Road to Perdition (2002)

Director:

Sam Mendes

Writers (WGA):

Max Allan Collins (graphic novel) and
Richard Piers Rayner (graphic novel) ...

Release Date:

12 July 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Pray for Michael Sullivan

Plot:

Bonds of loyalty are put to the test when a hitman's son witnesses what his father does for a living.

Plot Keywords:

Gangster Film | Paradox Press | Contract Killer | Irish Mob | Cigarette Smoking

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 17 wins & 47 nominations

Cast

Tyler Hoechlin	...	Michael Sullivan Jr.
Rob Maxey	...	Drugstore Owner
Liam Aiken	...	Peter Sullivan
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Annie Sullivan
Tom Hanks	...	Michael Sullivan
Paul Newman	...	John Rooney
Daniel Craig	...	Connor Rooney
Ciarán Hinds	...	Finn McGovern
Craig Spidle	...	Rooney's Henchman
Ian Barford	...	Rooney's Henchman
Stephen P. Dunn	...	Finn McGovern's Henchman (as Stephen Dunn)
Paul Turner	...	Finn McGovern's Henchman
Kathleen Keane	...	Irish Musician
Brendan McKinney	...	Irish Musician
Jackie Moran	...	Irish Musician

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:18SG | South Korea:15 | Iceland:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Austria:14 | Canada:14A | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | India:A | Ireland:15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R13 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #38889)

Filming Locations:

Barrington Hills, Illinois, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

According to author Max Allan Collins, real-life gangsters John and Connor Looney's names were changed to Rooney for the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Maguire's coffee cup magically appears between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Michael Sullivan, Jr.: There are many stories about Michael Sullivan. Some say he was a decent man. Some say there was no good in him at all. But I once spent 6 weeks on the road with him, in the winter of 1931. This is our story.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Frasier: Roe to Perdition (#10.18)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Alma Redemptoris Mater

Simply Beautiful

I loved so much about this movie...the time taken to develop the characters, the attention to detail, the superb performances, the stunning lighting and cinematography, the wonderful soundtrack...

It has a combined intensity and lightness of touch that won't work for anyone who wants the typical fast-paced action flick. If we lived in Elizabethan days, I'd say this movie's a bit like a Shakespearean tragedy. But since we don't, let's say it's more like a Drama-Suspense movie.

The plot is simple, but the story is complex. The movie is intelligent in the way relationships and issues are explored. Much of the story is shown rather than told, which I find makes it more subtle and moving - and which also works well for a story based on a comic book (or graphic novel). At times I felt I was actually there in the 1930s, part of this story - there was such a realistic yet dream-like quality in the style of its telling.

I don't often prefer movies to the books they were based upon, but in this case I do. (Though I did enjoy the book too.) I've bought the DVD, which is great because it has some wonderful deleted scenes and insightful commentary.

(I also took my little cousin, who's a little younger than the boy in the movie, to see it after I saw it for the first time, because he has issues at home and I wanted to use this as a way of starting a discussion on father-son issues with him. He loved it - and the discussion.)