Stuck (2007 film)

Last updated
Stuck
Stuckposter07.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Stuart Gordon
Screenplay byJohn Strysik
Story byStuart Gordon
Produced by Jay Firestone
Ken Gord
Stuart Gordon
Robert Katz
Zenon Yunko
Starring Mena Suvari
Stephen Rea
CinematographyDenis Maloney
Edited byAndy Horvitch
Music by Bobby Johnston
Production
companies
Amicus Entertainment
Prodigy Pictures
Grana Pictures
Distributed by THINKFilm
Image Entertainment
Release dates
  • August 1, 2007 (2007-08-01)(Fantasy Film Festival)
  • May 30, 2008 (2008-05-30)(United States)
Running time
85 minutes
CountriesCanada
United States
United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$146,154 [1]

Stuck is a 2007 black comedy thriller film directed by Stuart Gordon and starring Mena Suvari and Stephen Rea, with a plot inspired by the true story of the murder of Gregory Glenn Biggs. The film premiered on May 21, 2007 at the Cannes Film Market. It was later adapted in Bollywood as Accident on Hill Road starring Celina Jaitley in Mena Suvari's role. It was the final film Gordon directed before his death.

Contents

Plot

In Providence, Rhode Island, Thomas "Tom" Bardo (Stephen Rea) is having a particularly bad day; not only has his unemployment run out, but he has also been evicted from his apartment. Retirement-home caregiver Brandi Boski (Mena Suvari), who is potentially up for a promotion at work, celebrates with a night of drinking and MDMA before driving home. On the way, Brandi hits Tom with her car and he becomes trapped in her windshield. Afraid of being arrested, Brandi continues to drive home with the promise that she will get Tom help. However, believing that reporting the accident will destroy her life, she opts to take a taxi to work the next day, leaving him to die slowly in her garage. When Tom realizes this, he painfully tries to escape.

Tom does everything he can to get out of the situation. He beeps the horn and pulls himself from a shard of glass. Eventually, he is able to get a young neighbor boy's attention, but the boy's family, who are illegal immigrants, don't want to get involved. Later, a dog being walked by his owner comes across Tom, but the owner mistakenly thinks the dog has gotten into the garbage.

Brandi enlists the help of her boyfriend, Rashid (Russell Hornsby), in an attempt to kill and dispose of Tom. Rashid is a drug dealer who claims that he's disposed of people before. Meanwhile, Tom is able to pull himself from the windshield, but before he can escape from the garage, Rashid and Brandi restrain him. They go back into Brandi's house and decide to kill Tom and hide the evidence by burning both Tom's corpse and the car.

Rashid returns to the garage and prepares to shoot the apparently unconscious Tom with a revolver. But Tom, secretly awake, manages to stab Rashid through the eye with a concealed pen, killing him. During the brawl, a shot is discharged from the gun, prompting Brandi to investigate. Tom tries to start the car, but Brandi enters the garage before he is able to do so. Tom knocks Brandi over and limps out of the garage towards the street, taking Rashid's gun with him.

Brandi pursues Tom, wielding a hammer from the garage. Tom pleads with Brandi to stay back, not wanting to fire on her, but she subdues him with the hammer. She drags Tom back to the garage and, in a panic, begins dousing the room with gasoline. She hopes that the police will conclude that Tom broke in, attacked Rashid, and accidentally became engulfed in flames while trying to burn the garage down. However, Tom is able to sneak back into the car, start it and drive forwards, pinning Brandi against the back of the garage.

Brandi begs for help, while Tom steps out of the car and lights a match. He asks why she didn't help him, and Brandi says she doesn't know and continues to plead for her life. Tom decides to spare Brandi and extinguishes the match. Brandi suddenly produces Rashid's revolver and fires on Tom, who ducks beside the car. A stray bullet ignites the gasoline, setting Brandi aflame. As she screams in pain, burning to death, Tom struggles to the front of the garage and is able to open the door. Tom stumbles out onto the driveway and collapses as neighbors surround him, alerted by the fire. Tom is helped away and turns to look back at the burning garage, where Brandi's screaming has ceased.

