User reviews

This is such a well crafted film in so many ways, I urge you not to watch it alone. The writer has dipped into Greek mythology as well as modern newspaper tabloids, and come up with a frightening collection of kids and adults that you absolutely believe could exist down the street in a 'lesser' part of town.

I won't go into the plot, except to say that it's centered around kids need for love from their parents- and what they'll do to get it.

Chris Walken walks away with the film- every time he's on screen, it lights up and all sense of time stops. I'm not exaggerating! He's stunning.

The Penn brothers, Sean and Chris, do fine work as well. But I was most surprised by Chris Penn, he's open and sad and really quite a terrific actor.

I think this is James Foleys best film, and worth a rent.

The look of the film says rural poverty. There are broken-down cars in the front yards and trash in the streets. People don't say much during supper; they're too involved watching the television. The main story is based on the real life story of killer Bruce Johnson. With the accepting of the character's names being changed, the film features an accurate interpretation of events. It is truly a shame that no one really knows about this film. It features a powerful and emotional tale of an American criminal family.

This is a gritty movie, with great questions about family ties and what to do with your life when you have no real options. Most of the cast was relatively unknown at the time, so check out actors like Kiefer Sutherland, Crispin Glover, and Mary Stuart Masterson at the beginning of their careers. Credit should also go to director James Foley and scriptwriter Nicholas Kazan for not only delivering a powerhouse film but for also getting it right.

Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

Sean Penn, who has now effectively established himself behind the camera as a fine director as well, once expressed that he didn't care that much for acting. When one reflects on the more brilliant achievements he's made in his career, and can contemplate how physically and emotionally exhausting his best and most difficult roles have been, it's not a statement that comes across as being that unusual. And nowhere can the toll a role can take on an actor be felt more keenly, than in AT CLOSE RANGE, with his portrayal of ne'er-do-well, small town knockabout Brad Whitewood, Jr.

The chilling poignancy of the film and the events it portrays are even more stunning (and depressing) when it is revealed that everything is based on true events.

The direction, photography, editing, scoring and most of all the acting work wonders to convey the ennervating malaise of small-town life in middle America, and how it can affect and motivate people to act or react in ways that propel them into situations that people in more metropolitan areas may smugly observe that they would never find themselves in.

Brad Whitewood Jr. (Penn) and his little brother, Tommy (Chris Penn in an amazing early performance) don't have that luxury. Caught in the inescapable pull of the dying farming community in which they live, like lost stars drifting near the event horizon of a black hole, they have nothing better to do than cruise the main square, get drunk, get high and get into trouble.

The one bright spot in their ocean of darkness is their frequently absentee dad, Brad Whitewood, Sr. (Christopher Walken at his best and most frightening). Suave, cocksure and charismatic, Brad Sr. represents a world of fascinating danger and adventure that has his boys enthralled. Brad Sr. runs a black market ring that deals in stolen equipment parts, amongst various other unlawful and unsavory activities, and as it is revealed early on, when it comes to protecting his bottom line, Brad Sr.'s vicious wrath recognizes no allegiance to loyalty or kin.

To prove themselves worthy of their dad's attentions, Brad, Tommy and their friends (which include future stars John Laughlin, Kiefer Sutherland and Stephen "Fright Night" Geoffreys), decide to start their own gang, with disastrous results. The federal authorities, who have been after Brad Sr. for a long time, decide to use the boys as leverage to nab him, and subpoena them as State witnesses against him. But even they underestimate his capacity for evil, as he demonstrates in one of the film's most graphically shocking setpieces.

Only an actor worth his mettle can hold a scene with Christopher Walken, let alone take it away from him, and Penn proves to be more than worthy of the challenge. You will find both actors doing some of their best, most gut-wrenching work here. A fun time at the movies this is not, but in terms of acting ability, the efforts on display here are damn near flawless, and should have been recognized at Oscar time.

Also commendable are subtle turns by Millie Perkins as the boys' mom, who is adamantly against the idea of having her hooligan estranged husband influencing her boys, yet isn't beneath accepting his guilt money every now and then, and Mary Stuart Masterson, who shines like a beacon as Brad Jr.'s inspiration to dream of a better life, even with a menacing threat to her own from his father, whom she defies, with tragic results.

James Foley's tight direction, the atmospheric and almost surreal lighting and shadows captured masterfully by DP Juan Ruiz Anchia, Nicholas Kazan's sure-handed screenplay, Patrick Leonard's haunting score (the basis for Madonna's hit "Live To Tell"), and as mentioned before, the superb acting, make for an experience that you may not enjoy, but it will most certainly stay with you for a very long time...

