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| country = United States
| country = United States
| language = English
| language = English
| budget = $6.5 million<ref name="bom">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=messenger09.htm |title=The Messenger (2009) |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=April 3, 2011}}</ref>
| budget = $6.5-$10 million<ref name="bom">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=messenger09.htm |title=The Messenger (2009) |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=April 3, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Sontag" />
| gross = $1.5 million<ref name="bom"/>
| gross = $1.5 million<ref name="bom"/>
}}
}}
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==Plot==
==Plot==
[[U.S. Army]] [[staff sergeant]] Will Montgomery is on leave from the [[Iraq War]]. He has received commendation for his heroic actions during the war, but lives a disaffected life and as a result of being wounded in combat, has a chronic condition in his left eye. His only emotional connection is his childhood sweetheart Kelly, whom he was originally was intent on marrying before he left for Iraq, but she could not wait for him and has since become engaged to another man.
⚫
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|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 a 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 her father's arms after learning of her husband'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, which Stone suspects is due to her having an [[affair]].


⚫
Before Will is to be discharged, he is dispatched as a [[Casualty Notification|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 is to a family that results in the deceased's mother and pregnant fiancé breaking down, with the mother slapping Stone. Other visits are to a man named Dale Martin who angrily throws things at Will; a woman who secretly married an enlisted man; and a Mexican man who is told through a [[translator]] about the death of his daughter. One woman named Olivia is in considerably less visible pain after learning of her husband's death, which Stone suspects 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 boys and girls, 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, which further aggravates his hand. 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.


⚫
In a bar, Will and Stone open up about their lives to each other. Will talks about Kelly rejecting him and tells Stone about his father's death due to drunk driving, along with tales of his estranged mother. At the mall, Will sees Olivia with her son buying clothes for her husband's funeral. He breaks up a fight between her and two Army recruiters attempting to enlist young people, before offering her a ride home. He fixes her car and becomes friendly 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, play-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.


⚫
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 at a lakeside cabin where Stone brings along two women; Stone hooks up with one of them and unsuccessfully tries to get Will to do the same. They end up at Kelly's wedding reception drunk and make a scene during the wedding toasts. Later, they play-fight in a parking lot and wake up after having passed out. When the pair return to Will's apartment, Dale is standing outside. He apologizes to Will and Tony for his lashing out. In Will's apartment, Will tells Tony about his experience with a friend who died while fighting in Iraq—an event that resulted in his injury 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 informs Will that she is going with her son to [[Louisiana]], and Will tells her he is considering staying in the U.S. Army. He asks Olivia to let him know their new address; she asks him to come with her into the house.

⚫
The next day, Will meets Olivia as she's loading her belongings into a truck. She informs Will that she is moving with her son to [[Louisiana]], and Will tells her he is considering staying in the U.S. Army. He asks Olivia to let him know their new address; she obliges and asks him to come with her into the house so he can write down his address in return.


==Cast==
==Cast==
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==Production==
==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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Phil |date=February 19, 2010 |title=An intimate look at grief found in the heart of war |work=Metro Canada |url=http://metronews.ca/news/178385/an-intimate-look-at-grief-found-in-the-heart-of-war/ |url-status=dead |access-date=November 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120630021938/http://metronews.ca/news/178385/an-intimate-look-at-grief-found-in-the-heart-of-war/ |archive-date=June 30, 2012}}</ref> The filmmakers worked closely with the United States Army and the [[Walter Reed Army Medical Center|Walter Reed Medical Center]] to conduct research on military life, and were specifically advised by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Sinor as a technical consultant.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lavallée |first=Eric |date=October 28, 2010 |title=IDA 2010 Documentary Awards Noms: Sweetgrass, Steam of Life and Waste Land Among Five Noms |url=https://www.ioncinema.com/news/uncategorized/ida-2010-documentary-awards-noms-sweetgrass-steam-of-life-and-waste-land-among-five-noms |access-date=November 26, 2020 |website=ION Cinema |language=en-US}}</ref>
''The Messenger'' marked the directorial debut of Israeli-American screenwriter and former journalist [[Oren Moverman]].<ref name="Sontag">{{Cite news |last=Sontag |first=Deborah |date=2009-11-06 |title=A New Attack on the Iraq War Film |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/movies/08sont.html |access-date=2024-06-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Phil |date=February 19, 2010 |title=An intimate look at grief found in the heart of war |work=Metro Canada |url=http://metronews.ca/news/178385/an-intimate-look-at-grief-found-in-the-heart-of-war/ |url-status=dead |access-date=November 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120630021938/http://metronews.ca/news/178385/an-intimate-look-at-grief-found-in-the-heart-of-war/ |archive-date=June 30, 2012}}</ref> The filmmakers worked closely with the United States Army and the [[Walter Reed Army Medical Center|Walter Reed Medical Center]] to conduct research on military life, and were specifically advised by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Sinor as a technical consultant.<ref name="Sontag" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lavallée |first=Eric |date=October 28, 2010 |title=IDA 2010 Documentary Awards Noms: Sweetgrass, Steam of Life and Waste Land Among Five Noms |url=https://www.ioncinema.com/news/uncategorized/ida-2010-documentary-awards-noms-sweetgrass-steam-of-life-and-waste-land-among-five-noms |access-date=November 26, 2020 |website=ION Cinema |language=en-US}}</ref>


