At Close Range
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| At Close Range | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | James Foley |
| Produced by | Don Guest Elliott Lewitt |
| Written by | Elliott Lewitt (story) Nicholas Kazan (story and screenplay) |
| Starring | Sean Penn Christopher Walken |
| Music by | Patrick Leonard Madonna |
| Cinematography | Juan Ruiz Anchía |
| Editing by | Howard E. Smith |
| Distributed by | Orion Pictures Corporation |
| Release date(s) | April 18, 1986 (U.S. release) |
| Running time | 111 min |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $6,500,000 (estimated) |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
At Close Range is a film based on the real life rural Pennsylvania crime family led by Bruce Johnston, Sr. which operated during the 1960s and 1970s. It was released April 18, 1986, and stars Sean Penn, Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Mary Stuart Masterson, Millie Perkins, Candy Clark and Crispin Glover. The film is directed by James Foley.
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[edit] Plot
The film stars Christopher Walken as Brad Whitewood, Sr., the leader of an organized crime family consisting of his brothers and close friends. One night, his estranged oldest son, Brad, Jr. (Sean Penn), contacts him after a fight he had with his mother's boyfriend. Eventually, he becomes involved with his father's criminal endeavors, resulting in starting his own gang with his brother, Tommy (Chris Penn), and friends. The boys get excited at the idea of easy money and decide one night to attempt a daring heist, which results in their arrest by the police. Their father believes that his sons and their friends will inform the police about his criminal activities, so he rapes Brad's girlfriend, Terry (Mary Stuart Masterson), as a warning to his eldest son. The attack results in the opposite effect as Brad, Jr. begins informing the authorities about his father's activities, including a murder of a snitch he witnessed. When the father's name is given to the grand jury by his own son, Brad, Sr. feels his only recourse is to eliminate every witness that can connect himself and his crew with his sons and their crew, and he has them killed one by one. He murders Tommy himself, but orders a hit against Brad, Jr. and Terry. Terry dies, but Brad, Jr. survives and is able to testify against his father.
Trivia
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- Based on the actual crimes of Bruce Johnston, Sr., in Chester County, Pennsylvania.
- Actress Eileen Ryan who plays Sean Penn's and Chris Penn's grandmother in the movie, is their real-life mother.
- The role of Brad Whitewood, Sr. was offered to Robert De Niro, who turned it down because he felt the character was too dark.[1]
- Shots of the movie appear in the music video for Madonna's song "Live to Tell". Madonna and Sean Penn were married at the time, and the song served as the movie's theme song.
- Some of the filming locations were in Franklin, Tennessee in the town square and at Franklin High School.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Sean Penn | Brad Whitewood, Jr |
| Christopher Walken | Brad Whitewood, Sr. |
| Mary Stuart Masterson | Terry |
| Chris Penn | Tommy Whitewood |
| Millie Perkins | Julie |
| Eileen Ryan | Grandma |
| Tracey Walter | Uncle Patch Whitewood |
| R.D. Call | Dickie |
| David Strathairn | Tony Pine |
| J.C. Quinn | Boyd |
| Candy Clark | Mary Sue |
| Jake Dengel | Lester |
| Kiefer Sutherland | Tim |
| Crispin Glover | Lucas |
| Stephen Geoffreys | Aggie |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Not Starring - Robert De Niro. Retrieved 26 March 2007.
[edit] External links
- At Close Range at the Internet Movie Database
- "It was Pennsylvania Gothic", Time, January 15, 1979 (news report of the real life events that inspired the film)
- Bruce Johnston Sr. obituary
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