Paranoid Park (film)

Infobox Film
name = Paranoid Park


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Gus Van Sant
producer = Charles Gilbert
Neil Kopp
writer = Blake Nelson (novel)
Gus Van Sant
starring = Gabe Nevins
Taylor Momsen
Scott Patrick Green
cinematography = Christopher Doyle
editing = Gus Van Sant
distributor = IFC Films
released = March 7, 2008
runtime = 85 min.
country = France
USA
language = English
budget = $8,000,000
gross = $4,419,603
website = http://www.paranoidpark.co.uk/
amg_id = 1:379148
imdb_id = 0842929

"Paranoid Park" is a 2007 drama film directed by Gus Van Sant. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Blake Nelson and takes place in Portland, Oregon, United States. The story revolves around a teenage skateboarder who accidentally kills a security guard. "Paranoid Park" premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival as one of 22 films in the competition, and won the 60th anniversary prize. [ [http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070527/ennew_afp/entertainmentfilm_070527193318 Yahoo! 2007 Cannes Festival] ]

Plot

Alex (Gabe Nevins), a 16 year old skateboarder, rides a freight train clandestinely, together with a man named Scratch (Scott Patrick Green) whom he has just met at the Eastside Skate Park, known to the local skateboard community as "Paranoid Park". While the train is moving a security guard working at the rail yard notices the pair, chases after them, and tries to get them off by repeatedly hitting Scratch with his flashlight. In the affray , Alex hits him with his skateboard and the guard, losing balance, falls onto another track into the path of a second, oncoming, freight train which cuts him in half.

Alex tries to destroy some of the evidence: he throws his skateboard into the Willamette River from the Steel Bridge, and when he arrives at his friend Jared's house, he disposes of the clothes he had been wearing.

Some time later, while Alex is attending school, he and several other students who skateboard are called to the school office. There they are questioned by a police officer named Detective Liu. It is revealed that the police have recovered Alex's skateboard, though they have not traced it back to him, and have identified DNA evidence which places the skateboard at the scene of the security guard's death.

Throughout the film Alex keeps the incident to himself, and does not confide in anyone else. However, one of his friends, Macy, notices that he is worried about something. She advises him to write down whatever it is that's bothering him, for a cathartic release if nothing else. He is initially opposed to the idea, but eventually writes an account around which the story and its narration are based. After completing the written account, Alex burns it.

Cast

* Gabe Nevins as Alex
* Taylor Momsen as Jennifer
* Scott Patrick Green as Scratch
* Jake Miller as Jared
* Lauren McKinney as Macy
* Daniel Liu as Detective Richard Lu

Critical reception

The film received favorable response from critics. As of August 14, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 75% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 102 reviews. [cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/paranoid_park/ |title=Paranoid Park - Movie Reviews, Trailers, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=2008-03-07 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 83 out of 100, based on 27 reviews — indicating "universal acclaim." [cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/paranoidpark |title=Paranoid Park (2008): Reviews |accessdate=2008-03-07 |publisher=Metacritic]

DVD release

Paranoid Park is scheduled for DVD release in Canada on July 22, 2008. [http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0018RCN9K] Paranoid Park is scheduled for DVD release in the US on October 7, 2008.

References

External links

* [http://www.paranoidpark.co.uk/ Official site]
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* Review at [http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2008-03-19/film/gus-van-sant-returns-to-disaffected-youth-and-shoestring-budgets-in-paranoid-park Riverfront Times] "Gus van Sant returns to disaffected youth and shoestring budgets in Paranoid Park"