United States of Leland Movie Review 2003

Low-key high school student Leland (Gosling) senselessly stabs his ex-girlfriend's autistic brother to death at the beginning of this bleak flick. Director Hoge then spends the rest of his debut film juggling the pieces attempting to define Leland's motivation. Was it his heroin-addicted girlfriend (Malone) who left him for her dealer? Or his emotionally absent novelist father, Albert (Spacey)? Or something else? Meanwhile, Pearl (Cheadle), an aspiring but struggling writer, is Leland's juvenile detention counselor who sees in him an opportunity for his first novel and the hidden agenda has its own consequences. While those encounters provide some lively scenes, and Spacey, Cheadle, and Malone give capable performances, there's no sustaining this disjointed piece.

Distribution

Paramount Home Video, 5555 Melrose Ave., 5555 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038, Phone: (323)956-5000, URL: http://www.paramount.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on DVD
Running time 108 minutes.
Originally from United States.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Crime Drama, Homicide, Teen Angst, Killer Teens, Writers

Screenplay

Matthew Ryan Hoge

Cast

Ryan Gosling, Don Cheadle, Chris Klein, Jena Malone, Lena Olin, Kevin Spacey, Michelle Williams, Martin Donovan, Ann Magnuson, Kerry Washington, Sherilyn Fenn, Matt Malloy, Michael Pena, Ron Canada, Troy Winbush, Yolonda Ross, Jim Haynie, Kimberly Scott, Ryan Malgarini, Clyde Kusatsu, Sheeri Rappaport, Angela Paton, Michael Welch

Cinematography

James Glennon

Director

Matthew Ryan Hoge

Music

Jeremy Enigk

Other

Richard Van Dyke, Jeff Betancourt, Kevin Constant, Genevieve Tyrrell, Edward T. McAvoy

Producer

Palmer West, Jonah Smith, Kevin Spacey, Bernie Morris, Thousand Words, MDP Worldwide, Trigger Street, Paramount Classics