Willard
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
21K
YOUR RATING
A young man with an unusual connection to rats uses them at his own sociopathic will.A young man with an unusual connection to rats uses them at his own sociopathic will.A young man with an unusual connection to rats uses them at his own sociopathic will.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Awards
- 1 win & 5 nominations total
Laura Harring
- Cathryn
- (as Laura Elena Harring)
Ashlyn Gere
- Ms. Leach
- (as Kimberly Patton)
Kristen Cloke
- Psychiatrist
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
The movie centers about Crispin Glover a quirky and lone man about thirty years old . He lives with her ill mother and amount of mouses into his home . He has got as enemy to the office chief . Rats will help him to revenge .
The film will have to flee whom don't like the rats because they appear in everyone shots , close-ups , foreground and background of the flick . There are thousand rats and they have been made by animatronics and computer generator specials effects(FX).
Acting by Crispin Glover is excellent , interpreting to Willard as a twisted mind is fantastic , likeness to Norman Bates/Anthony Perkins of Psychosis . R. Lee Ermey as the evil and villain chief is perfect such as his acting in ¨Full metal jacket¨ , Laura Elena Harring (Mulholland drive) is cute .
Direction by Glen Morgan is nicely made , cinematography by Robert MacLachlan is first-rate and Shirley Walker's musical score is gorgeous.
It's a remake to another 1971 film featured by Bruce Davison who only appears in photography as Willard's father into this 2003 film.
Rating 6/10 , average .
The film will have to flee whom don't like the rats because they appear in everyone shots , close-ups , foreground and background of the flick . There are thousand rats and they have been made by animatronics and computer generator specials effects(FX).
Acting by Crispin Glover is excellent , interpreting to Willard as a twisted mind is fantastic , likeness to Norman Bates/Anthony Perkins of Psychosis . R. Lee Ermey as the evil and villain chief is perfect such as his acting in ¨Full metal jacket¨ , Laura Elena Harring (Mulholland drive) is cute .
Direction by Glen Morgan is nicely made , cinematography by Robert MacLachlan is first-rate and Shirley Walker's musical score is gorgeous.
It's a remake to another 1971 film featured by Bruce Davison who only appears in photography as Willard's father into this 2003 film.
Rating 6/10 , average .
Glen Morgan's Willard isn't your ordinary mainstream remake! Unlike the bombastic and computerized money-making films like
oh, I don't know Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 13 Ghosts and Dawn of the Dead who're merely loud updates of classic horrific tales. Willard is a modest and respectful production that lays the stress on atmosphere and scenery instead of gory effects and good-looking young flesh. Willard is the tale of an extremely introvert middle-aged man (lives with his needy mother, no girlfriend, stuck in a hopeless job) who discover his ability to control and command little rodents
rats in particular. By communicating with these rats, he finally discovers what friendship feels like and it also gives him the opportunity to satisfy his deepest feelings of anger and vengeance towards his boss Frank Martin. But the mob of rats slowly turns against Willard as he doesn't treat them alike. Thanks to the depressing scenery (Willard's old house, the morbid factory) and the under-exposure at times, Willard often looks like a 40's chiller! There's a good and constant variation of tension and sadistic humor, with the cat-chase as the absolute highlight to state this. Crispin Glover the man with the most incomprehensible cult following in the film industry is brilliantly cast as Willard. His goofy yet spooky charisma fits his character really well. R. Lee Ermey receives the change to be his old boisterous self again as the dreary factory-owner who's out to destroy Willard life. To conclude the cast, Laura Harding is very charming as the understanding and helpful Cathryn. This film may not show as many bloodshed and eccentric slaughtering as the nowadays public demands, but it surely made an impression on me. Willard is a very atmospheric and often frightening horror storytelling with some adorable fairy-tale aspects and playfully imaginative aspects. Highly recommended. I saw this film at a during a festival-night
after a series of gory slashers. The over-enthusiast public didn't appreciate it that much but I trust in the fact that Willard will build up a solid cult reputation.
Before you let the advertising fool you, understand that "Willard" isn't exactly your normal horror flick. I know that the marketing people tried to put all the scary bits into the trailer and such, but I urge you to reconsider your views on it.
The movie itself is more of an in-depth character study. It follows the events that lead one man into the pits of insanity, taking you along for the ride. Forget "Psycho," (Which was an awesome film in its own right) though the movie does have Norman Bates/Hitchcock elements. We're taken from lonely, shy, and sad, to hollering, glaring, weeping, and finally, silent. Only one man was tailor-made for this role...and that man was Mr. Glover.
Through every blink, every wide-eyed stare, the audience is drawn into the character. We believe in his connection with the rats, and marvel at his ability to train them. And when he gets even with Mr. Martin, we celebrate.
