At Close Range (Special Edition)

A teenage farm boy looking for excitement finds himself on a collision course with his smooth-talking gang leader father in this “powerfully disturbing” (Newsweek) tale based on the story of real-life killer Bruce Johnston. Oscar® winner* Sean Penn (Dead Man Walking) and Oscar® winner* Christopher Walken (Pulp Fiction) star in this “hot, horrifying saga of an American criminal family” (Los Angeles Times).Juvenile delinquent Brad Whitewood, Jr. (Penn) knows about petty theft, but he wants big money – enough to blow the lid off his boring life, enough to get out of town and to find his ol’ man (Walken). He wants to be like his dad, a big-time thief, who knows “the business.” Seductive and sinister, Brad’s father is full of toxic wisdom that makes his illicit life appear eerily sexy. But when Brad witnesses his father deliberately killing someone, he realizes he may not only be in over his head… he may also lose it for good.*2003: Actor, Mystic River *1978: Supporting Actor, The Deer Hunter At Close Range (Special Edition)

Review

A very tough picture… audiences will respond to the very strong performances of the two leads, especially Walken in one of his best roles. –Variety

A spare, violent unforgiving story… is also a story with passages of love and adventure and cheerfulness… two great actors, Penn and Walken, at the top of their forms in roles that give them a lot to work with. –Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Mr. Kazan’s screenplay is lean and to the point…There’s something bold about the film’s wealth of imagery. –Vincent Canby, The New York Times