Sean Penn plays Brad Jr., an aimless young man in late-1970s rural Pennsylvania who gets into it with his mom's latest boyfriend, so he decides to move in with Dad (Christopher Walken) for awhile. Dad turns out to be the head of a gang of thieves, and will stop at nothing to keep from winding up back in jail, including having potential witnesses murdered.

Brad Jr. Doesn't like seeing people murdered, but doesn't figure out that not engaging in crime might be the solution, so when he and his friends try to carry off a heist and get caught, the prosecutor puts the pressure on him and his friends.

Based on a true story, this one is incredibly brutal, reminding me at times of Animal Kingdom (2010) and Badlands, the latter because Brad Jr. Falls in love with a 16-year-old girl (a young Mary Stuart Masterson) and tries to run away with her at one point. The movie also has small roles from a young Crispin Glover and Kiefer Sutherland among others, and introduced the Madonna (remember, Sean Penn was married to Madonna at the time) song "Live to Tell".

I saw this movie when it first came out, and it's remained one of the most memorable films I have seen since. Sean Penn & Christopher Walken especially produce very powerful, realistic performances. Walken's evil father is a spot-on echo of a relative of mine - right down to the mustache & body language. <shudder> Sometimes, though, Walken's low-class accent is so thick I couldn't make out just what he's saying.

The dialogue is just subtle enough to feel realistic. Although the movie moves along at a slow, deliberate pace, the plot still feels nice & tight. And the cinematography is stylish. An instrumental version of the song Live to Tell, that Madonna turned into a hit, is actually used as the main theme running under almost every scene. It's not often that a pop song associated with a film is actually used in the film itself - usually it's just tacked on at the closing credits. But it was used to great atmospheric effect here.

Having recently purchased this movie on DVD and viewed it again, I feel compelled to amend my prior comments. On the most recent viewing, I watched the movie much more carefully than on prior viewings, and can now see the motivations of the character(s) more clearly, and how the 'situation' portrayed in the film spiralled out of control (click on my username to read my prior review for "At Close Range," in which I questioned the actions of the villain). On more careful viewing, the whole thing makes a lot more sense.

I want to revise my prior comment -- this is a superb film, and I've voted again and now give this film 9/10. If you haven't seen it, now's a great chance. Great acting by *everyone*, especially Sean Penn and Christopher Walken (this is one of Walken's best parts ever).

The DVD version of the film just came out (I had it on preorder and received it yesterday), and I have to say how impressed I am with the transfer. Absolutely superlative, clear picture quality, although I can't evaluate the sound because I have only stereo speakers, no dolby surround. But the video transfer itself is one of the best I've seen for a movie this old, looking like the film might just have been made six months ago. It appears that quite a bit of work went into restoration. If you have a DVD player, you owe it to yourself to get this film on DVD, although the only 'special feature' is the original theatrical trailer. The film is offered in both widescreen and pan-and-scan formats (two-sided single-layer).

Revised Review: 9/10

Quite an unpleasant drama/thriller about a criminal who reunites with his 2 sons after many years, and incites them to join his "business". This movie is so dark and risky that it probably wouldn't have worked without Sean Penn and Walken's magnetic performances. Walken is really disturbing as the passive-agressive, manipulative thug, and...I don't want to imagine what the real life criminal was like. (7/10)

This movie is an old favorite. I think this is the one work by Sean Penn that became the pivotal interest in him for me. He was, as usual in anything he does, absolutely convincing. Same for Christopher Walken. The casting was perfect, the scenery and soundtrack done beautifully. I've been recommending this one to friends for ages.

Hello. From what i gathered on the websites, the names have been changed in the movie. This may be why a lot of people do not believe this is a true story. The real people are the Johnstons. Bruce johnston raped his stepson, "Brad" girlfriend in the motel. "Tommi" being subpoenaed to court did get him killed by Bruce. The part about the money laundering and theft is true. They killed "Terri" in the car while "Brad" was driving it. Graves were never dug when they led those boys out into the woods. They were burned on a pile of wood. The writer may have had all the facts, but did not play them out right in the movie. It is possible that is why the movie only got 2 1/2 stars. Bruce and Norman Johnston are in separate prisons to this day.

Search under bruce johnston in 1978 or similar. Enjoy.

