Sonny Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
His life was the morning after, until he decided to change the night before.
New Orleans, 1981. Sonny Phillips, just discharged from the Army, returns home. The only life he's known is as a gigolo, working for his mother, but he wants to leave that behind. However, the job his Army buddy promised doesn't materialize, and he can't escape his past.
| James Franco | Sonny Phillips |
| Brenda Blethyn | Jewel Phillips |
| Harry Dean Stanton | Henry Wade |
| Mena Suvari | Carol |
| Josie Davis | Gretchen |
| Nicolas Cage | Acid Yellow |
| Scott Caan | Jesse |
| Seymour Cassel | Albert |
| Brenda Vaccaro | Meg |
| Willie Metcalf | Cal |
| Marc Coppola | Jimmy at Mattie's |
| Janet Shea | Wealthy Woman |
| Cary Wilmot Alden | Catherine |
| Graham Timbes | Troy |
| Wallace Merck | Scott |
| Nicolas Cage |
5.50 out of 10 (884 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Too Much for Too Little
posted on 12 Jan 200999% of Sonny's audience is present to watch one scene. The nudity from actress "Josie" fueled many video stores to carry copies of this movie across this great country of ours. The end result, a good movie taken for granted. Still, for an independent film, this is not. For such a large budget and some interesting cast members, the movie falls shorts for the right reasons. The plot and characters are both interesting but loses its flavor somewhere during the half way point.
Cage as a Director could have gotten a lot for P.A., if he marketed it right. James Franco proves that he is more than just a pretty face, he can act and act with his entire body. Still, the audience for this movie rests in the fan base of nudity. A Sundance or Art Festival feast, it landed off the table and onto the floor where the dogs of the T & A fan base ate it up like it was the last supper. A more gritty story with a smaller budget would have turned more heads and made more of an impression.
Great Film
posted on 04 Jan 2009I have no idea why this film has received such mixed reviews. I thought that "Sonny" is a great film to say the least. It just goes to show you that mainstream America can't handle a work of art that is edgy and thought provoking. I think that Nick Cage's directing was the best thing about this film and I hope he directs more pictures in the future. James Franco and Mena Suvari were excellent in the film as well. I also think it's a unfair that critics suggest that Franco is "trying" to be James Dean. Just b/c he looks like James Dean does not mean he trying to be him. I got see him speak after the film at the Egyptian theatre in Hollywood and I didn't get the impression that he was trying to be anyone but himself. Franco put his mark on that role and that's a sign of a really good actor.
I thought Tennessee Williams passed away
posted on 11 Dec 2008Maybe Nic Cage conducted a seance and summoned up the ghost of Mr. Williams, cause this stinks like one of his lesser efforts, all the way.I believe James Franco has something good to offer the world of cinema but half the time you cannot hear a word he's saying. Most likely to overcompensate, Brenda Blethyn overplays her role as his Mother/pimp, and while she has her moments, they are few and far between.Mena Suvari gives the best performance, though I didn't really understand any of the relationships in the movie. Harry Dean Stanton just hangs around...why? Not that he bothers me, but what's your part? Suvari and Franco get too dramatic too quickly and have some puerile dialogue, some of it in the rain..its too much to bear.It was nice to see Brenda Vaccaro as one of Sonny's 'customers' but it hardly was enough to save the movie. Cage himself is seen briefly at the end. I hope when he directs a real movie that I'll be interested enough to see it, although that's doubtful since this was such an ordeal.
3/10.
Welcome Home, Soldier
posted on 20 Sep 2008Sonny, a lasting study of an impulsive man at the crossroads of his future, with James Franco as the principal & Nicolas Cage at the helm is an awakening. Southern Manners are mastered with vintage Americana, in a study of classic Hollywood meeting the experimental work of Mr. Cage. Carol, engaged in the oldest profession from Sonny's, is irresistible in southern charm. Sonny plays house with married women in handcuff games. There's a scene with Mr. Cage thats hilariously off the cuff. Carol builds sand castles in the air. Sonny, at the crossroads, thinking of Carol, reflective in their future. I was the first day of the new year, yet the climax of the film was the audience. An elderly man was visibly shaken, his company, loud, I looked back at the screen and saw the future.