==Release==
==Release==
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[[Category:2009 films]]
[[Category:2009 films]]
[[Category:2009 romantic drama films]]
[[Category:2009 romantic drama films]]
[[Category:American buddy drama films]]
[[Category:American war drama films]]
[[Category:American war drama films]]
[[Category:Iraq War films]]
[[Category:Iraq War films]]
⚫
[[Category:Films shot in New Jersey]]
[[Category:American romantic drama films]]
[[Category:American romantic drama films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Oren Moverman]]
[[Category:Films directed by Oren Moverman]]
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[[Category:Films about the United States Army]]
[[Category:Films about the United States Army]]
[[Category:2000s war drama films]]
[[Category:2000s war drama films]]
⚫
[[Category:2000s buddy drama films]]
[[Category:2009 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2009 directorial debut films]]
[[Category:2009 independent films]]
[[Category:2009 independent films]]
[[Category:Films about grief]]
[[Category:Films about post-traumatic stress disorder]]
[[Category:Films about post-traumatic stress disorder]]
[[Category:Films about veterans]]
[[Category:Films about veterans]]
⚫
[[Category:Films about grief]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
⚫
[[Category:Films shot in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Films produced by Mark Gordon (producer)]]
[[Category:Films produced by Mark Gordon (producer)]]
[[Category:Films scored by Nathan Larson]]
[[Category:Films scored by Nathan Larson]]

Revision as of 23:45, 23 June 2024

The Messenger
Theatrical release poster
Directed byOren Moverman
Written byAlessandro Camon
Oren Moverman
Produced byMark Gordon
Lawrence Inglee
Zach Miller
StarringBen Foster
Woody Harrelson
Samantha Morton
Jena Malone
CinematographyBobby Bukowski
Edited byAlexander Hall
Music byNathan Larson
Distributed byOscilloscope Laboratories
Release date
  • November 13, 2009 (2009-11-13)
Running time
113 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6.5-$10 million[1][2]
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 follows a pair of United States Army casualty notification officers and the effects of their difficult work on their personal lives and each other.

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

U.S. Army staff sergeant Will Montgomery is on leave from the Iraq War. He has received commendation for his heroic actions during the war, but lives a disaffected life and as a result of being wounded in combat, has a chronic condition in his left eye. His only emotional connection is his childhood sweetheart Kelly, whom he was originally was intent on marrying before he left for Iraq, but she could not wait for him and has since become engaged to another man.

Before Will 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 is to a family that results in the deceased's mother and pregnant fiancé breaking down, with the mother slapping Stone. Other visits are to a man named Dale Martin who angrily throws things at Will; a woman who secretly married an enlisted man; and a Mexican man who is told through a translator about the death of his daughter. One woman named Olivia is in considerably less visible pain after learning of her husband's death, which Stone suspects is due to her having an affair.

In a bar, Will and Stone open up about their lives to each other. Will talks about Kelly rejecting him and tells Stone about his father's death due to drunk driving, along with tales of his estranged mother. At the mall, Will sees Olivia with her son buying clothes for her husband's funeral. He breaks up a fight between her and two Army recruiters attempting to enlist young people, before offering her a ride home. He fixes her car and becomes friendly 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 at a lakeside cabin where Stone brings along two women; Stone hooks up with one of them and unsuccessfully tries to get Will to do the same. They end up at Kelly's wedding reception drunk and make a scene during the wedding toasts. Later, they play-fight in a parking lot and wake up after having passed out. When the pair return to Will's apartment, Dale is standing outside. He apologizes to Will and Tony for his lashing out. In Will's apartment, Will tells Tony about his experience with a friend who died while fighting in Iraq—an event that resulted in his injury 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, Will meets Olivia as she's loading her belongings into a truck. She informs Will that she is moving with her son to Louisiana, and Will tells her he is considering staying in the U.S. Army. He asks Olivia to let him know their new address; she obliges and asks him to come with her into the house so he can write down his address in return.

