Little Boy Blue Movie Review 1997

You want dysfunction? This movie has got it. Controlling husbands, impotence, uncontrollable rage, incest, family secrets, alcoholics... Southern Gothic family drama focuses on Jimmy (Phillippe), the son of paranoid and impotent Vietnam vet Ray West (Savage). He decides not to go to college because he's afraid to leave his younger brothers with dear ol' abusive alcoholic Dad. Ray runs a bar with his timid wife Kate (Kinski), who he also forces to sleep with son Jimmy to satisfy his own twisted sexual kicks. After a man comes snooping around and ends up dead in the bathroom of the bar, secrets from the past are dredged up. A mysterious woman (Knight) arrives bringing revenge on Ray for ruining her life and the possibility of freedom for the tormented family. Excellent performances (especially Kinski and Phillippe) save the twisted ball of loose strings that make up the farfetched plot.

Distribution

Warner Home Video, Inc., 5775 Linder Canyon Rd., Westlake Village, CA 91362, URL: http://whv.warnerbros.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS
Running time 107 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Bad Dads, Revenge, Incest, Sex & Sexuality, On the Rocks, Bar & Grill, Sanity Check, Texas, Family Drama

Screenplay

Michael Boston

Cast

Ryan Phillippe, John Savage, Nastassja Kinski, Shirley Knight, Jenny Lewis, Tyrin Turner

Cinematography

Ron Hagen

Director

Antonio Tibaldi

Music

Stewart Copeland

Producer

Amedeo Ursini, Virginia Giritlian, Jazz Pictures, Castle Hill Productions