This raw look at small town hoods brutally exposes us to a portion of society rarely depicted in movies. Souped-up cars and small time heists are nothing new, but `At Close Range' is really more ‘The Godfather' than `Bonnie and Clyde'.

Disobedient kids, worthless mom, ineffective stepfather. Every day we hear tell of it on Montel, Jerry Springer, and Sally. Here, we see it, here we live it.

James Foley does his best work here, you might think it funny to call a film with a lot of 4x8 paneling and muscle shirts ‘stylish' but this film has its own distinctive style, in many ways reminding me of Michael Mann's very stylish `Thief'

Christopher Walken is nothing short of spectacular. Both the Penn brothers (Sean and Chris) do very strong turns as sons of this verrry badddd man.

Great story, powerful performances. All too real. Even a bit of a storybook ending doesn't tarnish this one.

It's funny, but all evidence to the contrary, James Foley is an excellent director. For some reason his choice in projects is quite faulty. He's made a botch of a John Grisham adaptation (The Chamber), a sappy Al Pacino film (Two Bits), and a really bad Madonna film (Who's that Girl?). But when the material is correct, there aren't many visual stylists who are superior. Foley's talent makes even a B exploitation thriller like Fear into something far more entertaining that it has any right to be. And with the right script and right actors, you can get something like Glengarry Glen Ross, or At Close Range, a 1986 heartland crime drama with Sean Penn and Christopher Walken. At Close Range is smart, beautifully composed, and the acting from the two leads is as good as anything either has done.

Set in rural Pennsylvania (you know it's really rural because an Amish buggy passes by in one scene), At Close Range is the true story of Brad Whitewood (Walken) and Brad Whitewood Jr.. The older Brad is the head of a local crime syndicate, robbing safes, stealing tractors, and committing murder when the situation calls for it. Young Brad is adrift, smoking pot, drinking beer, and sitting around his house with his even duller brother Tommy (Chris Penn). Brad Jr. has energy, but no outlet until he meets the girl of his dreams (Mary Stuart Masterson) and the father who abandoned him. Getting into his father's business could insure Brad Jr.'s financial future, but it's possible that that's not what he wants.

At Close Range was written by Nicholas Kazan, who began his career with a series of successful true life stories including Frances and Reversal of Fortune. With this story he knows that the dialogue isn't the most important thing. These aren't flashy mobsters and they don't speak in Runyan/Tarantino poetry. What the script does, though, is make every word count. Some of the most emotional scenes don't involve any speaking and in the most menacing scenes, it's the power of the limited words, or their placement that makes it work. A perfect example is a meeting between Masterson and Walken in which an invitation of a bowl of corn flakes becomes chilling.

James Foley has an eye for lighting and he uses diagetic light to enhance the development of characters. Note the way a refracted light bulb gives Walken a halo in one crucial scene, perhaps a divine justification for his actions. Foley (and cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchía) create a mood of pastoral tragedy, the perfect setting for criminals who aren't as big as they think they are and punks who don't have anywhere else to turn to for role models.

Even in his worst films, Foley is an excellent actor's director. And for my money, this is Christopher Walken's best performance. His line readings are consistently unique, spinning icy dread out of the most casual comments. This performance is also surprising because Walken frequently isn't creepy. You always know that it's under the surface, but for a limited period he actually seems like a warm funny father. And as for Penn, the best you can say is that when he's on-screen with Walken he never gets upstaged. Playing a slightly underdeveloped role, he finds a perfect balance between muscular physicality and fear. He's touching to watch. Various members of the supporting cast are recognizable faces and do quality work, including Crispin Glover, Keifer Sutherland, Candy Clark, Millie Perkins, and David Strathairn.

At Close Range resists melodrama and as a result comes off as more thoughtful than powerful. The movie works, but it isn't going to blow you away. Its plot seems familiar throughout, but this genre is rarely played much better. I'd give this one an 8/10.

It's 1978 in rural Pennsylvania. Brad Whitewood Jr. (Sean Penn) is an angry young man. He lives with his brother Tommy (Chris Penn), his mother, grandma, and her mother's boyfriend for the last few months. They can best be described as white trash. He has an eye for Terry (Mary Stuart Masterson). His absentee father (Christopher Walken) runs a crime family and drops by to give the family money once in awhile. After a fight with his mother's boyfriend, he goes away to his father.

The first thing one notices is the great Madonna song. It gives the movie the perfect mood. There is a desolation and a sense of impending doom running all throughout this movie. Its bleak tone fits the based-on-a-true-story movie. The acting is close to perfect. The story doesn't have a good flow but its randomness feels like a true story.

