliest film roles, billed as Edward Begley.
Dead Man Walking is a 1995 American crime drama film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn, and co-produced and directed by Tim Robbins, who adapted the screenplay from the 1993 non-fiction book of the same name.
Jay Cronley was an American newspaper columnist for the Tulsa World and the author of many works of humorous fiction, including Fall Guy, Good Vibes, Quick Change, and Funny Farm. Cronley became a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame in 2002.
Tempest is a 1982 American adventure comedy-drama romance film directed by Paul Mazursky. It is a loose modern-day adaptation of the Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The picture features John Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands, Susan Sarandon, Raúl Juliá and Molly Ringwald in her feature film debut.
Tex is a 1982 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Tim Hunter in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Charles S. Haas and Hunter, based on S. E. Hinton's best-selling 1979 novel of the same name. It follows two teenage brothers in rural Oklahoma and their struggle to grow up after their mother's death and their father's departure. The film stars Matt Dillon in the title role, with Jim Metzler, Meg Tilly, Emilio Estevez, in his film debut, Bill McKinney, Frances Lee McCain and Ben Johnson in supporting roles. Metzler was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his performance.
Eye of God is a 1997 crime drama film written and directed by Tim Blake Nelson and adapted from his stage play of the same name. It stars Martha Plimpton, Kevin Anderson, Nick Stahl, and Hal Holbrook. The film follows two plot lines which are revealed to be connected in a nonlinear narrative.
"It's Summer and We're Running Out of Ice" is the pilot episode of the HBO superhero drama miniseries Watchmen, based on the 1986 DC Comics series of the same name by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The episode was written by Damon Lindelof and directed by Nicole Kassell, and aired on October 20, 2019. The episode introduces the show's lead characters of Angela Abar/Sister Night, Judd Crawford, and Wade Tillman/Looking Glass.
Old Henry is a 2021 American western action drama film written and directed by Potsy Ponciroli. It stars Tim Blake Nelson as the titular character, a farmer who must protect his son from outlaws, with Scott Haze, Gavin Lewis, Trace Adkins, and Stephen Dorff in supporting roles. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 7, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United States by Shout! Studios on October 1. It was critically acclaimed, with praise to the story, Ponciroli's direction, and Nelson's performance. The National Board of Review selected the film in its annual list of the Top Ten Independent Films of the year.
Asleep in My Palm is a 2023 American drama film written and directed by Henry Nelson. The story follows Tom and Beth Anne, a homeless father and his daughter living near a college in rural Ohio, as they try to survive the winter. Jared Abrahamson, Grant Harvey, Gus Birney, and David Aaron Baker also star.
"I tried to film 'Leaves of Grass' in Oklahoma but it was literally about a million dollars less to shoot in Louisiana," Nelson said. "It's up to Oklahoma to remain competitive with tax incentives. That's what's pulling movies to these states."