Cast

Production

The film marks the first production under the newly reformed Amicus Productions. [2] It was filmed in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. [3]

Release

The film premiered May 21, 2007 at the Cannes Film Market. It was also shown at the Toronto International Film Festival, Atlantic Film Festival, Edmonton International Film Festival, Wisconsin Film Festival, Philadelphia Film Festival, and RiverRun International Film Festival. Stuck opened in limited release in the United States on May 30, 2008.[ citation needed ]

Reception

Stuck received generally favorable reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 73% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 91 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Steeped in gallows humor, Stuck is a taut, tense examination of a tragic accident." [4] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 61 out of 100, based on 25 reviews. [5]

Stephen Holden of The New York Times called the film a "grim, expert little thriller." Holden compared the character Tom Bardo and the setting of the film to director Stuart Gordon's 2005 film Edmond (in which Suvari also appeared). Holden wrote "Stuck, while not strictly a horror film, is steeped in gore and carries a seam of mocking gallows humor as relentless as that of Sweeney Todd ." Holden said the film "is exceptional because its characters feel like real people plunged into a disorienting situation in which they behave like monsters." [6] Ken Fox of TV Guide gave the film 3 stars out of 4, and called the film "a drum-tight, extremely grisly thriller. And odd as it may sound given the subject matter, it's also surprisingly funny." Fox praised the script by John Strysik, calling it "blackly funny" and said "Rea does quite a bit with a role that keeps him face down and bleeding like a stuck pig for most of the movie, but this is definitely Suvari's show." [7]

Robert Wilonsky of The Village Voice said "Stuck is both darkly comic and disgusting; the name alone reduces the crime to a sick joke." [8] Joe Leydon of Variety said "Stuck is ingeniously nasty and often shockingly funny as it incrementally worsens a very bad situation, then provides a potent payoff..." Leydon called it a "darkly comical farce" and said it could generate a cult following through a "carefully calibrated theatrical rollout, especially if it generates want-to-see buzz in key regions of the blogosphere." Leydon called the script "crafty" and the director Stuart Gordon "establishes a heightened-reality tone of bleak hilarity early on." Leydon said the film "overall has the look and feel of a tawdry B-movie. Whether that's due to budgetary limitations or artistic inspiration, it serves the material well." [9]

J.R. Jones of the Chicago Reader said "As the title of this splatter comedy by writer-director Stuart Gordon ( Re-Animator ) indicates, [Tom]'s like a bug stuck to her windshield, and that's about the level of humanity and insight one can expect here." [10]

The film appeared on some critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008. Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club named it the 7th best film of 2008, [11] and Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club named it the 10th best film of 2008. [11]

In the book The New American Crime Film, scholar Matthew Sorrento describes the film as using "widespread media fodder to create a tale of isolated torment that is, like Edmond, minimalistic and absurdist[.... It] moves beneath moral judgment to depict the humanity of those caught in tough spots." [12]

Box office

The film opened in limited release in the United States on May 30, 2008 and grossed $8,844 in 2 theaters. [13] It was shown in as many as 16 theaters as of June 6, 2008. [13]

The film grossed $146,154 worldwide — $67,505 in the United States and $78,649 in other territories. [1]

Awards and nominations

Director Stuart Gordon won the Silver Raven award at the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film and also the Staff Prize for Narrative Feature at the San Francisco Indiefest for the film. [14]

Inspiration

Stuck was based on the true story of Chante Jawan Mallard, a Texas nursing assistant who received 50 years in prison for the murder of a homeless man, Gregory Biggs. She hit Biggs, while driving impaired, and he became lodged in her windshield after the collision. She drove home, parked her car in the garage with Biggs still lodged, alive and conscious, in the windshield. While she did go out to apologize to Biggs, she failed to call for any assistance and left him to bleed to death. Mallard and two accomplices then took the body to a local park, where it was discovered. She was arrested four months later after bragging about the incident at a party. The Fort Worth Medical Examiner and other experts all testified at the trial that basic first responder care would have saved Biggs' life.

The film attracted some criticism for whitewashing. White actor Mena Suvari, in cornrows, plays a character based on Chante Jawan Mallard, who is of African American descent. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>American Pie 2</i> 2001 US comedy film directed by J. B. Rogers

American Pie 2 is a 2001 American sex comedy film directed by James B. Rogers and written by Adam Herz and David H. Steinberg from a story by Herz. A sequel to the 1999 comedy film American Pie, it is the second film in the American Pie series and stars Jason Biggs, Shannon Elizabeth, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas, and Eugene Levy. The film follows the sexual exploits of five friends – Jim, Kevin, Stifler, Oz, and Finch – and their attempts to have the greatest summer party ever at a summer beach house.

