At Close Range
|
Role:
Contributed main Song |
Director:
James Foley |
Studio:
Orion Pictures Corporation |
US Box Office (US$)
2,347,000 |
At Close Range is a 1986 crime drama film directed by James Foley, based on the real life rural Pennsylvania crime family led by Bruce Johnston, Sr. which operated during the 1960s and 1970s. It stars Sean Penn and Christopher Walken, with Chris Penn, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Crispin Glover in supporting roles.
Plot
Brad Whitewood, Sr. (Walken) is the leader of an organized crime family. One night, his estranged oldest son, Brad, Jr. (Sean Penn), contacts him after a fight with his mother's boyfriend and stays with him at his home in Hulmeville, Pennsylvania. Eventually, he becomes involved with his father's criminal activities, and starts a gang with his half-brother, Tommy (Chris Penn). The boys attempt a daring heist, which results in their arrest. Their father believes that his sons will inform on him, so he rapes Brad's girlfriend, Terry (Masterson), as a warning.
The attack has the opposite effect as Brad, Jr. begins informing the authorities about his father's activities. Brad, Sr. feels his only recourse is to eliminate every witness that can connect him with his sons and their gang. He kills Tommy himself, but orders a hit against Brad, Jr. and Terry, who is killed. Brad, Jr. threatens his father with a gun, but decides that he wants Brad, Sr. to "die every day for the rest of his life," and instead testifies against him in court.
Background (Live To Tell)
The film received more exposure in the UK due to the fact that Madonna had contributed the main theme song which also happened to be the first song to be released form her forthcoming album 'True Blue'.
"Live to Tell" was originally written by Leonard for the soundtrack of Paramount's romantic drama film Fire with Fire but Paramount rejected the song, believing that Leonard was incapable of creating the score for the film. It was then that Leonard presented the song to Madonna. She decided to use it for At Close Range, the new film of her then-husband, actor Sean Penn. Madonna wrote the lyrics of the song onspot, and made a demo recording on a cassette. She presented the song to the film's director James Foley, who after hearing the track, decided to enlist Leonard as the person to write the score for the film, as per suggestions by Madonna.
Leonard was working with Michael Jackson, on some transcriptions for his Bad album, when Penn called him at the home of Foley. There he got to know that Madonna had suggested he write the score for At Close Range, and had also asked who was going to sing "Live to Tell", since the song was written from a man's perspective. Leonard, although he had initially envisioned a male voice interpreting the song, decided to use Madonna as the main vocalist and used the demo version as the main vocal with backup drums only. He later recalled that "it was so innocent and so shy. It's as naive, as raw, as raw can be and that's part of what gave it all its charm." In a 1986 interview, Madonna said that the mood on the song was inspired by a different facet of her image makeover and her desire to focus on something different.
Awards
Nominated Golden Bear, 36th Berlin International Film Festival.
Winner ASCAP Film & Television Music Award - Most Performed Song from Motion Picture ("Live to Tell"); awarded to performer Madonna
Winner BMI Film & TV Award - Most Performed Song from a Film ("Live to Tell"); awarded to composer Patrick Leonard
Nominated Casting Society of America - Best Casting in Feature Film (Risa Bramon Garcia, Billy Hopkins)
Reception
The film grossed a total of $2,347,000 at the North American box office during its theatrical run in 83 theatres. However, with an estimated budget of $6,500,000 the film was not a commercial success.
UCLA professor Peter Reiher said about the film: "At Close Range isn't particularly good entertainment, nor is it moving, nor instructive, except for incipient cinematographers and directors. A good story has gone to waste, and there is no need for most people to bother checking out the obscured virtues of the film. Those who have never understood what 'overdirected' means might want to see At Close Range, if they really want to fill this minor gap in their film knowledge."
UK Release
The film was given a cinematic release in 1986 and was released on video a year later in the large 'rental' box format. It was subsequently reissued in 1988 in a standard sized box.
A quirky collectable is a video sampler sleeve with contains notes on the rear sleeve that specifically mentions Madonna's contribution of 'Live To Tell'. It slightly over-eggs the pudding in describing the song as 'chart-topping', at least with regard to the UK, where it was denied the top spot by Falco - 'Rock Me Amadeus' (see Singles for more details).
