Part of Music City Mondays and Nashville: A City on Film
Mon, Feb 2 at 8:00pm: Introduction from T. Minton, Belcourt's public historian and archivist
Directed by James Foley (GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS) and written by Nicholas Kazan (MATILDA), AT CLOSE RANGE is a brooding neo-noir crime drama based on the true story of a rural Pennsylvania crime family. Sean Penn stars as Brad Whitewood Jr., a restless teenager who reconnects with his estranged father, Brad Sr. (Christopher Walken), a charismatic but violent gang leader. Drawn in by the allure of power and money, Brad Jr. forms his own crew and begins working within his father’s criminal network. But as the violence intensifies and trust erodes, Brad Jr. finds himself a target — and must decide whether to stay loyal or turn.
The film features standout performances from Brat Pack era leads Mary Stuart Masterson, Crispin Glover and Kiefer Sutherland, underscored by an ominous soundtrack that reflects its slow-burn tension and a reworked adaptation of one of Madonna’s most memorable mid-1980s ballads.
Though set in Pennsylvania, the film was shot on location in Franklin and Spring Hill, Tennessee and features dozens of anonymous and identifiable local actors — showcasing the region’s role in portraying iconic Southern gothic images in American cinema.
“Here is a spare, violent, unforgiving story of a boy’s need for a father who does not love him and who would, if necessary, murder his son. It is also a story with passages of love and adventure and cheerfulness…. The way that the two sides of the story grow together creates a tragedy that reminds me of myth, of the ancient stories of children betrayed by their parents. And yet, AT CLOSE RANGE is based on a true story.” —Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times (Apr 18, 1986) “The acting is first-rate American realism — gutsy, funny and scary as the occasion demands.” —Jack Kroll, Newsweek (Jun 9, 1986)
