Down In The Valley Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Sometimes it's hard to find your way...
Tobe is about 16, living with her dad and younger brother in LA's San Fernando Valley. She invites a gas station attendant named Harlan to come to the beach with her and her friends. He's from South Dakota, wears a cowboy hat, talks country, and has been a ranch hand. They have a great time, his simple expressions seem like wisdom, he's attentive and polite, and even though he's more than twice her age, she wants to spend time with him. When her father objects, she rebels. Harlan, meanwhile, thinks she's his soul mate, and he starts making plans to get her away from her father. Worlds are set to collide, but which ones?
| Edward Norton | Harlan |
| Evan Rachel Wood | Tobe |
| David Morse | Wade |
| Rory Culkin | Lonnie |
| Bruce Dern | Charlie |
| John Diehl | Steve |
| Geoffrey Lewis | Sheridan |
| Elizabeth Peña | Gale |
| Kat Dennings | April |
| Hunter Parrish | Kris |
| Aviva | Sherri |
| Aaron Fors | Jeremy |
| Heather Ashleigh | Shell |
| Jennifer Echols | Rita |
| Cesar Flores | Hispanic Kid |
| David Jacobson |
6.60 out of 10 (3445 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Boring to death...
posted on 22 Aug 2009OK, the story - a simpleminded loony enters a life of bored to death young chick and her kid brother and wreaks havoc in their lives - is mildly interesting one. Anyway, ideas are nothing (everyone has some...) - the execution is everything.This is what bothered me with this flick. And it did bother me immensely. The rhythm (directing, editing) was slow, the pace was uneven and the climax expected. We have seen those frigging highways five, six, seven times - why? Norton character's troubles were seen as a childish game, not enough deep to understand his problems / soul / blah and to root for or against him. Is he a coward, a manipulator or just a loony? References to the "Taxi Driver" were ridiculous and unnecessary and for certain not in favor for this flick (or to E.N. for that matter).And IMHO, it is cowardly executed at the end. Cheap emotional tricks for teenage lovers somewhere in Mid America. This guy should have killed the kid, blamed the father, create a real havoc. Or the kid should have killed the father at the end etc., but no, we have gotten cheesy ending where kids miss the loony, the father is puzzled over his own life and relationship with them and the loony, of course, dies. The happy dysfunctional family stays unharmed, safe and happily bored again so we could enjoy our pop-corns, undisturbed.And that scene where the loony enters the movie, oh my God, I would have to think long and hard to find something stupider than that! You do not shoot such a scene with a hidden camera and hidden crew. Creators of that movie probably thought that was a good idea but it was more than annoying. Again, if you're a 16 years old girl somewhere in Kansas nowhere or whatever-where and dream about having sex with a crazy man twice your age, OK, then you might enjoy this movie and its "message".
A not so subtle knock-off of the Terrence Malick's sublime 1973 film 'Badlands'
posted on 16 Aug 2009I'm not going to say this is a bad film, because it's not. Everyone shows up and plays their part effectively. It's just not very original and it's staging is obvious and a bit trite. Director Jacobson's 'Dahmer' was a much stronger piece of work. I also had a hard time with the obvious knock-off of 'Badlands' from the story line to the theme (right down to the main characters name in both films is Carruthers). I can't fault the director for wanting to steal from 'Badlands' it's a perfect film. I just think that if you're going to tread that far, acknowledge it. I.E. loosely based on Terrence Malick's 'Badlands'. However, with that said Edward Norton is good as usual. Evan Rachel Wood deserves notice, and as usual the seldomly acknowledged greatness of character actor, David Morse, is in full effect. I suggest you watch this film, but than promptly run out and buy 'Badlands'...........
Saw Too Many Westerns As A Kid
posted on 25 Jul 2009Edward Norton plays a disturbed young man who apparently saw way too many westerns as a kid and starts thinking of himself as a cowboy. He dresses the part, creates a whole new identity for himself from South Dakota and one day invades the lives of a family with some horrifying results.Bored California Valley Girl Evan Rachel Ward picks him up while on the way to the beach with friends and its an instant attachment. Father David Morse doesn't like Norton from the gitgo, but Norton even makes a convert of Ward's younger brother Rory Culkin.It's a strange film, but with some fascinating performances by the cast members, especially Norton. He's really so bought into his own self mythology that he almost convinces the audience he's genuine. In fact his special place is a former western studio set where towards the climax of the film, he finds them shooting a remake of My Darling Clementine as he wakes up. Of course in the middle of all this, real law enforcement finds him, setting up the climax.It's an interesting film, but I wonder did they ever finish that remake of My Darling Clementine?