Plot
Brad Whitewood, Sr. (Walken) is the leader of an organized crime family. One night, his estranged oldest son, Brad, Jr. (Sean Penn), contacts him after a fight with his mother's boyfriend and stays with him at his home in Hulmeville, Pennsylvania. Eventually, he becomes involved with his father's criminal activities, and starts a gang with his half-brother, Tommy (Chris Penn). The boys attempt a daring heist, which results in their arrest. Their father believes that his sons will inform on him, so he rapes Brad's girlfriend, Terry (Masterson), as a warning.
The attack has the opposite effect as Brad, Jr. begins informing the authorities about his father's activities. Brad, Sr. feels his only recourse is to eliminate every witness that can connect him with his sons and their gang. He kills Tommy himself, but orders a hit against Brad, Jr. and Terry, who is killed. Brad, Jr. threatens his father with a gun, but decides that he wants Brad, Sr. to "die every day for the rest of his life," and instead testifies against him in court.
Background (Live To Tell)
The film received more exposure in the UK due to the fact that Madonna had contributed the main theme song which also happened to be the first song to be released form her forthcoming album 'True Blue'.
"Live to Tell" was originally written by Leonard for the soundtrack of Paramount's romantic drama film Fire with Fire but Paramount rejected the song, believing that Leonard was incapable of creating the score for the film. It was then that Leonard presented the song to Madonna. She decided to use it for At Close Range, the new film of her then-husband, actor Sean Penn. Madonna wrote the lyrics of the song onspot, and made a demo recording on a cassette. She presented the song to the film's director James Foley, who after hearing the track, decided to enlist Leonard as the person to write the score for the film, as per suggestions by Madonna.
Leonard was working with Michael Jackson, on some transcriptions for his Bad album, when Penn called him at the home of Foley. There he got to know that Madonna had suggested he write the score for At Close Range, and had also asked who was going to sing "Live to Tell", since the song was written from a man's perspective. Leonard, although he had initially envisioned a male voice interpreting the song, decided to use Madonna as the main vocalist and used the demo version as the main vocal with backup drums only. He later recalled that "it was so innocent and so shy. It's as naive, as raw, as raw can be and that's part of what gave it all its charm." In a 1986 interview, Madonna said that the mood on the song was inspired by a different facet of her image makeover and her desire to focus on something different.
Awards
Nominated Golden Bear, 36th Berlin International Film Festival.
Winner ASCAP Film & Television Music Award - Most Performed Song from Motion Picture ("Live to Tell"); awarded to performer Madonna
Winner BMI Film & TV Award - Most Performed Song from a Film ("Live to Tell"); awarded to composer Patrick Leonard
Nominated Casting Society of America - Best Casting in Feature Film (Risa Bramon Garcia, Billy Hopkins)
Reception
The film grossed a total of $2,347,000 at the North American box office during its theatrical run in 83 theatres. However, with an estimated budget of $6,500,000 the film was not a commercial success.
UCLA professor Peter Reiher said about the film: "At Close Range isn't particularly good entertainment, nor is it moving, nor instructive, except for incipient cinematographers and directors. A good story has gone to waste, and there is no need for most people to bother checking out the obscured virtues of the film. Those who have never understood what 'overdirected' means might want to see At Close Range, if they really want to fill this minor gap in their film knowledge."
UK Release
The film was given a cinematic release in 1986 and was released on video a year later in the large 'rental' box format. It was subsequently reissued in 1988 in a standard sized box.
A quirky collectable is a video sampler sleeve with contains notes on the rear sleeve that specifically mentions Madonna's contribution of 'Live To Tell'. It slightly over-eggs the pudding in describing the song as 'chart-topping', at least with regard to the UK, where it was denied the top spot by Falco - 'Rock Me Amadeus' (see Singles for more details).
Original 1986 release in large case
Reissue in 1988 in standard case
Promo Sample Video Cover
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© madonna-decade 2013
© madonna-decade 2013