<i>American Wedding</i> 2003 American comedy film directed by Jesse Dylan

American Wedding is a 2003 American sex comedy film written by Adam Herz and directed by Jesse Dylan. It is the sequel to American Pie (1999) and American Pie 2 (2001), and the third of the American Pie franchise.

On October 26, 2001, twenty-five-year-old nursing assistant Chante Jawan Mallard murdered 37-year-old Gregory Glenn Biggs, a homeless man, with her automobile, in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. The force of the crash lodged Biggs into the windshield. Mallard then drove home and left the man lodged in the windshield of her car, parked in her garage. He died two to three days later, according to police. Mallard was convicted and sentenced to 50 years imprisonment for murder, but will be eligible for parole in 2027.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mena Suvari</span> American actress (born 1979)

Mena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, producer, fashion designer and model. After beginning her career as a model and guest-starring on several television shows, she made her film debut in the 1997 black comedy drama Nowhere. The accolades she has received include a Screen Actors Guild award, along with a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

<i>That Darn Cat</i> (1997 film) 1997 American film by Bob Spiers

That Darn Cat is a 1997 American mystery comedy film directed by Bob Spiers, written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, and starring Christina Ricci and Doug E. Doug. It is a remake of the 1965 film That Darn Cat!, which in turn was based on the 1963 book Undercover Cat by Gordon and Mildred Gordon.

<i>Spun</i> 2002 film by Jonas Åkerlund

Spun is a 2002 American black comedy crime drama film directed by Jonas Åkerlund from an original screenplay by William De Los Santos and Creighton Vero, based on three days of De Los Santos's life in the Eugene, Oregon drug subculture. The film stars Jason Schwartzman, John Leguizamo, Mena Suvari, Patrick Fugit, Peter Stormare, Alexis Arquette, Deborah Harry, Rob Halford, Eric Roberts, Chloe Hunter, Nicholas Gonzalez, Brittany Murphy, and Mickey Rourke.

<i>Loser</i> (film) 2000 film by Amy Heckerling

Loser is a 2000 American teen romantic comedy film written and directed by Amy Heckerling. Starring Jason Biggs, Mena Suvari and Greg Kinnear, it is about a fish-out-of-water college student (Biggs) who falls for a classmate (Suvari), unaware she is in a relationship with their English teacher (Kinnear). The film, Heckerling's first after 1995's Clueless and a remake of the 1960 film The Apartment, was a box-office failure and received negative reviews.

<i>American Pie</i> (film) 1999 American film

American Pie is a 1999 American coming-of-age teen sex comedy film directed and co-produced by Paul Weitz and written by Adam Herz. It is the first film in the American Pie theatrical series and stars an ensemble cast that includes Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Alyson Hannigan, Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Mena Suvari, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Seann William Scott, Eugene Levy, Shannon Elizabeth, and Jennifer Coolidge. The film's story centers on a group of four classmates at East Great Falls High School: Jim Levenstein (Biggs), Kevin Meyers (Nicholas), Chris "Oz" Ostreicher (Klein), and Paul Finch (Thomas). The youths make a pact to lose their virginity before their high school graduation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Gordon</span> American film and theatre director and writer (1947–2020)

Stuart Alan Gordon was an American filmmaker, theatre director, screenwriter, and playwright. Initially recognized for his provocative and frequently controversial work in experimental theatre, Gordon began directing films in 1985. Most of Gordon's cinematic output was in the horror genre, though he also ventured into science fiction and film noir.

Stuck may refer to:

<i>Closing the Ring</i> 2007 Canadian film

Closing the Ring is a 2007 romantic drama film directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Shirley MacLaine, Christopher Plummer, Mischa Barton, Stephen Amell, Neve Campbell, Pete Postlethwaite, and Brenda Fricker. It was the final film directed by Attenborough, then aged 83, who died seven years later. The film was released in both the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom on 28 December 2007. Closing the Ring is an international co-production between the United Kingdom, Canada, and United States.

