A Boy Called Hate is a 1996 film starring Scott Caan

Scott Caan

Scott Andrew Caan is an American actor. He stars in the CBS television series Hawaii Five-0, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe award. He is the son of actor James Caan.-Early life:...

, his father James Caan, Missy Crider, Adam Beach

Adam Beach

Adam Ruebin Beach is a Canadian Saulteaux actor.He is best known for his roles as Tommy on Walker, Texas Ranger, Kickin' Wing in Joe Dirt, Marine Private First Class Ira Hayes in Flags of Our Fathers, Private Ben Yazzie in Windtalkers, Dr...

 and Elliott Gould

Elliott Gould

Elliott Gould is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s, and has remained prolific ever since. Some of his most notable films include M*A*S*H and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, for which he received an Oscar nomination...

. It was the first film directed by Mitch Marcus, who also wrote the screenplay.

Plot

Steve (Scott Caan) is a maladjusted Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

 teenager who renames himself “Hate” following a run-in with the local police

Police

The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...

. He lives with his father (James Caan), who is bilking a former employer in a workers compensation fraud scheme. One evening while taking a motorcycle ride, Hate witnesses what appears to be an attempted rape. He shoots the would-be attacker and takes off with Cindy, the young girl being assaulted (Missy Crider). It turns out that the rapist is an assistant district attorney (Elliott Gould), who survives the shooting and falsely reports that he was the victim of a robbery. Hate and Cindy leave Los Angeles, but their situation deteriorates when Hate fatally shoots a motorcycle officer whom he mistakenly believes has come to arrest him.

Critical reaction

A Boy Called Hate had a brief theatrical release in June 1996 and received mixed reviews. Peter Stack, reviewing the film for The San Francisco Chronicle, suggested that "Two aspects of A Boy Called Hate are definitely worth the trip to the Lumiere, where the film opens today: James Caan's look-alike son, Scott, plays the lead role, and writer-director Mitch Marcus succeeds in capturing the grim essence of Los Angeles' arid outskirts as a tacky wasteland." Ella Taylor, reviewing the film for the LA Weekly wrote that "Mitch Marcus' first feature is living proof that the most fatigued of plots (young lovers-on-the-run-plus-gun) can be recharged by a director who understands the difference between exploration and exploitation."