4/16/2009

At Close Range (1986)

Based on a true story

"Most people who drive through here see farms. Houses, and fields, and shit. I see money, I see things, everything got my name writ' on it."

Brad Whitehead, Sr. (Christopher Walken) and his brothers and pals (Tracey Walter, R.D. Call, David Strathairn, J.C. Quinn) are big time thugs in the Philadelphia area in the 1970s, His nearly adult estranged sons Brad (Sean Penn) and Tommy (Chris Penn) and their pals (Kiefer Sutherland, Stephen Geoffreys, Crispin Glover) are small time hoods who want to be in the big time gang.

Brad Jr. eventually learns that blood is not always thicker than water.

Also in the cast are Millie Perkins as the boys' mother, Eileen Ryan (who is the Penn brothers' real mother) plays their Grandmother; Mary Stuart Masterson is Brad Jr.'s girlfriend. Candy Clark is Brad Sr.'s girlfriend.

Sean Penn's amazing talent shone brightly
in this, one of his earliest films.

Directed by James Foley.

Run time: 1 hour, 51 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: B

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