<i>Edmond</i> (film) 2005 American drama film

Edmond is a 2005 American thriller film directed by Stuart Gordon and starring William H. Macy, based on the 1982 play Edmond by David Mamet. Mamet also wrote the screenplay for the film. Edmond features Julia Stiles, Rebecca Pidgeon, Denise Richards, Mena Suvari, Joe Mantegna, Bai Ling, Jeffrey Combs, Dylan Walsh and George Wendt in supporting roles. It was screened at several film festivals from September 2005 to May 2006, and had a limited release on July 14, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Firestone</span> Canadian film and television producer

Jay Firestone is a Canadian film and television producer.

<i>Sonny</i> (2002 film) 2002 American film by Nicolas Cage

Sonny is a 2002 American crime drama film starring James Franco, Harry Dean Stanton, Brenda Blethyn, Mena Suvari and Josie Davis. Based on a screenplay by John Carlen, the film marked the directorial debut of Nicolas Cage, who makes a cameo appearance. It was co-produced by Cage's production company Saturn Films.

<i>Accident on Hill Road</i> 2009 Indian film

Accident on Hill Road is a 2009 Indian film, directed by Mahesh Nair and produced by Nari Hira, starring Farooq Sheikh, Abhimanyu Singh, Celina Jaitly. The film is an authorised remake of the 2007 American film Stuck, which is based on the true story of Chante Mallard and her murder of Gregory Glenn Biggs.

The Garden of Eden is a 2008 British-Spanish thriller drama film directed by John Irvin and starring Mena Suvari, Jack Huston and Caterina Murino. It is based on the 1986 posthumously published novel of the same name by Ernest Hemingway.

<i>Kisses</i> (2008 film) 2008 Irish drama film by Lance Daly

Kisses is a 2008 Irish drama film directed by Lance Daly. The film is a coming of age drama about two ragamuffin preadolescents, next door neighbours from dysfunctional families living on the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland, who run away together one Christmas holiday.

<i>American Reunion</i> 2012 film by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg

American Reunion is a 2012 American romantic sex comedy film written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg. It is the fourth and final installment in the American Pie theatrical series. The film's ensemble cast features many actors who reprise their roles from the previous three films, including Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Seann William Scott, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Eugene Levy, Tara Reid, and Mena Suvari, among others. The film follows former East Great Falls High School classmates who return to their hometown for a reunion for their graduating class.

<i>Becks</i> (film) 2017 American musical drama film

Becks is a 2017 American musical drama film directed by Daniel Powell and Elizabeth Rohrbaugh, and co-written with Rebecca Drysdale. It stars Lena Hall, Mena Suvari, and Hayley Kiyoko. The film centers on a lesbian musician named Becks who moves back to her childhood home in St. Louis after a failed relationship. Becks premiered at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Festival and won Best Film in the U.S. Fiction category.

<i>Dont Tell a Soul</i> (film) 2021 film by Alex McAulay

Don't Tell a Soul is a 2020 American thriller film written and directed by Alex McAulay, in his directorial debut. It stars Rainn Wilson as a security guard who gets trapped in a hole chasing two teens who stole $12,000, and must barter for his life; Mena Suvari also stars.

References

  1. 1 2 "Stuck (2008)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved January 11, 2009.
  2. ↑ Thompson, Anne (2007-05-16). "Stroh teams with Katz". Variety. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
  3. ↑ Mandel, Charles (5 December 2006). "Stuck on New Brunswick". The Globe and Mail . ProQuest   383482038 . Retrieved 28 April 2024.
  4. ↑ "Stuck". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 24, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Stuck (2008): Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved January 11, 2009.
  6. ↑ Stephen Holden (2008-05-30). "Sorry, Your Body's in My Windshield". The New York Times . Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  7. ↑ Ken Fox. "Stuck Review". TV Guide. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  8. ↑ Robert Wilonsky (2008-05-27). "Stuck: Disgusting Dark Comedy". The Village Voice . Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  9. ↑ Joe Leydon (2007-10-08). "Stuck Review". Variety . Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  10. ↑ J.R. Jones. "Stuck". Chicago Reader . Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  11. 1 2 "Metacritic: 2008 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 2, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2009.
  12. ↑ Matthew Sorrento. "The New American Crime Film". McFarland Publishers. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  13. 1 2 "Stuck (2008) - Weekend Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved January 11, 2009.
  14. ↑ "Stuck (2007) - Awards". Internet Movie Database . Retrieved 2008-05-30.
  15. ↑ Fisher, Luchina (2008-06-04). "Is Hollywood Whitewashing Ethnic Roles?". ABC News . Retrieved 2016-12-09.
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.