I saw Madonna's music video for At Close Range long before I had ever seen the movie. The movie turned out to be very good.
'At Close Range'is a riveting and depressing film based on a true story. The Whitewoods live in a small Philidelphia town that does not offer much motivation nor much opportunity. When their father, Brad Whitewood, Sr. (Christopher Walken), suddenly shows up, teenager Brad Jr. (Sean Penn) wants very much to get to know him and impress him. But father-son bonding here has its price and Brad Sr. is not as sincere as his son might hope, despite the lure of a lifestyle that seems to be paying well and respectably. Brad Sr. and his 'business associates' recruit his sons Brad Jr. and Tommy (Chris Penn looking very gorgeous and almost Romanesque), and their friends (including Keifer Sutherland and Crispin Glover) into their glamorous life of crime. But when a heist goes wrong to steal tractors from a dealership, Brad Jr. is arrested and interrogated by the cops.
Though Brad Jr. is very loyal to his father and friends, intent on not cracking under pressure, Brad Sr. questions his ability to keep quiet about the group's activities. And even if that means selling out his sons, Brad Sr. is plans to eliminate any loose ends that might be able to incriminate him. Everyone. But, someone does live to tell the tale.
It is a sad story knowing that these dumb kids were hooked into a whole mess, hoping they could be admired by their father, and likewise, be proud of him, even if what he was doing was illegal. But in the end, their old man turned out to be a vicious psycho who turned his back on everyone to save his own neck.
I particularly like the visuals and music as it is used in this film, with constant juxtasposition (of visuals, not sound) used to illustrate not only simultaneous events and moods, but also the stark differences between Brad Jr.'s somewhat naive ideals and (mostly) still-innocent position, as opposed to the cruelty of his father. Sean Penn and Christopher Walken, as usual, did a fine job, with such stinging realism of the choppy relationship between father and son. Meanwhile, the Penn brothers share the screen with their realife mother, Eileen Ryan. Mary Stuart Masterson also does a fine job as Brad Jr.'s girlfriend.
'At Close Range'is a riveting and depressing film based on a true story. The Whitewoods live in a small Philidelphia town that does not offer much motivation nor much opportunity. When their father, Brad Whitewood, Sr. (Christopher Walken), suddenly shows up, teenager Brad Jr. (Sean Penn) wants very much to get to know him and impress him. But father-son bonding here has its price and Brad Sr. is not as sincere as his son might hope, despite the lure of a lifestyle that seems to be paying well and respectably. Brad Sr. and his 'business associates' recruit his sons Brad Jr. and Tommy (Chris Penn looking very gorgeous and almost Romanesque), and their friends (including Keifer Sutherland and Crispin Glover) into their glamorous life of crime. But when a heist goes wrong to steal tractors from a dealership, Brad Jr. is arrested and interrogated by the cops.
Though Brad Jr. is very loyal to his father and friends, intent on not cracking under pressure, Brad Sr. questions his ability to keep quiet about the group's activities. And even if that means selling out his sons, Brad Sr. is plans to eliminate any loose ends that might be able to incriminate him. Everyone. But, someone does live to tell the tale.
It is a sad story knowing that these dumb kids were hooked into a whole mess, hoping they could be admired by their father, and likewise, be proud of him, even if what he was doing was illegal. But in the end, their old man turned out to be a vicious psycho who turned his back on everyone to save his own neck.
I particularly like the visuals and music as it is used in this film, with constant juxtasposition (of visuals, not sound) used to illustrate not only simultaneous events and moods, but also the stark differences between Brad Jr.'s somewhat naive ideals and (mostly) still-innocent position, as opposed to the cruelty of his father. Sean Penn and Christopher Walken, as usual, did a fine job, with such stinging realism of the choppy relationship between father and son. Meanwhile, the Penn brothers share the screen with their realife mother, Eileen Ryan. Mary Stuart Masterson also does a fine job as Brad Jr.'s girlfriend.