At Close Range
Short description
Set in rural Pennsylvania, this crime drama follows Brad Whitewood Jr., a young man with few prospects who seeks out his estranged father. Brad Sr. is a professional criminal and the leader of a gang. While Brad Jr. is initially drawn to his father's lifestyle and seeks his approval, he eventually discovers the violent and dangerous nature of the man. This admiration turns into a deadly conflict as the father involves his son in a series of brutal crimes and murders, leading the two to become enemies while being hunted by the police and the FBI.
The film was directed by James Foley and marks the first in a series of ten directed works, followed by Who's That Girl. It stars Sean Penn as the son and Christopher Walken as the father, with Mary Stuart Masterson and Chris Penn also appearing in the cast. Produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and Cinema '85, the project had a budget of 7 million USD but earned only 2 million USD at the worldwide box office. The movie holds a 6.9 rating on IMDb from 20,000 votes and a 6.8 rating on TMDB from 318 votes. These audience scores are closely aligned with the film critics' rating of 7/10 based on 23 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- The role of Brad Whitewood Sr., played by Christopher Walken, was initially offered to Robert De Niro. He declined, finding the character too bleak.
- In the scenes filmed in a Tennessee town square, a statue of a soldier is visible in the middle of the town square. In reality, this is a monument to a Confederate Army soldier, but since the plot takes place in Pennsylvania, the statue's appearance had to be altered slightly.
- Before filming, Christopher Walken would invariably check every gun for his own peace of mind. During the filming of the scene where Sean Penn’s character points a weapon at his face, even before the director said “Action!”, Penn flew out of the frame shouting, “Give me a different gun!” He received it, then returned to Walken and finished the scene. This take, with a genuinely frightened Walken, made it into the film.
- The plot is based on a description of the crimes committed by Bruce Johnston Sr., the leader of one of the most terrifying gangs in Pennsylvania’s history.
- Sean Penn and Chris Penn, playing brothers here, are brothers in real life.
- Eileen Ryan, who played the grandmother, is the mother of Sean Penn and Chris Penn, who played her grandsons. In one scene, Chris Penn accidentally misspoken and called the grandmother 'Mom'.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
