The Good Son (film): Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 18: | Line 18: | ||
| gross = $60,613,008 |
| gross = $60,613,008 |
||
}} |
}} |
||
'''''The Good Son''''' ([[1993 in film|1993]]) is a [[psychological thriller]] film directed by [[Joseph Ruben]] and written by English novelist [[Ian McEwan]]. The marketing for the film |
'''''The Good Son''''' ([[1993 in film|1993]]) is a [[psychological thriller]] film directed by [[Joseph Ruben]] and written by English novelist [[Ian McEwan]]. The marketing for the film starring [[Elijah Wood]] and [[Macaulay Culkin]] ==Plot== |
||
==Plot== |
|||
The film begins with 12-year-old Mark Evans (the protagonist) ([[Elijah Wood]]) playing a soccer game, until his father appears and takes him to visit the hospital to see his dying mother. After her death, Mark's father Jack ([[David Morse (actor)|David Morse]]) is unable to console his son as he is assigned for a business trip to [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]. Instead, Jack takes Mark to stay with his uncle Wallace and aunt Susan ([[Daniel Hugh Kelly]] and [[Wendy Crewson]]), but Mark delusively believes that his mother will return. Upon reaching the Evans' house, Mark is introduced to his extended family, including his cousins Connie and Henry Evans ([[Macaulay Culkin]]). Mark and Henry get along at first and Henry seems to be very nice playing with him. When visiting a graveyard, Henry tells Mark about his three-year-old brother Richard, who died by drowning in the bathtub a few years ago and Mark feels something isn't right. Here, Henry is revealed to be a private [[smoker]]. Later Henry shows Mark a homemade crossbow that he built that shoots screws and nails. He demonstrates the weapon by nearly hitting a nearby cat. Jack arranges for Mark to be seen by a [[child psychology|psychologist]] ([[Jacqueline Brookes]]), who tries to help Mark cope with his mother's death. Mark realizes that there's something wrong with Henry when he uses his crossbow to kill the neighbor's dog. Later, Henry causes a ten-car pileup by dropping a dummy (which he affectionately calls "Mister Highway") into a busy highway. Mark unsuccessfully tries to tell Susan about Henry's glaringly antisocial behavior. |
The film begins with 12-year-old Mark Evans (the protagonist) ([[Elijah Wood]]) playing a soccer game, until his father appears and takes him to visit the hospital to see his dying mother. After her death, Mark's father Jack ([[David Morse (actor)|David Morse]]) is unable to console his son as he is assigned for a business trip to [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]. Instead, Jack takes Mark to stay with his uncle Wallace and aunt Susan ([[Daniel Hugh Kelly]] and [[Wendy Crewson]]), but Mark delusively believes that his mother will return. Upon reaching the Evans' house, Mark is introduced to his extended family, including his cousins Connie and Henry Evans ([[Macaulay Culkin]]). Mark and Henry get along at first and Henry seems to be very nice playing with him. When visiting a graveyard, Henry tells Mark about his three-year-old brother Richard, who died by drowning in the bathtub a few years ago and Mark feels something isn't right. Here, Henry is revealed to be a private [[smoker]]. Later Henry shows Mark a homemade crossbow that he built that shoots screws and nails. He demonstrates the weapon by nearly hitting a nearby cat. Jack arranges for Mark to be seen by a [[child psychology|psychologist]] ([[Jacqueline Brookes]]), who tries to help Mark cope with his mother's death. Mark realizes that there's something wrong with Henry when he uses his crossbow to kill the neighbor's dog. Later, Henry causes a ten-car pileup by dropping a dummy (which he affectionately calls "Mister Highway") into a busy highway. Mark unsuccessfully tries to tell Susan about Henry's glaringly antisocial behavior. |
||
Revision as of 22:21, 14 October 2010
| The Good Son | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Joseph Ruben |
| Written by | Ian McEwan |
| Produced by | Joseph Ruben Mary Ann Page |
| Starring | Macaulay Culkin Elijah Wood Wendy Crewson David Morse Daniel Hugh Kelly Jacqueline Brookes Quinn Culkin |
| Cinematography | John Lindley |
| Edited by | George Bowers |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date | September 24, 1993 |
Running time | 87 minutes |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $60,613,008 |
The Good Son (1993) is a psychological thriller film directed by Joseph Ruben and written by English novelist Ian McEwan. The marketing for the film starring Elijah Wood and Macaulay Culkin ==Plot==
The film begins with 12-year-old Mark Evans (the protagonist) (Elijah Wood) playing a soccer game, until his father appears and takes him to visit the hospital to see his dying mother. After her death, Mark's father Jack (David Morse) is unable to console his son as he is assigned for a business trip to Tokyo, Japan. Instead, Jack takes Mark to stay with his uncle Wallace and aunt Susan (Daniel Hugh Kelly and Wendy Crewson), but Mark delusively believes that his mother will return. Upon reaching the Evans' house, Mark is introduced to his extended family, including his cousins Connie and Henry Evans (Macaulay Culkin). Mark and Henry get along at first and Henry seems to be very nice playing with him. When visiting a graveyard, Henry tells Mark about his three-year-old brother Richard, who died by drowning in the bathtub a few years ago and Mark feels something isn't right. Here, Henry is revealed to be a private smoker. Later Henry shows Mark a homemade crossbow that he built that shoots screws and nails. He demonstrates the weapon by nearly hitting a nearby cat. Jack arranges for Mark to be seen by a psychologist (Jacqueline Brookes), who tries to help Mark cope with his mother's death. Mark realizes that there's something wrong with Henry when he uses his crossbow to kill the neighbor's dog. Later, Henry causes a ten-car pileup by dropping a dummy (which he affectionately calls "Mister Highway") into a busy highway. Mark unsuccessfully tries to tell Susan about Henry's glaringly antisocial behavior.