Awesome Movie
posted on 05 May 2008LOL, I didn't realize Acid Yellow was Nicolas Cage! Oh my gosh, James Franco is the most handsome man on earth - his smile melts me every time! What a wonderful movie portraying the inner lives of the prostitutes. I was captivated from beginning to end at the humanness of the characters and their struggles. They were such pure souls longing for a way out. I think what I loved most about the movie was watching Mena Suvari and James Franco, they are so easy on the eyes, very beautiful, I love those actors!!! The ending confuses the heck out of me, can someone help me with understanding it? I give this movie 10 stars easily and will have to add it to my movie collection!
Not to be missed!
posted on 29 Feb 2008I had the wonderful opportunity to see the debut of Sonny at the Virginia Film Festival on 26 October 2002. This is a gritty and raw portrayal of a young man's attempts to change his fate. Mr. Cage has made a daring film about the difficult life of a male hustler.This is a film that spares nothing and finds us rooting for each character's redemption. This is not to be missed.
R WE ALL SEEING THE SAME MOVIE?
posted on 17 Dec 2007Am baffled at the low ratings and poor reviews this film has gotten. Would this still have been the case if Nick Cage were not an A-List actor? I thought this film to be a phenomenal character piece that kept me gripped until the very end. James Franco once again shows his chops as one of the best actors of his generation. Perhaps the film was a little too real for many to take and showed a life of prositution that was not through Hollywood goggles (ie Pretty Woman). With the exception of Scott Caan, all the performances were stellar and the movie was a phenomenal debut for any first time director. I hope that you haters out there do not sway Mr. Cage away from his position behind the lens.
This movie was a wonderful surprise!!
posted on 13 Dec 2007I saw this film at a film festival in Sarasota Florida. it was supposed to be the opening film and all my friends and I drove up from Orlando for a chance to meet Nicholas Cage but he wasn't able to come and we all left dissapointed... Yet his film surprised all of us UCF film students! We loved it! A lot of people were saying that it wasn't going to be good but we saw it anyways because we know that Nick Cage is a man of many talents and knew his film was gonna kick ass and it did! Great character journeys in this one! Well developed plot too! See if or buy it if you can! _brandon
This movie is just how Nicolas Cage looks; slow and boring.
posted on 28 Sep 2007Directors are really like their movies. I like Nicolas Cage as an actor and I give him more credit than most people and critics do. His looks are good for the type of characters he always plays but he in my opinion should stick to acting, rather than directing movies, or he should at least next time pick a more interesting script.The movie tries hard and its intentions are all good but the movie just isn't quite 'it'. The events and situations in this movie are just far from interesting. characters come and go, that it becomes hard to see where the movie is trying to head to and what it tries to achieve. For a serious movie that's about a gigolo the movie stays surprisingly much on the 'choir boy' and good, positive side of things. On top of that the movie moves too slow at points and some sequences go on for far too long. It's obvious that Cage wanted to make the movie and its feel more 'European' than 'Hollywood', but he should just leave 'European' movie making to Europeans next time.The main character is such an unpredictable and aggressive one that it's also hard to sympathize for him at moments, as is the case with almost every other character in the movie.The actors all mostly did a good job. Nicolas Cage obviously has some good connections in Hollywood, also thanks to his family of course. It's a good and real character movie but it's just too bad that the script and characters in it isn't any better.It's not that this movie is really bad, it's more that if offers so little refreshing, interesting or original. No wonder that the movie got overlooked and is so little known to people.6/10
The European take
posted on 25 Aug 2007European audiences are used to slower pace and darker subject-matters, so this pic would undoubtedly be more appreciated in the Continent than it has been in the US...I was fortunate enough to watch it on an import Region-1 DVD, and was struck by the non-judgmental approach and sensitivity of the director & cast dealing with such a rough story line.This movie is great. The seedy settings feel real, and I for one dig the character´s attitudes, even though Sonny´s predicament is hard to take in at times. The acting is excellent overall -great supporting actors- and the four principals give remarkable, tuned in performances. Harry Dean Stanton stands out as a loveable, pathetic good-for-nothing, he manages to make you root for him in all his scenes. The depiction of the underworld is fascinating and makes a lasting impression. The director takes us places he´s not afraid to tread and we were curious to go but didn´t dare on our own. And the ending is a big pay-off, kudos to Mr. Cage for considering us smart enough to figure it out as we please.All in all, a bold directorial debut, in line with the bold acting choices of the director. And look out for James Franco, he´s a star-to-be.
