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Movies / On DVD / The United States of Leland
The United States of Leland

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The United States of Leland (2004)

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Reviews Counted:87

Fresh:29

Rotten:58

Average Rating:4.9/10

Consensus: The movie has too many unnecessary subplots and never offers any illumination on its characters.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language and some drug content

Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Apr 2, 2004 Limited

Box Office: $273,411

Synopsis: On an ordinary school day in California, a seemingly ordinary student named Leland Fitzgerald (Ryan Gosling) commits a devastating, inexplicable crime . . . and everything changes forever . . . not... On an ordinary school day in California, a seemingly ordinary student named Leland Fitzgerald (Ryan Gosling) commits a devastating, inexplicable crime . . . and everything changes forever . . . not only for Leland but his family, friends and the teacher who becomes obsessed with trying to figure out why. Sent to juvenile hall to await trial, Leland says little to clear up the compelling mystery of how a young man of such promise could turn to cold-blooded violence; that is, until he meets Pearl (Don Cheadle), a compassionate but jaded teacher at the prison. Pearl has never come across anyone like Leland. The son of famous author Albert Fitzgerald (Kevin Spacey), Leland had everything going for him. He seems like the last person on earth who would choose to commit murder, and as smart and insightful as Leland is, the first person to have a clear explanation for what he did. Even more than that, Leland appears to Pearl to be the perfect subject for a novel about the frailty and complexity of the human condition. If he can only get to the heart of what makes this kid tick, Pearl is certain his long-lived dream of becoming a writer as renowned as Albert Fitzgerald will be fulfilled. Defying prison protocol, Pearl arranges to meet with Leland in a series of secret counseling sessions. As Pearl pushes Leland to disclose the full background of his crime, like a detective, he uncovers an increasingly intricate web of people involved in the story. There are Leland’s parents, the intellectually aloof Albert and his wife Marybeth (Lena Olin), who seem as stunned as anyone by Leland’s sense of alienation. Then, there is Becky Pollard (Jena Malone), both the victim’s sister and the troubled girlfriend who dumped Leland right before the murder, breaking his heart. The victim’s family --including Becky’s accomplished sister Julie (Michelle Williams) and her live-in boyfriend Allen (Chris Klein), as well as the murdered boy’s parents (Martin Donovan and Ann Magnuson) – bring yet another dimension to the story. Yet the more Pearl probes, the more clear answers evade his every attempt at understanding. His sessions with Leland soon turn into an aggressive give-and-take, with Leland starting to ask questions of Pearl. Why does Pearl do the immoral things he does, Leland asks? At first, Pearl is angered by this challenge to his authority. Yet he is secretly terrified that he does not have adequate answers for his own actions. Can Pearl really justify any of the things he is doing: cheating on his girlfriend, breaking the juvenile prison’s rules, exploiting Leland’s delicate, hard-won friendship for a book? When Leland realizes that Pearl is using him, their relationship comes to a head. Leland’s actions continue to ripple through the community, bringing further violence. Yet Pearl now sees that he has a rare opportunity. He may never understand precisely why things went so terribly wrong for Leland Fitzgerald, but he can take inspiration from Leland’s biggest regrets and deepest insights to change his own life for the better. The United States Of Leland scrutinizes the moral dilemmas at the heart of violence in American society – and reveals how devastation can turn to hope. Written and directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge, the film stars Don Cheadle, Ryan Gosling, Chris Klein, Jena Malone, Lena Olin, Kevin Spacey, Michelle Williams, Martin Donovan and Ann Magnuson. Kevin Spacey, Bernie Morris, Palmer West and Jonah Smith produced the film with Mark Damon, Sammy Lee and Stewart Hall serving as executive producers. [More]

Starring: Don Cheadle, Ryan Gosling, Chris Klein, Jena Malone

Starring: Don Cheadle, Ryan Gosling, Chris Klein, Jena Malone, Lena Olin, Kevin Spacey, Michelle Williams, Martin Donovan

Director: Matthew Ryan Hoge

Director: Matthew Ryan Hoge
Screenwriter: Matthew Ryan Hoge
Producer: Kevin Spacey, Bernie Morris, Palmer West, Jonah Smith
Composer: Jeremy Enigk
Studio: Paramount Classics

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Release:

Sep 7, 2004

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Reviews for The United States of Leland

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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"The United States Of Leland" deftly points out dilemmas in current American ideology that frequently escalate into tragedy.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
05/04/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Mark Halverson
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
07/08/05
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
07/05/05
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
07/05/05
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Hoge seems to take delight in the fact that the film’s conclusion is so frustratingly vague, whereas in fact it’s both annoying and disappointing.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
07/05/05
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Future Movies UK | comment Comment
07/05/05
Michelle Thomas
Michelle Thomas
Future Movies UK

Kevin Spacey, who produced the film, is wasted in completely unnecessary role.

Full Review Source: Draxblog Movie Reviews | comment Comment
06/29/05
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
Draxblog Movie Reviews

Powerful and provocative--if perhaps a bit subdued.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
06/28/05
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

... the ultimate result is like one of those college rock songs that hint at a depth that just isn't there.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
01/29/05
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

A muddled and uninteresting psychological melodrama.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
09/17/04
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

What action there is in this movie takes forever to get going -- or maybe it just seems like forever because all of these characters are so unlikeable and unfathomable, and the dialogue between them is so trite and dumb.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
08/08/04
Shirley Sealy
Shirley Sealy
Film Journal International

An exasperating film about teen violence and suburban dysfunction that wears its confusion like a badge of honor.

Full Review Source: Des Moines Register | comment Comment
05/07/04
Jeffrey Bruner
Jeffrey Bruner
Des Moines Register

The drama makes us yearn to discover the reason Leland killed the boy, but the point of the movie isn't to grant us a big revealment.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
04/23/04
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

It’s tidy in all the least important ways, with all the questions that don’t demand answers explained and all those that do left open.

Full Review Source: culturevulture.net | comment Comment
04/22/04
Gary Mairs
Gary Mairs
culturevulture.net

A melancholy alt-rock soundtrack tells us that wistful regret is the appropriate reaction to almost every scene...

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment 1 Comment
04/21/04
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

What Gosling accomplishes as Leland cannot be overstated in its brilliance; he gives a face, a mind and a heart to today's doped-up, condemnable teens.

Full Review Source: FilmStew.com | comment Comment
04/19/04
Todd Gilchrist
Todd Gilchrist
FilmStew.com

People under 30 or those of a youthful mindset may see cracked reflections of their own lives in this morally intricate tale, but I can't help but think those of previous generations will wonder what all the fuss is about.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
04/18/04
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
 
 
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