American Gun

American Gun

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Aric Avelino
Produced by Ted Kroeber
Written by Aric Avelino
Steven Bagatourian
Starring Linda Cardellini
Tony Goldwyn
Marcia Gay Harden
Donald Sutherland
Forest Whitaker
Music by Schuyler Fisk
Peter Golub
Distributed by IFC Films
Release date(s) September 15, 2005 (Toronto Film Festival)
March 22, 2006 (limited US)
Running time 95 minutes
Language English

American Gun is a 2005 film produced by Participant Productions, IFC Films, IFC First Take, and Spirit Dance Entertainment. It was written in 2001 by Steven Bagatourian and Aric Avelino and directed by Avelino as his directorial debut.

Avelino attended Loyola Marymount University and made the film with many LMU alumni[1], including producer Ted Kroeber.

The film took two and a half years to finance. The central idea came from a "Column One" article in the Los Angeles Times. In addition, the writers were influenced by a friend from the Chicago school district who related stories about how students brought guns to school, not to use them on campus, but because of the dangerous neighborhoods they live in or walk through to attend classes. Avelino was very appreciative of the directitorial advice of Forest Whitaker, one of the film's producers. The first actress attached to the project was Marcia Gay Harden.[2]

Contents

Plot

American Gun centers around three stories dealing with the results of gun use: an inner city school principal (Whitaker), a single mother (Harden), and an A student (Cardellini) who works at her family's gun shop.[3]

Distribution

According to boxofficemojo.com, American Gun took in $24,098 in a limited release from one to six theatres in a little over 10 weeks in theatres from March 22-June 1, 2006. It was featured on the IFC program First Take.[4]

Cast

Awards

References

  1. ^ LMU ALUMNI MAKE FILM DEBUT WITH “AMERICAN GUN”, by Victoria Walsh, March 23, 2006.
  2. ^ Taken from Avelino during a Q&A at The Screenland, in Kansas City, on April 22, 2006.
  3. ^ Synopsis from The Screenland in Kansas City
  4. ^ IFC Unveils Day & Date Program, indieWIRE.
  5. ^ IMDb's awards page.

External links