Odd, but worth a watch
posted on 31 Jan 2007I just recently saw this movie on either HBO or Cinemax, and let me tell you, for me it was like a train wreck, once you start watching, you cant stop watching. So, it was after 1:00am when I flipped it on, thinking I had found something to help me go to sleep, but once I started listening to it and getting the movie plot down for what it really was, I was shocked, then very interested in what would come of the characters. When Sonny went crazy in Texas when he was with that blonde girl, that is when I really just went 'what the hell kind of movie is this?' That didn't stop me from watching however, just kept me on the edge as to what he was going to do from then on. Mena Suvari I thought was great, because this wasn't the typical nice little Hollywood roll for her to do, it was different and edgy, and she was wonderful in it. The ending threw me off, but still made you think and kinda make up your own conclusion as to what happened with them.
The deeply pleasing result of many talents
posted on 31 Jan 2007The truths explored in `Sonny' are not easily accessible to those who have never faced the choice that faces Sonny Phillips: whether to `square up,' or continue in a life style with extremely limited options, and little room for growth. Many who are born into a life of prostitution never seriously consider leaving it, most who have never experienced that life style are unaware of the dishonesties and injustices inherent in living on their more socially-acceptable middle-class level. The story sums up neatly: Sonny comes home after a stint in the army with the goal of leaving behind his former life style as a male prostitute. His mother, Jewel, who turned him out when he was twelve years old, now lives off of Carol, a beautiful young whore who has Sonny's old bedroom. Jewel wants to keep Sonny with her, and have him work as a team with Carol.Somehow, 26-year-old James Franco is able to tap into a wellspring of emotional depth to show the anguish attendant in the decision Sonny tries to make and honor. Somehow, Nicolas Cage was able to lead him to it. What these two have accomplished should not be overlooked or undervalued. `Sonny' is a magnificent achievement. It is a movie that explores many themes, paramount among them that each of us is worthy of love, capable of innocence and growth. Real affection can be found in the unlikeliest of places, respect shows itself in many ways, trust is fragile, and love doesn't protect anyone from anything. Franco's performance could be considered nothing short of miraculous, if it weren't known how hard-working an actor he is. This range of talent hasn't been seen since 1955; his slight frame belies his power, and his smile is an endearing joy. Mena Suvari, as his love-interest, Carol, is also an unexpected delight, bringing to mind nothing so much as Carroll Baker's performance in `Baby Doll.' Her combination of innocence and sexuality is reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe's, and it's nice that someone is on the scene to keep that flame alive. Also noteworthy is Brenda Vaccaro as Meg, an old trick of Sonny's who's eager to spend time with him again. She brings a warmth and generosity to a role that could seem ludicrous in a lesser actress. Not least among all these terrific talents is Brenda Blethyn as Sonny's mother Jewel. Although her southern accent seems questionable, it's difficult to think of another actress who could make someone who's done something this despicable to her child, seem genuine and likable. As her friend, Harry Dean Stanton also pulls off something unexpected, bringing depth of character to someone whose occupation as a shoplifter could otherwise lead us to think of as shallow. But it is a director's vision that pulls a movie together, and Nicolas Cage is to be heartily and enthusiastically commended for what he's accomplished here. `Sonny' is a wonderful movie.
What a waste
posted on 27 Sep 2006Acting talent of the caliber found in this film has rarely been put to such little productive use. The script was very, very poor and managed to capture very little that is characteristic of New Orleans, except perhaps the fact that you can buy a cocktail and walk with it out of the bar and down the street. Having been a prostitute does not necessarily disqualify one from all future gainful employment in legitimate occupations, and I didn't buy the fact that Sonny was automatically doomed to a life of hustling--not even in 1981 (the year chosen for the film).