there is still life in the corpse of the US movie industry
posted on 17 Jul 2009This is a cowboy film simply and cleverly re-worked to bring the make-believe violence of Hollywood's westerns into a modern setting. In this world the bullets hurt, the victims are real, convincingly boring people, leading convincingly boring lives in a convincingly boring town. The director even invokes a cowboy-like 'horse rustling' scene, but filmed it as though it really might happen. The invention and creativity of this film is in its dead-pan portrayal and its desire to convince rather than to fantasise. The slow pace of the development of the story is important to help convey the realism - things like this do not happen overnight. The sense of emptiness in all of the characters' lives hits you like a headshot. A fine film, with nods to taxi driver (existentialism) and Badlands (dissfunctional society). The character of the cowboy is comparable (in a rather naive way) to Meursault in Albret Camus' 'The Stranger'. In general - worth it! Why does Hollywood turn out nonsensical cinematic soap-operas when the US film industry can produce meaningful works of cinema?
Great movie
posted on 29 Jun 2009Dear Jacob, My girlfriend and I found this movie to be extremely well thought out and beautifully directed/written. The development of the story was unexpected but still well put together so that the viewer never knew what to expect next. The characters were well played and well thought out. The way Edward Norton's character was portrayed was very wholesome and understandable. Not many movies do such a good job now a days as you did. I'm glad some people in Hollywood are still trying. Just wanted to let David Jacobson know the movie was appreciated and was thought to be one of the best movies of the year. Keep it up! Thanks, Dorthy and Colin Irving, Texas
Starts out as a 10, ends up as a 1!
posted on 05 Jun 2009I got to see this while I was over in Cannes, and have to say I have mixed feelings about it. I'm a big fan of Ed Norton, and every single actor held there own, with especially strong performances by David Morse and the lovely Evan Rachel Wood. It starts off with some fantastic cinematography and some moving if not somewhat direction-less scenes and for the first 45 minutes I found myself engrossed in everything about the movie. However after an hour or so the plot takes a sharp change and from here everything falls apart. What should have taken the film up another notch ends up slowing the pace right down until it almost passes out from fatigue. What could have been summed up in about two scenes takes nearly an hour to play out and by this time you couldn't really care less what happens. A great start but the only word I can think off to describe the ending rhymes with rock.
Something is going to change...
posted on 06 May 2009Starring Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, Rory Culkin, and David Morse. This is an interesting, psychological study, with a steady movement towards something… something… and you just know it's not what it first seems. All the moments, the drama, the settings are simply too typical, too sun-washed in a California suburb. Something is going to change for these characters. Slowly, you watch it unravel. It's subtle – even elegant – in its changes. Written and directed by David Jacobson, this story of lost souls trying to find something to believe in and ground them, is full of delicate, often sad, sometimes frightening words and actions. The story line stays strong, but only as the vehicle to take the characters on the journey. All four lead actors are wonderful. They don't overstate anything about their characters. I will see this one again.
An excellent underrated drama, one of the best of the new decade.
posted on 12 Apr 2009Harlan (Edward Norton) is a mysterious loner living in San Fernando Valley. Harlan is completely obsessed with the ways of being a real cowboy. Then he finds romance unexpectedly with a rebellious teenager named Tobe (Evan Rachel Wood). Which Tobe shares some of the the same passion and someways they are both lost souls for different reasons. Tobe's overprotected father (David Morse) feels there's something truly strange about Harlan's seemingly good hearted behavior. He doesn't want Harlan to be around his daughter or his shy often scared teen son (Rory Culkin). Harlan finds himself in the middle of a nervous breakdown and he's also running from the law... after he accidentally shot Tobe. He kidnap's Tobe's brother. Harlan makes him believe that his father shot his sister. Now Wade will do everything to find his son before the situation gets worse.Written and Directed by David Jacobson (Dahmer) made an genuine well-made drama with an excellent performance by Norton. This independent film has strong supporting performances by Wood, Morse and Culkin. It's well shot in Widescreen by Cinematographer:Enrique Chediak (28 Weeks Later, The Faculty, Turistas) and the music by Peter Salett is fine also. This movie wasn't widely seen in theaters. But it should find itself an cult audiences on DVD.DVD has an terrific anamorphic Widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an strong Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD also includes Deleted Scenes, Filmmaker and Actor Q & A and the original theatrical trailer. I would have loved to hear an director's/actor's commentary but it is a shame, it doesn't have one. This might be forgotten in the independent world of cinema but it's a damn good movie. This should not be missed. Super 35. (**** 1/2 out of *****).
Could have been....
posted on 12 Apr 2009I have read all the reviews. They seem to average about 6 overall. That is appropriate because the beginning starts out so good and almost immediately goes so bad. Yes, there are moments that I will remember. Some absolutely amazing scenes are in this movie. However, the ending is so poorly executed, that all of the wonderful vibes of the first half of the movie totally evaporate almost immediately. I have to say worth a look, but I was ultimately disappointed at the end. It just got too complicated. Much less would have been so much more. This might have been a classic, without much more conscious thought on the writer's concern..but no, had to go psycho. A fine line was crossed that left this movie just another can of film...but then again, that is the nature of movies, isn't it?