Few movies do rural places well w/o lapsing into hick stereotypes. Sean Penn and Walken both act their tails off, this being before each became a caricature. For me, this movie was great for Penn on the way from "Racing With the Moon" to "Colors" a few years later. He catches an adolescent macho vibe that is very charismatic. (I think Mary Stuart Masterson is cute and non-threatening as the love interest. Somebody like Diane Lane would really have bumped it a notch, though!) Dark? Oh, yeah...it's not Faulkner, but Kazan puts great lines in mouths of champion weirdos like Tracey Walther. If you grew up in PA and don't feel this movie, "Flashdance" and "All The Right Moves" back to back won't get you there.

At Close Range is a sadly forgotten crime drama from the 80's that is ripe for re watching and praise from new generations. It's a diobolically suspenseful cautionary tale about sins of the father, burying the past, and the violent, tragic things that can happen when you don't leave it buried. Sean Penn plays Brad Whitewood, an aimless young man who along with his brother (Chris Penn, Sean's real life sibling) tries to reconnect with his estranged father, Brad Sr. (Christopher Walken). Brad Sr. is a a charming, hospitable and all together evil son of a bitch, a small time rural crime lord who makes do by hijacking expensive farming equipment. Brad Jr. is enticed by his father's easygoing alpha male aura, and takes up keep with him, if for nothing else than because he has nothing better to do. Big, big mistake. Walken turns out to be a sociopathic monster, coldly turning on his two hapless sons quicker than a venomous cobra. In fact I was reminded of the scorpion and the rabbit story while observing his character. Here is a man so evil that no matter how familiar or close a person is to him, he Wil turn sadistic and destructive on them at the drop of a hat, simply because it is his nature. Walken is a demon daddy in the role, turning a character that could have fallen into clichéd melodrama into a nuanced, intriguing fiend. The Penn brothers, still very young here are tragic and realistically relatable. The supporting cast is also fantastic, with Kiefer Sutherland, Crispin Glover and Mary Stuart Masterson all diving excellent turns. Films this prolific, provocative and tragically entertaining shouldn't get overlooked, especially deadly, downbeat, serious minded scorcher of a thriller like this. Highly recommended.

A very good film that I recommend highly if you are in the right frame of mind to view truly evil subject matter. The acting by Walken, Penn, Penn and Masterson is brilliant. Espescially the last few minutes. Sean Penn's performance is my favourite acting moment of all time. Even writing this makes me take a deep exhale.

Tender yet painful story about a rural Pennsylvania teen, Brad Whitewood, Jr. (Sean Penn) who along with his half-brother, Tommy (real-life brother Chris Penn) finally meet their estranged father, Brad Sr. (Christopher Walken), decide to join their father's crime network only to discover how brutal that he can be to them while dodging the feds at any cost. (Sean) Penn and Walken are well-cast here and to watch the pair on-screen at the same time is a delight. Director James Foley guides the film where it should go and the script by Nicholas Kazan is made to near perfection in handling the mood and tension. It's also a surprise that the film itself is based on a true story that took placed in 1978. A sharp and very unforgiving tale of betrayl.

....and Sean Penn. Chris Walken has made many, many great movies, without a doubt he is one of the best and most charismatic actors of all time, but that role, I am dead serious, is the role of his life. He was born to play that horrible person and horrible father. An egomaniac, and psychopath. The story is a true story, which makes that movie even more outstanding. The music is Madonna's best song. I am not a fan of her, but that song is made for this movie. And there is Sean Penn. He plays fantastic as well. He is still young, but one can see what a great actor he already was. Pure charisma, on both sides. Walken and Penn. And last but not least, his real-life brother plays the role of his brother. This is a haunting movie you won't forget ever once you saw it. Don't miss that movie. Just watch it, I promise, you won't regret it.

Christopher Walken and Sean Penn play Brad Whitewood Sr. & Jr., father and son who are reunited after the fathers long absence. The father belongs to a criminal gang specializing in theft, and his son(along with his friends, and other brother Tommy) want to join the gang, without realizing what a bad role model he really is, since he counts his ties to the gang far tighter than his family, which they will learn to their regret, as they get involved deeper into the stealing of farm equipment.

Though well acted by the leads, with intense direction by James Foley, any emotional involvement is utterly muted, since the viewer is kept at arms length throughout, and it is difficult to care about any of them; you'll just want to see them arrested...