Excellent, in my humble opinion
posted on 11 Sep 2006Rented this blind, and didn't realise it was Nic Cage's directorial debut. Big fan of his, or at least his early work. Talking of his early work, the film showed clear clues as to his influences, as the film has touches of Coen and Lynch about it (Cage's cameo in particular was extremely Lynchian). I thought the story interesting and well executed. The characters were wonderful, in particular Blenthyn's 'madame'. I thought visually it worked brilliantly, in particular setting it in 1981 (presumably of course where the book is set). I like how the film's ending allowed you to make up your own mind.Very worthy effort from Cage and well worth a viewing
Terrific writing and acting in this film!
posted on 14 Aug 2006What a terrific movie. I thought the writing and acting were superb. The lead character's story is poignant. Prostitution has rarely been portrayed on the screen in such an honest and gripping manner. The actors were terrific, and the director set the mood very well. Kudos to all.
Pathetic
posted on 15 Jul 2006Cage obviously had no clear vision of "Sonny", a lame first directorial outing which tells of a gigolo in the "Big Sleazy". The litany of foibles and flaws is too lengthy for this forum. Suffice it to say "Sonny" is a shallow, shabby, and sorely lacking film with characters who wander within their own superficiality, missed opportunities for New Orleans noir atmospherics, clumsy effects which seem like brain farts, dramatic moments incongruous with story, etc., etc. Panned by public and critics alike, this almost laughable flick can only be recommended as a curiosity. (C-)
Just wasn't good.
posted on 27 Mar 2006First let me state that I love James Franco. I loved him in Freaks and Geeks and most of his roles ever since....but this movie was just silly. The actress that plays the main character Sonny's mother became so annoying and her phony accent is so grating you are tempted to turn off the movie half way through. James Franco seriously tries his best with a badly written script and not so qualified director. Nicolas directed this film in such an odd way. I don't think actors should assume they can be directors based solely on being in films. There is a little thing called education and experience and just because you have starred in 30+ movies doesn't mean you have the skills to direct a movie. Three quarters of the way into the film you can tell the actors have given up and just want to finish. I believe that James Franco only starred in this movie for experience. To push himself in ways his other roles didn't but that doesn't make it a good movie. It is almost painful to watch. I am from Mississippi, I have been all over the South and the North and I have NEVER heard accents like the ones these actors were using.
good flick
posted on 17 Feb 2006i am a film student and i make it a point to stay up till 330 a.m just to watch movies like this. first there were slow moments, and some forced actions between characters, but franco's acting is always superb. i mean the shot where he flips out in the car, or when he screams at the naked girl on the floor. directing is basic. the editing is fast and tells the story well. i liked all the characters, the mother had me hating her the second she spoke and james made me feel bad for his character. i honestly think that if you want to see a good undiscovered movie that wont win awards, but can be picked apart for joy and scrutiny then this will do it. overall acting is very well, and the story has a few plot holes but if you watch the direction the director wants you to then it makes up for it
A Breath of Fresh Air
posted on 26 Jan 2006What a beautifully, honest film! Nic Cage makes his Directorial debut and an extremely successful one at that. Not knowing what to expect going into this film I was thrilled to find a brilliantly acted, enthralling story unfold before my eyes.My hat is off to James Franco who did an amazing job of portraying an emotionally conflicted young man in a performance that reminds me a great deal of a young Brando or Montgomery Clift. In fact all the actors did a sterling job with each character slowly unraveling as the script built. What struck me the most about this film was the evidence of creative freedom that can only come from a director who truly understands the vulnerability and sacred space that an actor must work in."Sonny" is a film that gives me hope that all is not lost in "Hollywood". It is a film that you can't help but become a part of. It is a film that reeks of truth, honesty and character. A perfect cast, solid script, excellent music and the lightest of directorial touches make for a must see film.
overall a good movie, James Franco is excellent
posted on 04 May 2009Overall I really liked this film. I thought James Franco was excellent in the title role. Certain scenes devolved into crappy melodrama, such as the dialogue outside the barn in the rain - "tell me we'll make it, baby!" -a sobbing, rain-drenched Mena Suvari as Carol in a hideous southern accent. But certain parts were very sweet in a non-saccharine way; James Franco cuddling up to the Texas junkie after sex, thinking this is his ticket to a straight life. And who could not enjoy Nicholas Cage as Acid Yellow? I would honestly give it 7 or 8 out of 10. Harry Dean Stanton is a favorite, even Scott Caan is pretty good, although, as another user pointed out, I would never, ever believe that he ever read Camus, and that scene didn't fit with the rest of the character.