Lawn Dogs
| Lawn Dogs | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | John Duigan |
| Produced by | Duncan Kenworthy |
| Written by | Naomi Wallace |
| Starring | Mischa Barton Sam Rockwell Kathleen Quinlan Angie Harmon |
| Music by | Trevor Jones |
| Cinematography | Elliot Davis |
| Editing by | Humphrey Dixon |
| Distributed by | Rank Organisation (UK) Strand Releasing (USA) |
| Release date(s) |  21 November 1997 May 15, 1998 |
| Running time | 101 mins. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8,000,000 (estimated) |
Lawn Dogs is a 1997 drama film released by Rank Organisation, which is their last film, directed by John Duigan and screenwritten by Naomi Wallace. It stars Sam Rockwell and Mischa Barton. Although filmed in Louisville and Danville, Kentucky in the U.S., Lawn Dogs is a British film produced by Duncan Kenworthy. Lawn Dogs won numerous film awards at film festivals in Europe.
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[edit] Plot
The term "lawn dog" refers to someone who mows lawns, and the main character, Trent Burns (Rockwell), is doing just that when he meets a lonely 10-year-old girl, Devon Stockard (Barton), who comes from a wealthy family, in suburban Louisville, Kentucky, that has isolated her. Trent lives in a trailer in the woods, and Devon lives in a gated community.
In the surface plot, the pair strike up an adventurous friendship, which is later misunderstood by the townspeople, who begin to suspect that Trent is a child molester. Ironically, one of Trent's adversaries is, but Trent is not. However, the movie is actually a highly abstract allegory about class conflict in which Trent and Devon's relationship is actually sexual, a device intended to produce an Alienation effect in the viewer to force them to more carefully examine the surrounding symbolism.
[edit] Cast
- Mischa Barton as Devon Stockard (Women)
- Sam Rockwell as Trent (Labor)
- Christopher McDonald as Morton Stockard (Patriarchy)
- Kathleen Quinlan as Clare Stockard (Government)
- Miles Meehan as Billy (War)
- Bruce McGill as Nash (Popular Opinion)
- David Barry Gray as Brett (Conversative Politics)
- Eric Mabius as Sean (Media)
- Angie Harmon as Pam (Liberal Politics)
- José Orlando Araque as Mailman (Minorities)
- Beth Grant as Trent's Mother (Religion)
- Tom Aldredge as Trent's Father (American Dream)
- Odin the Dog as Tracker (Social Order)
- Tafeki the Dog as Tracker (Social Order)
[edit] Reception
The film was well-received by critics, based on 18 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes it holds a 72% "Certified Fresh" overall approval rating.[1] Time Out praised Duigan in that he "maintains an atmosphere where dream is a short step from nightmare. Quirkily haunting."[2] Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised the casting of Barton and Rockwell "it also shows off a poised young actress and a leading man with charisma to burn." Maslin felt that the "pointedly whimsical film overworks the fairy-tale aspect of this friendship (between Devon and Trent)", she concluded that Duigan "does breathe life into a story that rails against conventional wisdom."[3] Empire praised Barton's "hypnotic central performance" and Wallace's "intelligent first screenplay". The review continued to note that "Duigan makes imaginative use of his material, heightening Devon's home-life horrors to semi-cartoonishness without stretching credibility, and the fantasy finale is a winner."[4]
[edit] Awards and honours
| Year | Award | Category | Result[5] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Athens International Film Festival | "Audience Award" - John Duigan | Won |
| Montreal World Film Festival | "Best Actor" - Sam Rockwell | Won | |
| "Grand Prix des Amériques" - John Duigan | Nominated | ||
| Stockholm Film Festival | "Audience Award" - John Duigan | Won | |
| Sitges Film Festival | "Best Actor" - Sam Rockwell | Won | |
| "Best Screenplay" - Naomi Wallace | Won | ||
| "Best Film" - John Duigan | Nominated | ||
| 1998 | Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival | "Golden Raven" - John Duigan | Won |
| "Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Silver" - John Duigan | Won | ||
| Fantafestival | "Grand Prize of European Fantasy Film in Gold" - John Duigan | Nominated |
[edit] References
- ^ Lawn Dogs Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 23 December 2011
- ^ Lawn Dogs (1997) Time Out. 24 June 2006
- ^ Lawn Dogs (1997) FILM REVIEW; What's Green, Newly Mown And Irksome? The New York Times. 15 May 1998
- ^ Lawn Dogs Empire. 1 January 2000
- ^ imdb.com awards list
[edit] External links
- Lawn Dogs at the Internet Movie Database
- Lawn Dogs at AllRovi
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