Cast

Production

The Messenger marked the directorial debut of Israeli-American screenwriter and former journalist Oren Moverman.[2] 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.[3] 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.[2][4]

Release

The Messenger premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival before receiving a limited release in North America in 4 theaters.[5] 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 Oren Moverman and superbly acted by Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster."[6] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 77 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[7]

Harrelson's performance was subject to considerable praise, leading to Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor.[8][9]

Awards and nominations

Year Ceremony Category Recipients Result
2009 14th Satellite Awards[10] Best Drama Film Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson Nominated
15th Critics' Choice Awards[11] Best Supporting Actor Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Samantha Morton Nominated
16th Screen Actors Guild Awards[12] Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role Woody Harrelson Nominated
25th Independent Spirit Awards[13] Best First Feature Nominated
Best Supporting Male Woody Harrelson Won
Best Supporting Female Samantha Morton Nominated
Best Screenplay Alessandro Camon
Oren Moverman 		Nominated
36th Saturn Awards[14] Best Action / Adventure / Thriller Film Nominated
59th Berlin International Film Festival[15] Golden Bear - Best Film Nominated
Silver Bear - Best Screenplay Alessandro Camon
Oren Moverman 		Won
67th Golden Globe Awards[8] Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson Nominated
82nd Academy Awards[9] Best Supporting Actor Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Alessandro Camon
Oren Moverman 		Nominated
2009 National Society of Film Critics Awards[16] Best Supporting Actress Samantha Morton Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2009[17] Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson Nominated
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2009[18] Best Supporting Actor Nominated
Deauville American Film Festival[19] Grand Prix Won
Denver Film Critics Society Awards 2009 Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson Nominated
Detroit Film Critics Society Awards 2009 Best Supporting Actor Nominated
Gotham Independent Film Awards 2009[20] Breakthrough Performer Ben Foster Nominated
Houston Film Critics Society Awards 2009[21] Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Samantha Morton Nominated
National Board of Review Awards 2009[22] Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson Won
Best Directorial Debut Oren Moverman Won
Online Film Critics Society Awards 2009[23] Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson Nominated
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2009[24] 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 Nominated
Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards 2009[25] Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson Runner-up
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[26] Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Samantha Morton Nominated

Top ten lists

The Messenger appeared on several critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2009.[27]

References

  1. ^ a b c "The Messenger (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c Sontag, Deborah (November 6, 2009). "A New Attack on the Iraq War Film". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ McCarthy, Todd (December 4, 2008). "More star power at Sundance". Variety. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
  6. ^ "The Messenger". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  7. ^ "The Messenger". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Winners & Nominees 2010". www.goldenglobes.com. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  9. ^ a b "82nd Academy Awards". www.oscars.org. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  10. ^ "2009 | Categories". International Press Academy. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  11. ^ Kilday, Gregg (December 14, 2009). "'Basterds,' 'Nine' lead Critics' Choice noms". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  12. ^ "The 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". www.sagawards.org. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  13. ^ McNary, Dave (March 6, 2010). "A 'Precious' night at Indie Spirit Awards". Variety. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  14. ^ Miller, Ross (February 19, 2010). "Avatar Leads 2010 Saturn Awards Nominations". ScreenRant. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  15. ^ "Prizes & Honours 2009". berlinale.de. Archived from the original on October 15, 2013. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  16. ^ Kilday, Gregg (January 3, 2010). "'Hurt Locker' tops critics group nods". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  17. ^ "22nd Annual Chicago Film Critics Awards". chicagofilmcritics.org. Archived from the original on February 24, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  18. ^ "DFW Crix Up in the Air With Year-End Tally". Dallas Observer. December 16, 2009. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  19. ^ "Top prize at Deauville film fest for 'The Messenger'". The Sydney Morning Herald. September 13, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  20. ^ Swart, Sharon (October 19, 2009). "'Locker,' 'Fan' top Gotham noms". Variety. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  21. ^ Dansby, Andrew (December 18, 2009). "Houston critics judging films". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  22. ^ "2009 Archives". National Board of Review. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  23. ^ "2009 Online Film Critics Society Award nominees". www.ofcs.org. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  24. ^ "2009 Awards". San Diego Film Critics Society. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  25. ^ "Winners". SEFCA. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  26. ^ "2009 WAFCA Awards". www.wafca.com. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g "Metacritic: 2009 Film Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Archived from the original on February 11, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
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