The Messenger (2009 film)
The Messenger | |
---|---|
Directed by | Oren Moverman |
Written by | Alessandro Camon Oren Moverman |
Produced by | Mark Gordon Lawrence Inglee Zach Miller |
Starring | Ben Foster Woody Harrelson Samantha Morton Jena Malone |
Cinematography | Bobby Bukowski |
Edited by | Alexander Hall |
Music by | Nathan Larson |
Distributed by | Oscilloscope Laboratories |
Release date |
|
Running time | 113 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $6.5 million[1] |
Box office | $1.5 million[1] |
The Messenger is a 2009 war drama film starring Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Steve Buscemi, and Jena Malone. It is the directorial debut of Oren Moverman, who also wrote the screenplay with Alessandro Camon.
The film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and was in competition at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay and the Berlinale Peace Film Award '09. The film received first prize for the 2009 Deauville American Film Festival. The film has also received four Independent Spirit Award nominations (including one win), a Golden Globe nomination, and two Oscar nominations.
Plot
On leave from the Iraq War, Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army staff sergeant, finds that his girlfriend Kelly is engaged to another man. Before he is to be discharged, he is dispatched as a casualty notification officer along with Gulf War veteran Captain Tony Stone as his mentor. He is told of the importance of his task by Lieutenant Colonel Dorsett as many have failed. Stone then relays the rules of telling next of kin of a tragedy. On the job, their first report to the family prompts the mother to slap Stone, as she and his pregnant fiancé weep over the deceased; a man named Dale Martin angrily throws things at Will; a woman who secretly married an enlisted man cries in his arms after learning of the man's death; a Mexican man who is told through a translator about the death of his daughter cries in front of his other child; and a woman named Olivia is in considerably less visible pain after learning of her husband's death. Stone suspects it is due to her having an affair.
In a bar, Will and Stone discuss their lives to each other. Will talks about his girlfriend rejecting him and tells Stone about his father's death due to drunk driving, along with tales of his estranged mother. Will sees Olivia with her son at a mall buying clothes for her husband's funeral, breaking up a fight between her and two Army recruiters attempting to enlist teenagers, before offering her a ride. He fixes her car and becomes friends with both her and her young son Matt. After hearing a voicemail from Kelly talking about her upcoming wedding, he punches a hole through his wall in a fit of rage. He arrives at Olivia's house and the two express affection for each other, but his attempts at physical intimacy are met with hesitancy as she tells him about how her husband mistreated her and her son.
When Will comforts a family in a local grocery store after telling them of their son's fate, Stone physically berates him for it. Will stands up to his rank by using his first name "Tony" before walking home on his own. They later make up and spend the next few days together, where Stone has a hookup and unsuccessfully tries to get Will to do the same. They end up at Kelly's wedding drunk and make a scene, fight in a parking lot, then wake up in a forest after passing out and go home. Martin is there, and he apologizes for lashing out at Will. In Tony's apartment, Will tells Tony about his experience with a friend who died while fighting in Iraq - an event that resulted in his chronic damage to his left eye - and how he feels his bravery was meaningless as he could not do anything for him; he contemplated suicide soon after, but stopped himself when he saw the sunrise. Hearing this, Tony breaks down in tears.
The next day, Olivia decides to move from her house. She tells Will that she is going with her son to Louisiana; Will tells her he is considering staying in the army. He asks Olivia to let him know their new address; she asks him to come with her into the house.
