Firecracker (2005 film)
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| FIRECRACKER | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Steve Balderson |
| Produced by | Beth Wittig Steve Balderson Clark Balderson Jennifer Dreiling Daniel Holmgren Jerry P. Magana |
| Written by | Steve Balderson |
| Starring | Karen Black Mike Patton Susan Traylor |
| Music by | Justin R. Durban |
| Cinematography | Jonah Torreano |
| Editing by | Steve Balderson |
| Distributed by | Dikenga Films with First Look Studios |
| Release date(s) | 2005 |
| Running time | 112 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | two million |
Firecracker is a film directed by Steve Balderson.
[edit] Synopsis
Firecracker is a tale of murder in small town Wamego, Kansas. Set against the stark beauty of Middle America, this story of abuse, suffering and denial reveals dreams of escape. The inevitable confrontation unleashes the truth concealed behind the pleasant façade of small-town U.S.A.
Meek, reclusive and talented Jimmy is emotionally imprisoned by his abusive, alcoholic older brother David (Mike Patton) – and fanatically religious mother Eleanor (Karen Black). With evil lurking in the shadows, the setting sun gives way to the blue of evening and Jimmy finds escape in the neon glow of a traveling sideshow carnival. Unlike its drab, depressing daytime reality, the carnival becomes a nightly glittering solitaire on the prairie, beckoning all around to its illusions and make-believe. With a guise of red satin and the lure of a heavenly voice, Sandra (also Karen Black), billed as an “oddity of nature,” is the carnival’s premier attraction. Yearning for a way out, Jimmy befriends Sandra, unaware that her imprisonment and degradation, at the hands of Frank (also Mike Patton), the carnival owner, mirror his own. Sandra, taken by his innocence, finds her own inner strength and suppressed dreams. When David disappears, the metaphorical white-picket fences collapse, leaving raw emotions exposed to the spark of truth.
Throughout it all Police Chief Ed (played by Susan Traylor) searches for truth, uncovering bits of evidence suggesting deceit, abuse, murder and cover-up. As her investigation leads her closer to the truth, the lives of those involved become lit fuses – until they explode, one-by-one.
[edit] Critical reaction
Finished in 2005 and released in the first-ever "Freak Show Tour" exclusively in Landmark Cinemas, and was released on DVD in 2006. Preeminent film critic Roger Ebert called it “Brilliant” and named Firecracker on his list of the year’s best films [Source]
Hailed as a “masterpiece” (Film Threat [Source]) and “told by a story teller who has a nascent finger on the pulse of contemporary cinema“ (Aftertaste magazine), Firecracker premiered at London’s Raindance Film Festival, to sold out crowds, where it won a Jury Prize nomination for Best Picture. It also won numerous awards on the festival circuit worldwide including: Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Actress for Karen Black, and Steve Balderson won the 2005 Domani Vision Award for emerging talent at Tribeca’s Visionfest.
