The United States of Leland
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| The United States of Leland | |
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 Movie Poster |
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| Directed by | Matthew Ryan Hoge |
| Produced by | Kevin Spacey |
| Written by | Matthew Ryan Hoge |
| Starring | Don Cheadle Ryan Gosling Chris Klein Jena Malone Lena Olin Kevin Spacey Michelle Williams |
| Distributed by | Paramount Classics |
| Release date(s) | 18 January 2003 (premiere) |
| Running time | 108 min |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The United States of Leland is a 2004 dramatic movie by director Matthew Ryan Hoge and producer Kevin Spacey about a meek teenaged boy named Leland P. Fitzgerald (Ryan Gosling) who has inexplicably committed a shocking murder. In the wake of the killing, his teacher in prison tries to understand the senseless crime, while the families of the victim and the perpetrator struggle to cope with the aftermath.
[edit] Cast
- Ryan Gosling as Leland P. Fitzgerald
- Kevin Spacey as Albert T. Fitzgerald
- Lena Olin as Marybeth Fitzgerald
- Don Cheadle as Pearl Madison
- Chris Klein as Allen Harris
- Jena Malone as Becky Pollard
- Michelle Williams as Julie Pollard
- Martin Donovan as Harry Pollard
- Ann Magnuson as Karen Pollard
- Michael Welch as Ryan Pollard
- Sherilyn Fenn as Angela Calderon
[edit] Criticism
Detractors of the film have mockingly referred to the film as The United States of Donnie[citation needed], deriding it as nothing more than an inferior copy of the cult movie Donnie Darko. Defenders of the film view this comparison as based on only a handful of superficial similarities, arguing that the plots of the two films, and even the genres, differ greatly. Congruences include:
- Both feature protagonists trying to reconcile their gentle temperaments with their violent behavior. Both heroes see things differently than other people and both reveal the sexual misadventures of an authority figure. They also look alike: both characters have dark, frazzled hair and a marked preference for hooded sweatshirts.
- In both, Jena Malone portrays as an emotionally-troubled love interest. In both, she wears a school uniform and notices an older man staring at her lecherously.
- Both feature two authors, one selfish, one helpful. In USL, they are Albert T. Fitzgerald and Pearl Madison; in DD, they are Jim Cunningham and Roberta Sparrow.
- Both movies feature a teacher fighting "the system" and risking his or her job to help students.
- In both, a plane trip to a major city is a turning point.
- In USL, Leland lives with his divorced mother while his girlfriend is part of a family of five: father, mother, two sisters, brother. In DD, this is reversed: Donnie is part of a family of four--father, mother, and two sisters--while his girlfriend lives with her divorced mother. In both films, the older sister is dating a boy who is involved in someone's death.
[edit] External links
- The United States of Leland at the Internet Movie Database
- Anatomy of a Scene: The United States of Leland, from the Sundance Channel website