Cast
- Ben Foster as SSG Will Montgomery
- Woody Harrelson as CPT Tony Stone
- Samantha Morton as Olivia Pitterson
- Jena Malone as Kelly
- Steve Buscemi as Dale Martin
- Yaya DaCosta as Monica Washington
- Eamonn Walker as LTC Stuart Dorsett
- Peter Francis James as Dr. Grosso
- Merritt Wever as Lara
- Gaius Charles as Recruiter Brown
- Brendan Sexton III as Recruiter Olson
- Carl Anthony Payne II as Pitterson's father
- Halley Feiffer as Marla Cohen
- Peter Friedman as Mr. Cohen
- Jeremy Strong as returning soldier
- Fiona Dourif as returning soldier's wife
- Michael Chernus as Alan
Production
The Messenger marked the directorial debut of Israeli screenwriter and former journalist Oren Moverman. Though Sydney Pollack, Roger Michell, and Ben Affleck were all attached to direct the movie at various times, when those talks fell through, the producers eventually asked Moverman to helm the project.[2] The filmmakers worked closely with the United States Army and the Walter Reed Medical Center to conduct research on military life, and were specifically advised by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Sinor as a technical consultant.[3]
Release
The Messenger premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival before receiving a limited release in North America in 4 theaters.[4] It grossed $44,523 for an average of $11,131 per theater ranking 46th at the box office, and went on to earn $1.1 million domestically and $411,601 internationally for a total of $1.5 million, against its budget of $6.5 million.[1]
Reception
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 90%, based on 162 reviews, with an average rating of 7.51/10. The site's critical consensus states, "A dark but timely subject is handled deftly by writer/director Owen Moverman and superbly acted by Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster."[5] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 77 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6]
Harrelson's performance was subject to considerable praise, leading to Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor.[7][8]
Awards and nominations
Year | Ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | 14th Satellite Awards | Best Drama Film | The Messenger | Nominated |
Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | ||
15th Critics' Choice Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actress | Samantha Morton | Nominated | ||
16th Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | |
25th Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Feature | The Messenger | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Male | Woody Harrelson | Won | ||
Best Supporting Female | Samantha Morton | Nominated | ||
Best Screenplay | Alessandro Camon Oren Moverman |
Nominated | ||
36th Saturn Awards | Best Action / Adventure / Thriller Film | The Messenger | Nominated | |
59th Berlin International Film Festival | Golden Bear - Best Film | The Messenger | Nominated | |
Silver Bear - Best Screenplay | Alessandro Camon Oren Moverman |
Won | ||
67th Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | |
82nd Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | |
Best Original Screenplay | Alessandro Camon Oren Moverman |
Nominated | ||
2009 National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Samantha Morton | Nominated | |
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | |
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | |
Deauville American Film Festival | Grand Prix | The Messenger | Won | |
Denver Film Critics Society Awards 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | |
Detroit Film Critics Society Awards 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | |
Gotham Independent Film Awards 2009 | Breakthrough Performer | Ben Foster | Nominated | |
Houston Film Critics Society Awards 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actress | Samantha Morton | Nominated | ||
National Board of Review Awards 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Won | |
Best Directorial Debut | Oren Moverman | Won | ||
Online Film Critics Society Awards 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | |
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2009 | Best Actor | Ben Foster | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | ||
Best Supporting Actress | Samantha Morton | Won | ||
Best Original Screenplay | Alessandro Camon Oren Moverman |
Nominated | ||
Best Ensemble Performance | Acting Ensemble | Nominated | ||
Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | |
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards 2009 | Best Director | Oren Moverman | Nominated | |
Best Actor | Ben Foster | Nominated | ||
Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | ||
Best Supporting Actress | Samantha Morton | Nominated | ||
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards 2009 | Best Supporting Actor | Woody Harrelson | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actress | Samantha Morton | Nominated |
Top ten lists
The Messenger, upon receiving strong positive reviews from audiences, appeared on several critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2009.[9]
- 3rd: Robert Mondello, NPR[9]
- 4th: Ty Burr, Boston Globe[9]
- 4th: Stephen Holden, The New York Times[9]
- 9th: Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter[9]
- 10th: Peter Travers, Rolling Stone[9]
- Top 10: David Denby, The New Yorker[9]
References
- ^ a b c The Messenger (2009). Box Office Mojo (2010-05-13). Retrieved on 2011-04-03.
- ^ Brown, Phil (February 19, 2010). "An intimate look at grief found in the heart of war". Metro Canada. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- ^ Lavallée, Eric (October 28, 2010). "IDA 2010 Documentary Awards Noms: Sweetgrass, Steam of Life and Waste Land Among Five Noms". ION Cinema. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ McCarthy, Todd (2008-12-04). "More star power at Sundance". Variety. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
- ^ "The Messenger". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
- ^ "The Messenger". Metacritic. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ "Winners & Nominees 2010". www.goldenglobes.com. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
- ^ "2010 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". www.oscars.org. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Metacritic: 2009 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 11, 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-05.
External links
- 2009 films
- 2009 romantic drama films
- American war drama films
- Iraq War films
- Films shot in New Jersey
- American romantic drama films
- Films directed by Oren Moverman
- Films with screenplays by Oren Moverman
- Films about the United States Army
- 2000s war drama films
- 2009 directorial debut films
- 2009 independent films
- Films about post-traumatic stress disorder
- Films about veterans
- Films about grieving
- 2000s English-language films
- 2000s American films