Taxi Driver of the heart...
posted on 23 Mar 2009Just caught "Down in the Valley" by David Jacobson (who also wrote) at the cinema and was completely knocked out. An achingly beautiful & melancholy film, tender as an open wound and with a Edward Norton in, I think, his finest role (he also produced, with the help of the Sundance Foundation) as he veers towards the void, like an innocent Travis Bickle. He plays a delusional drifter who thinks he's a cowboy in the modern day San Fernando Valley, who falls for the beautiful young daughter (great performance Evan Rachel Wood) of David Morse (always consistent). Great script with some wonderful lines + a nice cameo role from Bruce Dern...this film left some indelible mark - one of the best I've seen in some time. Highly recommended. Oh, fantastic music, also....
continuity problems and miscasting
posted on 21 Mar 2009was sort of enjoying this movie until the issues of Ed Norton's facial hair. Without revealing any plot details--on one afternoon he was sporting a light beard but by the same evening the beard was gone and a very luxuriant moustache was in place. It was much fuller than the moustache that went with the beard. Later on, in the course of a dark night in the open the moustache was gone and he appeared cleans haven. This was on an occasion where stopping to shave wouldn't be an option. These continuity discrepancies totally distracted me from the rest of the movie and ruined any credibility it had previously had. Also, I found the lengthy scene of the cowboy alone in his bedroom was way too reminiscent of De Niro in Taxi Driver. Even if it was meant to be an homage it was laid on too thickly for this viewer.
Terrible Script
posted on 01 Feb 2009Aside from the acting and the cinematography, this movie is horrible. The writing, direction and editing are simply abysmal. If the movie has a premise, it's unclear. But worse, the structure of the plot and time-arc of the screenplay are inscrutable and try the viewer's patience beyond reason.If you've ever watched a film and had a difficult time putting your finger on why an otherwise good effort failed miserably, Down in the Valley is another trip down that road. It's the plot structure...and unfortunately the dialogue flows and suffers as a result. Keep it to three simple acts. The formula was good enough for Shakespeare...it's good enough for Hollywood.Twenty minutes into the film, everyone in the room (five viewers) had already had enough of the relationship development and were wondering when the story would develop. This isn't meant to be condescending or sarcastic, but the essence of drama is conflict, or tension at least. To wait until the middle of the movie to introduce drama is inexcusable.If you want to watch the clock counter on your DVD player, rent this film.
It's important to see that movie
posted on 16 Jan 2009Chances are, you'll end up seeing it anyway. Norton chooses his projects carefully, and they stick around, years later, in DVD. The reason is that they always shake you, if your mind doesn't back out and close itself off to the unexpected. In this case, he's magnetic all the way through, and the storyline is riveting, and fascinatingly audacious. To avoid any spoiler, i'll leave it at that... but you must see it. Evan Rachel Woods is perfect, and the relationship between them two is an ideal chemistry. I can't think of a moment where I stopped caring for the characters and wondering who was right or wrong... It would be a shame if people traded that experience for the comfort of watching M:I 3, and the movie got ignored during its theatrical release. It's a rare, full bodied experience that should be explored.
It is so bad...
posted on 12 Jan 2009... that Edward Norton, when the movie was presented in Cannes last year, he left the theater when the end credits started rolling... and since i was sitting right in front of him during the showing, i guess he didn't want to see my face at the end of it... i'm not even talking about the goofs (there are too many), i'm talking about the story, the plot, the characters... this movie is one of the WORST ever... a modern-day western? come on, give me a break... this is the story of loser, an obsessive one that tries to get away from his valley of tears... characters' lines are so silly, i cannot even believe someone got paid to write those and someone else got paid to say those words... it could have been a great idea: the misfit in the huge metropolis, so huge you cannot even see the border... and when you try to escape from it, you can't... you can't live in it, you can't leave it... love is an illusion, distorted by what he wants and what she is looking for... for him it is an end, for her it should be a beginning... they go on and on, spiraling down to the obvious end... you know what they say about something so bad or so tragic that you can't prevent yourself from watching it happening anyway? it is not for that reason that i stayed till the end of the showing... i could not get up and leave, i was stuck in the middle of my line of seats... Do you have 7 dollars that you can spare? go get junk food... sooner or later that will get out of your system... this movie scars you for life!
