The Walker
| The Walker | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Paul Schrader |
| Written by | Paul Schrader |
| Produced by | Deepak Nayar |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Chris Seager |
| Edited by | Julian Rodd |
| Music by | Anne Dudley |
| Distributed by | Kintop Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 107 minutes |
| Countries | United States United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Walker is a 2007 American-British drama film written and directed by Paul Schrader. It is an independent production and is the latest installment in Schrader's night workers series of films, starting with Taxi Driver in 1976, followed by American Gigolo in 1980 and Light Sleeper in 1992.
Synopsis
A middle-aged gay man in Washington, D. C., Carter Page III (Harrelson), is a male escort—a "walker"—a single man who escorts other men's wives to social events, rather than their husbands. One of the women he escorts, Lynn Lockner (Scott Thomas), is the wife of a United States Senator and is having an affair with a lobbyist. When the lobbyist is murdered, she embroils Carter in an investigation that leads to the highest levels of the federal government.
Cast
- Woody Harrelson as Carter Page III
- Kristin Scott Thomas as Lynn Lockner
- Lauren Bacall as Natalie Van Miter
- Ned Beatty as Jack Delorean
- Moritz Bleibtreu as Emek Yoglu
- Mary Beth Hurt as Chrissie Morgan
- Lily Tomlin as Abigail Delorean
- Willem Dafoe as Senator Larry Lockner
- William Hope as Mungo Tenant
Production
Schrader completed the script for The Walker in 2002. Initially the film was to be a direct sequel to American Gigolo, with Julian Kaye (played by Richard Gere) as the lead character. The director originally wanted Kevin Kline to play the lead.[1]
Critical reception
The film received positive reviews in its premiere run in the Berlin, Sydney, and Cambridge film festivals. The Walker was released direct-to-DVD but played in an independent film theater for two weeks in Dorris, California. The film received mixed reviews from critics. As of December 7, 2007, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 51 percent of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 39 reviews.[2] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 55 out of 100, based on seven reviews.[3]
References
- ^ "The American gigolo comes out". The Advocate. 2002-09-17. p. 20. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
- ^ "The Walker - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
- ^ "Walker, The (2007): Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 2007-12-07.