Crime and Punishment in Suburbia (2000)

Director:

Rob Schmidt

Writer (WGA):

Larry Gross (written by)

Release Date:

25 August 2000 (Italy)

Genre:

Thriller | Drama

Tagline:

Some kids have lots of time to kill.

Plot:

This is a contemporary fable loosely based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "Crime and Punishment". Roseanne is outwardly a perfect and popular teen...

Plot Keywords:

Abuse | Revenge | Boyfriend Girlfriend Relationship | Graveyard | Interracial Relationship

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Monica Keena	...	Roseanne Skolnick
Ellen Barkin	...	Maggie Skolnick
Michael Ironside	...	Fred Skolnick
Vincent Kartheiser	...	Vincent
James DeBello	...	Jimmy
Jeffrey Wright	...	Chris
Conchata Ferrell	...	Bella
Marshall R. Teague	...	Coach (as Marshall Teague)
Nicki Aycox	...	Cecil
Christian Payne	...	Dean
Anthony C. Chow	...	Teacher
Bonnie Somerville	...	Stuck Up Girl
Lucinda Jenney	...	Vincent's Mom
Jim Boyce	...	Mr. Dwyer
Matt Champagne	...	Counselor Lord

Also Known As:

Crime + Punishment in Suburbia (USA) (working title)
Crime and Punishment in High School (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for brutal violence, strong sexuality, language and substance abuse.

Runtime:

100 min | Spain:98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:MA (cable rating) | France:U | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California, USA

Company:

G2 Films

Quotes:

Vincent's Mom: How's school?
Vincent: [peeling carrots with knife] I love it. If they had it at night, I'd never leave.
Vincent's Mom: You know, it's going to be so interesting to see what you're like when you get out of this gloomy stage.
[Vincent smiles and stabs the table with the knife]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'Reservoir Dogs' Revisited (2005) (TV)

Strangely haunting and beautiful

The 3 best aspects to this film are the acting, cinematography and soundtrack.

This film just made me a big fan of Monica Keena and Vincent Kartheiser. Both delivered dynamic and intriguing performances. Monica Keena's character is transformed throughout the film and she's able to convey that arc with great subtlety. Vincent Kartheiser's character was also conveyed very well, not overdone like so many other goth/nerd characters are portrayed.

The cinematography was great - visually compelling imagery and an unsteadiness throughout that lends to the feel of uneasiness with what is happening to the characters. It lends itself to the feelings, moods of not only the characters in the film but to the viewer as well. A great film engages the viewer and makes them feel as though they have been drawn into the world of the film.

Finally I'm a big fan of music and soundtracks that aren't cliché and don't dominate a scene. I'd love to get my hands on a list of all the songs used in the film.

The writing was decent, and many of the supporting actors played their parts very well - this easily could have devolved into overblown and overacted performances but nobody in the cast fell prey to that trap.

There's a strange morality to the story - one not easily discerned after one viewing. Of course there can be comparisons to the film "American Beauty" and while that one garnered all the praise and awards I believe this film is much more challenging yet far more fulfilling. It's more subtle and the answers aren't so easy to ascertain. I'll be watching this movie many times and I have a feeling I'll discover something new each time. Great movie!