And I loved the undoubted sexual frustration that Willard is feeling. It's more apparent in one of the deleted scenes on the DVD. But the writer didn't succumb to this frustration; he let it build.
All of this combines to form one of the greatest character movies I have ever seen, and probably will ever see. I must say that this is one movie I will not soon forget...
The movie itself is more of an in-depth character study. It follows the events that lead one man into the pits of insanity, taking you along for the ride. Forget "Psycho," (Which was an awesome film in its own right) though the movie does have Norman Bates/Hitchcock elements. We're taken from lonely, shy, and sad, to hollering, glaring, weeping, and finally, silent. Only one man was tailor-made for this role...and that man was Mr. Glover.
Through every blink, every wide-eyed stare, the audience is drawn into the character. We believe in his connection with the rats, and marvel at his ability to train them. And when he gets even with Mr. Martin, we celebrate.
And I loved the undoubted sexual frustration that Willard is feeling. It's more apparent in one of the deleted scenes on the DVD. But the writer didn't succumb to this frustration; he let it build.
All of this combines to form one of the greatest character movies I have ever seen, and probably will ever see. I must say that this is one movie I will not soon forget...
Mr. Culkin should have taken the role that this movie offered him. For an actor who is trying to prove something to the industry in Hollywood, this movie is an excellent example. Crispin Glover has had a reputation in the film industry as a strong, yet weird actor. Many of the roles that he has received makes Crispin look crazy if not odd. Here, Crispin shows his serious and comic side. The movie alone holds up as a gritty thriller. A horror movie none-the-less, Willard is an interesting film that we don't see too often. A well made movie with decent production value, the cast adds to its greatness. Much like River's Edge, the audience is left wondering where Crispin Glover came from. No longer a young actor, Crispin has worked his way up to become a veteran performer and a good actor.
Willard is a movie that doesn't really fall into a specific category. Don't expect a traditional horror, but don't expect a B horror comedy either. If anything, it's a very morbid drama. There are some good characters in it that you end up caring for. Crispin Glover does a perfect job as Willard, it's his best performance yet, and R. Lee Eremey is great in the over-the-top role of Willard's boss. But what I found most surprising is how much you actually end up caring for the rats. The 2 lead rats even seem to have personalities.
There are some creepy scenes but nothing that will keep you up at night. It's a fairly predictable movie- you know from his very first scene that Willard's boss is going to get it. But that doesn't matter, the movie's entertaining and interesting, and that's enough. The end leaves a door open for a sequel, and I say bring it on. I'd like to see another Willard.
This is destined to be a cult classic. A movie about a guy and a bunch of rats isn't likely to become a world-wide hit, but I think this will be more popular on video. It's good late night movie.
My rating: 6/10
There are some creepy scenes but nothing that will keep you up at night. It's a fairly predictable movie- you know from his very first scene that Willard's boss is going to get it. But that doesn't matter, the movie's entertaining and interesting, and that's enough. The end leaves a door open for a sequel, and I say bring it on. I'd like to see another Willard.
This is destined to be a cult classic. A movie about a guy and a bunch of rats isn't likely to become a world-wide hit, but I think this will be more popular on video. It's good late night movie.
My rating: 6/10
Did you know
- TriviaThere have been reports that the enormous rat Ben was not portrayed in the film by an actual rat, which is not true. Ben was portrayed by a Gambian pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus), a distant relative of the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus), the species used in the film. Gambian pouched rats, while fairly docile, can grow to a body length of as much as 10-17 inches from the head to the base of the tail, with the tail about the same length or longer, and can generally weigh anywhere from two to over six pounds.
- GoofsIn the film's funeral home scene when Joseph Carter first walks in, he is seen from the waist down and he is wearing a long blue coat. When a full view of Carter is shown, he is neither wearing nor even carrying a long blue coat. However, Mr. Martin, outside the funeral home, is now wearing the coat that was originally worn by Carter.
- Quotes
Willard: You stole this company from my father. It killed him and it killed my mother and now you're trying to kill me. You're trying to take my house. You made a fool of me in front of everybody. You made me hate myself. I thought about it a lot, hating myself. Well right now, at this moment, I LIKE myself.
- Crazy creditsSecond Unit Chef Dave Carlson's credit is listed as: Caterer to the Stars...DAVID CARLSON
- ConnectionsFeatured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Hunted/Agent Cody Banks/Willard (2003)
- SoundtracksBen
Written by Walter Scharf and Don Black
Performed by the Jackson 5
Courtesy of Motown Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
- How long is Willard?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $20,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $6,886,089
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $4,000,000
- Mar 16, 2003
- Gross worldwide
- $8,564,586
- Runtime1 hour 40 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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