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Sonny

Play trailer Poster for Sonny R 2002 1h 50m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
21% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 41% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
After a stint in the army, former male prostitute Sonny Phillips (James Franco) returns to his home in a run-down New Orleans in search of a stable life. However, the financial difficulties faced by his mother, Jewel (Brenda Blethyn), who is also a prostitute, make escaping his former life difficult. With few job prospects, Sonny reluctantly begins working the streets. The only bright spot in his otherwise difficult life is his relationship with Carol (Mena Suvari), Jewel's new protégé.
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Sonny

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Critics Consensus

Sonny is sunk by debuting director Nicolas Cage's evident inability to locate the heart of his movie's story - or properly modulate his cast's performances.

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Critics Reviews

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Glenn Kenny Premiere Magazine Sep 17, 2003
1/4
Too defensive and earnest about its topic to be either fun or illuminating. Go to Full Review Jan Stuart Newsday Dec 27, 2002
2/4
Actors generally make good actor's directors, but Sonny is a mixed bag in that department. Go to Full Review Michael Agger Slate Dec 27, 2002
Nicolas Cage isn't the first actor to lead a group of talented friends astray, and this movie won't create a ruffle in what is already an erratic career. Go to Full Review Daniel Barnes Dare Daniel Aug 8, 2023
1/5
Cage the director makes as many baffling decisions as Cage the actor, but the effect is significantly less entertaining. Sonny is low-lighted by a full-tilt boogie turn from an impossibly brassy Brenda Blethyn that simply took my "Bleth" away. Go to Full Review Chase Burns The Stranger (Seattle, WA) Dec 9, 2021
...this film is impossibly white, like Elvis's King Creole. New Orleans is a Black city, but you wouldn't know it from watching Cage's NOLA... Go to Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Feb 20, 2006
4/5
This overlooked drama by Nic Cage packs an emotional wallop. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad Oct 8, 2026 Sonny is a *2* star Movie! See more Landon J @Minxsykitty Nov 29, 2024 I enjoyed this despite it's goofy characteristics at times. Some overacting and nonsensical character actions (for better realism or worse). A great little character piece with a not so happy ending. A fantastic Nic Cage cameo worth watching for alone. See more Sep 2, 2019 One of my favorite Nicholas Cage performances. See more Dec 18, 2017 Great acting by Franco! See more Jan 26, 2015 The movie lost me the moment Nicolas Cage (the film's director) shows up....being Nicolas Cage. See more Jun 4, 2013 Well this was incredibly disappointing. It seems like it should have had quite a bit going for it: Nic Cage directing, James Franco starring and New Orleans as the setting. But really, it seems that Nic Cage can't direct, Franco gives a pretty restrained performance in this and New Orleans is barely shown at all in the movie, and when it is, it doesn't do much to add to the atmosphere. The story is lame, I didn't care about any of the characters, and it just felt all-around vacant, like there was nothing here that really wanted you to get invested in the movie. The only reason I'm rating it so high is for Nic Cage's cameo, and that's only a few minutes long out of this almost 2 hour long movie (it really didn't need to be that long, that was another problem). Anyway, Nic Cage plays this rich coke-fueled pimp dressed in a hideous yellow suit, and for the couple minutes he's on screen, that's the high point of the movie. And even that was one of his more forgettable characters. So yeah, I can't really recommend this to anyone. Not to Cage fans, not to Franco fans, not to fans of seeing New Orleans in cinema...it's just an overall dud. See more Read all reviews
Sonny

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Cast & Crew

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Nicolas Cage

Director

James Franco

Sonny

Brenda Blethyn

Jewel

Mena Suvari

Carol

Harry Dean Stanton

Henry

Scott Caan

Jesse

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Sonny

Sonny (2002) Sonny (2002) Sonny (2002) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis After a stint in the army, former male prostitute Sonny Phillips (James Franco) returns to his home in a run-down New Orleans in search of a stable life. However, the financial difficulties faced by his mother, Jewel (Brenda Blethyn), who is also a prostitute, make escaping his former life difficult. With few job prospects, Sonny reluctantly begins working the streets. The only bright spot in his otherwise difficult life is his relationship with Carol (Mena Suvari), Jewel's new protégé.
Director
Nicolas Cage
Producer
Nicolas Cage, Paul Brooks, Norman Golightly
Screenwriter
John Carlen
Distributor
IDP Distribution
Production Co
Saturn Films, Gold Circle Films
Rating
R (Strong Sexuality|Some Drug Use|Language|Violence)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 27, 2002, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Aug 19, 2003
Box Office (Gross USA)
$17.6K
Runtime
1h 50m
Sound Mix
Surround
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