My Review Of Down In The Valley
posted on 06 Jan 2009I just watched this movie, and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. In actuality, I only heard sporadic information about this movie at the time of its release, and as a result did not express any interest in it initially.Finally, after much speculation and going on the sheer basis that Edward Norton does not disappoint in terms of performance, I went ahead and bought this movie. It takes a little while to get going, but believe me, you will be surprised just like I was. I am not all amazed but the posts I have read about this movie (some praise and some panned), but the movie experience proved to be much better than I thought it was going to be...similar to my experience with 'Lord Of War'. As I have said before, the better and underrated movies are the ones that remain sight unseen.Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, and David Morse lit up the screen like you would not believe. This movie is one of the few that lingers long after its viewing, and very few movies do that. There appears to have solid character development, and a well told story line. Edward Norton's performance rates up there with that of 'American History X' and Evan Rachel Wood was somewhat typecast into the same role as the movie 'Thirteen', but that's OK...she did well. If anyone has the opportunity, please take the time to watch Down In The Valley. Hopefully, you will be surprised like I was.
let's have all the extra endings!
posted on 04 Jan 2009I had a hard time concentrating on this movie for the first few minutes, because it starts a bit 'messy' and 'arty'. But I was taken by it very quick. The characters are fascinating in their helplessness, and all are played very well. Edward Norton should of course be mentioned, mainly for creating a character that is both pitiable and exiting. But bluntly put: it's an all-star-cast.I saw the film on DVD, and the DVD has "EXTRA: 2 ADDITIONAL ENDINGS" written on the box. Why? Why not have all the endings in the original movie? The first, 'original' ending is a bit sudden and leaves you with a lot of questions, that I did like to see answered in the 'second ending'. The 'last ending' adds a nice emotional touch, that gives some consolation in this sad story. Some stories have just too much content to be told in 90 minutes.
Certainly one of, if not THE best performance of Evan Rachel Wood.
posted on 31 Dec 2008In "Down in the Valley", we have a brilliant Love Story. What is great about it, is that it isn't so cliché like so many other recent movies of this type. And, of course, the actors in this movie - especially Evan Rachel Wood - are simply the best of the best. I especially love the setting, the clothes, the plot twists etc. - it's simply the kind of movie you can watch over and over and over...without ever getting bored. This movie is already available on DVD in the USA, however in Europe we have to wait forever, as usual. This means ordering from the USA is imperative. I really hope Evan Rachel Wood keeps acting in such great movies like this one! I think she should have been nominated for an Oscar long ago! I beg everyone reading this: please watch this movie! You will not regret it, it's more than entertaining - it pulls you in, you tremble with the actors, you live in the movie, it's THAT good, truly!
What myths are shaping OUR fantasy lives today?
posted on 21 Dec 2008This movie is a wake up call. Harlan resorts automatically to his programmed fantasy life when under pressure (rejection) - and his fantasy life itself is a result of his rejection, as a child and as a member of today's society. In his particular fantasy-life this involves a knee-jerk reaction of reaching for a gun. He has no real life, so he has had to create a fantasy life of his own - and it is one which is informed by the TV and movies he watched as a (rejected) child, in this case "Western Heros". How many of us actually live our fantasies, rather than the real world around us? Is there a real world around us? Tobe and her father and brother say, Yes, emphatically there is - less than perfect, but it's what we've got. But Harlan's story must leave us asking: What myths and fantasies are shaping our fantasy lives today? Is this also a metaphor for the current state of American politics, and its foreign policy? This is a deeply layered movie, with stunning cinematography - and which tells us very clearly that beautiful surface appearances can hide a much darker and, because so unhappy and meaningless, dangerous side - especially when a person resorts to fantasy as a solution to real problems. Highly recommended movie - I do so hope it does not sink without trace.
Superb cinema, drift into it and then leave
posted on 13 Nov 2008Good post-modern cowboy stuff - ignore idea of romance, if your bloke thinks Harlan has saving graces you will need a serious chat. Evan R Wood is brilliant as an authentic teen working out stuff about life and boundaries, and uses her intelligence, where Harlan has lost his options in that area and functions off a thin script about life lived from minute to minute - and not in a good way. Wade is a fabulous hero, destined not to be noticed or given his credit, but I salute his morality and war-weary, inescapable world wisdom. The recurring filmic images of Californian environs and lifestyles seem to agree these days that no film set is required - think bleak, parched, sieged souls and a simple faith in those minute-by-minute lives.
Four actors in search of story.
posted on 24 Aug 2009I really wanted to like this film, but the story is ridicules. I don't want to spoil this film, - don't worry right from the begin you know something bad is going to happen - but here's an example of how sloppy this film was put together. The Cowboy and "Twig" ride up the ridge. The Cowboy has a handle bar mustache. The Cowboy and "Twig" get into a shoot out and race half way down the ridge. The Cowboy is clean shaven through out the rest of the film. Sometime between the gun fight and the ride down the mountain the cowboy has had time to shave, in dark, on the back of a horse.To be fair, the acting by the four main characters is solid.