Capote (film)

Infobox Film
name = Capote


caption = Promotional poster for "Capote"
director = Bennett Miller
producer = Caroline Baron
William Vince
Michael Ohoven
writer = Screenplay:
Dan Futterman
Biography:
Gerald Clarke
starring = Philip Seymour Hoffman
Catherine Keener
Clifton Collins Jr.
Chris Cooper
Bruce Greenwood
Mark Pellegrino
music = Mychael Danna
cinematography = Adam Kimmel
editing = Christopher Tellefsen
distributor = United Artists
Sony Pictures Classics
released =
runtime = 114 min.
country = Canada / USA cite web | work=IMDB.com | title=Capote (2005) | url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379725/ | accessdate=15 November | accessyear=2006]
awards =
language = English
budget = $ 7 million cite web | work=boxofficemojo.com | title=Capote (2005) | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=capote.htm | accessdate=16 November | accessyear=2006]
gross = Domestic
$28,750,530 cite web | work=boxofficemojo.com | title=Capote (2005) | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=capote.htm | accessdate=16 November | accessyear=2006]
Foreign
$20,482,631 cite web | work=boxofficemojo.com | title=Capote (2005) | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=capote.htm | accessdate=16 November | accessyear=2006] Worldwide
$49,233,161 cite web | work=boxofficemojo.com | title=Capote (2005) | url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=capote.htm | accessdate=16 November | accessyear=2006]
reviews =
*Allmovie rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:319184~T0 link]
*Empire rating|5|5 [http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?DVDID=117328 link]
*Film critic rating|4|5 [http://filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/84dbbfa4d710144986256c290016f76e/6c95cf4a001e4525882570890073b51c?OpenDocument&Highlight=0,capote link]
*Roger Ebert rating|4|4 [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051020/REVIEWS/50928006/1023 link]
*Rolling Stone rating|3.5|4 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/7380561/capote link]
*Premiere rating|3.5|4 [http://www.premiere.com/article.asp?section_id=2&article_id=2306 link]
website = http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/capote/
amg_id = 1:319184
imdb_id = 0379725

"Capote" is a 2005 biographical film about Truman Capote on a writing assignment for "The New Yorker." Philip Seymour Hoffman won several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actor, for his critically acclaimed portrayal of the title role. The film follows the events during the writing of Capote's non-fiction book "In Cold Blood". The movie itself was based on the biography called "Capote" by Gerald Clarke. The movie was filmed mostly in Manitoba [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0379725/locations Capote (2005) - Filming locations ] ] , in the autumn of 2004, and was released on 30 September2005, to coincide with what would have been Truman Capote's 81^st birthday.

Plot

The movie opens in Kansas with the discovery of the dead bodies of four of the members of the Clutter family by a family friend. While reading "the Times", Truman Capote is riveted by the story of the Clutters and calls William Shawn, then the editor of "The New Yorker", to announce that he will personally document the tragedy.

He travels to Kansas with his childhood friend Harper Lee. Lee was then in the process of getting "To Kill a Mockingbird" written and published, which the film references several times. Capote sets about interviewing those involved with the victims, the Clutter family, with Lee as his go-between and interpreter of rural life. When the murderers are apprehended, Capote is initially brushed off by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation's lead detective on the case, Alvin Dewey. Dewey's wife, however, is a fan of Capote's writing and persuades him to invite Capote and Lee to their house for dinner. Mrs. Dewey is starstruck by Capote's stories of being on movie sets with film stars. Dewey warms up to Capote, which facilitates Capote's visits to the prison where the suspects (Perry Smith and Dick Hickock) are being held. Capote begins to form an attachment to Perry. Following their trial and conviction, Capote is able to gain access to the murderers by bribing the warden. Capote spends the following years regularly visiting Perry and learning about his life, excepting a year long stint where Capote abandons Perry and writes the "first three parts" of the book with Jack Dunphy in Morocco and Spain. The story of Perry's life, his upset and remorseful manner, and his emotional sincerity impress Capote. The writer becomes emotionally attached to Perry and feels sympathy for him, not withstanding his involvement in the murders. Perry refuses to tell Capote what happened on the night of the murders, which greatly angers the writer. Eventually, Perry tells him in great detail. The story becomes a meditation upon the need for redemption even in very grave circumstances.

The last appeal is rejected and Perry and Dick are hanged. Perry's hanging is explicitly shown. In the next scene Truman is talking to Harper Lee. He tells her of the horrifying experience and laments that he couldn't have done anything to stop it. She replies "Maybe not; the fact is you didn't want to." This is the last line of the film. The next and last scene shows Truman looking at photos and some of the writings and drawings that Perry gave him.

The movie showcases Philip Seymour Hoffman's portrayal of the openly gay Southern author with his weaknesses for fame, alcohol, and attention. Capote became an international figure upon the release of the book "In Cold Blood", which he would publish after Smith and Hickock were executed. Hoffman portrays Capote's conflict between personal literary ambitions and trying to maintain his role as a confidant to Perry, one of the two condemned killers.

The film ends with the logic that Capote never wrote anything of value again, which is misleading to a certain extent. In reality, Capote wrote quite a bit in his last years. It is true, though, that this material did not achieve the same level of commercial success or critical acclaim as his early works, and that he never published another book.