Things only get worse as Wallace and Susan leave the kids alone in the house as they go for a night out; Henry hints to Mark that he plans on hurting his eight-year-old sister Connie (Quinn Culkin). The next day, Henry takes Connie ice skating on a frozen pond, where he leads Connie into thin ice, intending to let her drown, though she is rescued before this happens. Mark tries to tell Susan about the incident at the pond, but she is convinced that it is a lie. Mark then goes to tell his psychologist, but finds Henry conversing with her and making Mark out to be the one with psychological problems. After Mark claims Henry's mother to be his own, Henry expresses jealousy and hints to Mark that he is going to kill Susan. Wallace then locks Mark in the study while waiting for his psychologist to come over.
Meanwhile, Henry leads his mother away from the house, claiming he simply wants to go on a walk. Susan, who has begun doubting Henry's long-standing story on the death of his brother, demands to know about Richard. She believes that Richard wasn't drowned; instead, she wonders if Henry killed him. Henry does not answer directly, but hints at the truth by coldly asking, "What if I did?" Susan tells Henry that she wants to get him help, but this alarms Henry, who fears being sent to "one of those places". He runs off towards a nearby cliff, appearing to be suicidal. Susan goes to the cliff and looks over the edge, and is surprised to find Henry emerging from hiding behind her, amused that he fooled her again. He then runs forward and shoves his mother over the edge. Susan grabs onto a ledge after being pushed off by Henry. Henry tries a second time to kill Susan by dropping a rock on her, but before he can, Mark tackles him.
Susan manages to climb back up just as both Henry and Mark fall over the edge of the cliff. Susan grabs for them and each boy finds himself dangling, with Mark clinging to Susan's right arm and Henry clinging to her left. All three realize that Susan will not have the strength to pull both boys back up to safety. In order to save either of them, she will have to use both hands and release the other boy to fall to his death. Mark and Henry look up at Susan, each of them begging to be the one she chooses to save; Henry is calm, thinking she'll have to save him, her son. Susan agonizes over the decision, but once her grip begins to give way, Susan tells Henry that she loves him, and lets Henry fall to his death on the rocks below, and saves Mark because Mark was telling Susan the truth.
The film ends with Mark's voice as the final narration, stating that he still wonders who Susan would choose, if she could choose again. He says that while he may always wonder, he knows he'll never ask.
Cast
- Elijah Wood as Mark Evans
- Macaulay Culkin as Henry Evans
- Wendy Crewson as Susan Evans
- David Morse as Jack Evans
- Daniel Hugh Kelly as Wallace Evans
- Jacqueline Brookes as Alice Davenport
- Quinn Culkin as Connie Evans
- Rory Culkin as Richard Evans in Picture
Reception
The film received a mostly negative response from critics, with a 25% overall score on Rotten Tomatoes.[1] Roger Ebert awarded it just half a star, calling the project a "creepy, unpleasant experience".[2] He and Gene Siskel later gave it "Two Thumbs Down".[3]
The Good Son received USD$44,789,789 in domestic box office revenues, and another $15,823,219 worldwide, for a total box office take of $60,613,008.[4]
References
- ^ The Good Son on Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ The Good Son review from the Chicago Sun-Times
- ^ The Good Son from At the Movies
- ^ The Good Son (1993) from Box Office Mojo
External links