Cast

*Philip Seymour Hoffman — Truman Capote
*Catherine Keener — Nelle Harper Lee
*Clifton Collins Jr. — Perry Smith
*Chris Cooper — Alvin Dewey
*Bruce Greenwood — Jack Dunphy
*Bob Balaban — William Shawn
*Amy Ryan — Marie Dewey
*Mark Pellegrino — Richard Hickock
*Allie Mickelson — Laura Kinney
*Marshall Bell — Warden Marshall Krutch
*Araby Lockhart — Dorothy Sanderson
*Robert Huculak — New York Reporter
*R.D. Reid — Roy Church
*Rob McLaughlin — Harold Nye
*Harry Nelken — Sheriff Walter Sanderson
*C. Ernst Harth — Lowell Lee Andrews

Filming dates

25 October 2004 - 1 December 2004 ( 36 Days )

Reviews

*Allmovie rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:319184~T0 link]
*Empire rating|5|5 [http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/review.asp?DVDID=117328 link]
*Film critic rating|4|5 [http://filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/84dbbfa4d710144986256c290016f76e/6c95cf4a001e4525882570890073b51c?OpenDocument&Highlight=0,capote link]
*Roger Ebert rating|4|4 [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051020/REVIEWS/50928006/1023 link]
*Rolling Stone rating|3.5|4 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/7380561/capote link]
*Premiere rating|3.5|4 [http://www.premiere.com/article.asp?section_id=2&article_id=2306 link]

Awards

Acting awards for Philip Seymour Hoffman

*2006 Academy Award for Best Actor
*2006 Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama
*2005 Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Drama
*2005 Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
*2005 BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role

Critics' awards

*Broadcast Film Critics Association: Best Actor — Philip Seymour Hoffman
*Boston Society of Film Critics: Best Actor — Philip Seymour Hoffman, Best Screenplay — Dan Futterman, Best Supporting Actress — Catherine Keener
*Chicago Film Critics Association: Best Actor — Philip Seymour Hoffman, Most Promising Filmmaker — Bennett Miller
*Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association: Best Actor — Philip Seymour Hoffman, Best Supporting Actress — Catherine Keener
*Independent Spirit Awards: Best Actor — Philip Seymour Hoffman, Best Screenplay — Dan Futterman
*Kansas City Film Critics Circle: Best Actor — Philip Seymour Hoffman
*Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Best Actor — Philip Seymour Hoffman, Best Screenplay — Dan Futterman, Best Supporting Actress — Catherine Keener
*National Board of Review: Best Actor — Philip Seymour Hoffman
*New York Film Critics Circle: Best First Film — Bennett Miller
*Online Film Critics Society: Best Actor — Philip Seymour Hoffman
*Southeastern Film Critics Association: Best Actor — Philip Seymour Hoffman
*Toronto Film Critics Association: Best First Feature — Bennett Miller, Best Performance, Male — Philip Seymour Hoffman, Best Supporting Performance, Female — Catherine Keener

Nominations

*78th Academy Awards:
**Best Picture
**Best Director — Bennett Miller
**Best Actor — Philip Seymour Hoffman — Won
**Best Supporting Actress — Catherine Keener
**Best Adapted Screenplay — Dan Futterman
*59th BAFTA Awards:
**Best Picture
**Best Actor — Philip Seymour Hoffman — Won
**Best Supporting Actress — Catherine Keener
**Best Director — Bennett Miller
**Best Adapted Screenplay — Dan Futterman
*Broadcast Film Critics Association:Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress — Catherine Keener, Best Screenplay — Dan Futterman
*Directors Guild of America: Best Director — Bennett Miller
*Independent Spirit Awards: Best Picture, Producers Award — Caroline Baron
*Online Film Critics Society: Best Supporting Actress — Catherine Keener, Best Breakthrough Filmmaker — Bennett Miller, Best Screenplay — Dan Futterman
*Producers Guild of America Awards: Best Theatrical Motion Picture
*Screen Actors Guild Awards: Best Supporting Actress — Catherine Keener, Best Ensemble Cast
*Writers Guild of America Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay — Dan Futterman

Box Office Takings

Worldwide Total: $49,233,161

ee also

* "Infamous"
* "" (book)
*In Cold Blood (film)
* Truman Capote
* Lowell Lee Andrews

References

External links

* [http://www.sonyclassics.com/capote/ Official site]
* [http://www.seegest.com/movie/more-detail/B000E33VWW-capote "Capote"] at [http://www.seegest.com Seegest]
*imdb title|id=0379725|title=Capote
*rotten-tomatoes|id=1151898-capote|title=Capote
*metacritic film|id=capote|title=Capote
*mojo title|id=capote|title=Capote
* [http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/nov/28/crime_all_time/?ku_news "Lawrence Journal-World (November 28, 2005): "A crime for all time" by Mike Belt]
* [http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/dec/07/actor_portrays_ku_student_capote/ "Lawrence Journal-World (December 7, 2005): "Actor portrays KU student in ‘Capote’" by J-W Staff Reports]
* [http://www.020magazine.com/webs/02005/showArticle.cfm?id=423 London Magazine's Entertainment Movie Review]
* [http://journals.concrete.org.au/inourtimes/archives/2006/02/capote.html "Capote" review]
* [http://arthedains.com/blog/2006/02/22/capote/ "Capote" Mottled review]
* [http://film.virtual-history.com/film.php?filmid=16649 Movie stills]
* [http://www.trollback.com/?projects=73 Opening titles designed by Trollbäck + Company]