At Close Range
Encyclopedia
At Close Range is a film based on the real life rural Pennsylvania
crime family led by Bruce Johnston, Sr.
which operated during the 1960s and 1970s. It was released on April 18, 1986, and stars Sean Penn
, Christopher Walken
, Chris Penn
, Mary Stuart Masterson
, Millie Perkins
, Candy Clark
and Crispin Glover
. The film is directed by James Foley
. The Madonna hit "Live to Tell
" was written for the film.
), contacts him after a fight with his mother's boyfriend. Eventually, he becomes involved with his father's criminal endeavors, and starts his own gang with his brother, Tommy (Chris Penn), and friends. The boys get excited at the idea of easy money and decide one night to attempt a daring heist, which results in their arrest by the police. Their father believes that his sons and their friends will inform the police about his criminal activities, so he rapes Brad's girlfriend, Terry (Mary Stuart Masterson), as a warning to his eldest son. The attack results in the opposite effect as Brad, Jr. begins informing the authorities about his father's activities, including a murder of a snitch he witnessed. When the father's name is given to the grand jury by his own son, Brad, Sr. feels his only recourse is to eliminate every witness that can connect him and his crew with his sons and their crew, and he has them killed one by one (strangely, Tim, one of Brad Jr.'s crew is not killed and is seen at the courthouse at the end). Brad Sr. murders Tommy himself, but orders a hit against Brad, Jr. and Terry. Terry dies, but Brad Jr. survives, and shows up at his father's house. He threatens him with a gun, but decides that he wants Brad Sr. to "die every day for the rest of his life," and instead testifies against his father in court.
, in Chester County, Pennsylvania
. Three murder victims were shot and buried along the infamous Cossart Road on the Northern Delaware/Pennsylvania Border in Pennsbury Township, Pennsylvania. This road was also the location of where part of the picture was filmed. Other filming locations were Spring Hill, Tennessee
, Franklin, Tennessee
at the town square and at Fred J. Page High School
.
. It grossed a total of $2,347,000 at the North American box office during its theatrical run in 83 theaters.
", can be found on Madonna
's album True Blue which was released two months after the film. The song was originally written for use in the film Fire with Fire but after the film studio rejected the song, Madonna decided to use the song in her then-husband's film At Close Range. Shots of the film also appeared in the music video for the song. Christopher Walken
would later act in Madonna's video for 1993's "Bad Girl" and director James Foley would go on to direct Who's That Girl in 1987 with Madonna in the lead role.
Other songs used in the film include "Miss You" by The Rolling Stones
, "It Started with a Touch" and "High Time" by Le Roux, "Boogie Oogie Oogie
" by A Taste of Honey
, "October" by Tom Elliott, "In Between Rainbows" by John Townsend, and "Technique" by Bill LaBounty
.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
crime family led by Bruce Johnston, Sr.
Bruce Johnston (criminal)
Bruce Alfred Johnston Sr was the leader of one of the most notorious gangs in the history of Pennsylvania, USA...
which operated during the 1960s and 1970s. It was released on April 18, 1986, and stars Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
, Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
, Chris Penn
Chris Penn
Christopher Shannon "Chris" Penn was an American film and television actor known for his roles in such films as The Wild Life, Reservoir Dogs, Footloose, Rush Hour, True Romance, All the Right Moves and Pale Rider.-Early life:Penn was born in Los Angeles, California, the youngest son of Leo Penn,...
, Mary Stuart Masterson
Mary Stuart Masterson
Mary Stuart Masterson is an American film, stage and television actress and director.-Early life:Masterson was born in New York City to writer/director Peter Masterson and actress Carlin Glynn. She has two siblings: Peter Masterson Jr., and Alexandra Masterson, who are both involved in the...
, Millie Perkins
Millie Perkins
Millie Perkins is an American film and television actress.Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Millie grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Her father was a merchant marine captain...
, Candy Clark
Candy Clark
Candace June "Candy" Clark is an American film and television actress, well known for her role as Debbie Dunham in the 1973 film American Graffiti, which garnered her an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress, a character she reprised in 1979 for the sequel More American Graffiti...
and Crispin Glover
Crispin Glover
Crispin Hellion Glover is an American film actor, director and screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River's Edge, unfriendly recluse Rubin Farr in Rubin and Ed, the...
. The film is directed by James Foley
James Foley
James Foley is an American film director and screenwriter. He was born in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York, the son of a lawyer...
. The Madonna hit "Live to Tell
Live to Tell
"Live to Tell" is a pop ballad by American singer-songwriter Madonna. Originally written by Patrick Leonard for the soundtrack of the film Fire with Fire, the song was shown to Madonna, who decided to use it for then-husband Sean Penn's film At Close Range...
" was written for the film.
Plot
Brad Whitewood, Sr. (Christopher Walken) is the leader of an organized crime family consisting of his brothers and close friends. One night, his estranged oldest son, Brad, Jr.(Sean PennSean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
), contacts him after a fight with his mother's boyfriend. Eventually, he becomes involved with his father's criminal endeavors, and starts his own gang with his brother, Tommy (Chris Penn), and friends. The boys get excited at the idea of easy money and decide one night to attempt a daring heist, which results in their arrest by the police. Their father believes that his sons and their friends will inform the police about his criminal activities, so he rapes Brad's girlfriend, Terry (Mary Stuart Masterson), as a warning to his eldest son. The attack results in the opposite effect as Brad, Jr. begins informing the authorities about his father's activities, including a murder of a snitch he witnessed. When the father's name is given to the grand jury by his own son, Brad, Sr. feels his only recourse is to eliminate every witness that can connect him and his crew with his sons and their crew, and he has them killed one by one (strangely, Tim, one of Brad Jr.'s crew is not killed and is seen at the courthouse at the end). Brad Sr. murders Tommy himself, but orders a hit against Brad, Jr. and Terry. Terry dies, but Brad Jr. survives, and shows up at his father's house. He threatens him with a gun, but decides that he wants Brad Sr. to "die every day for the rest of his life," and instead testifies against his father in court.
Production
The story was based on the actual crimes of Bruce Johnston, Sr.Bruce Johnston (criminal)
Bruce Alfred Johnston Sr was the leader of one of the most notorious gangs in the history of Pennsylvania, USA...
, in Chester County, Pennsylvania
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
. Three murder victims were shot and buried along the infamous Cossart Road on the Northern Delaware/Pennsylvania Border in Pennsbury Township, Pennsylvania. This road was also the location of where part of the picture was filmed. Other filming locations were Spring Hill, Tennessee
Spring Hill, Tennessee
Spring Hill is a city in Maury and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, located approximately south of Nashville. The population was 7,715 at the 2000 census...
, Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...
at the town square and at Fred J. Page High School
Fred J. Page High School
Fred J. Page High School is a senior high school in the Williamson County School District. Though the school is located in the unincorporated town of Rudderville, its mailing address is listed as Franklin, Tennessee....
.
Release
The film was entered into the 36th Berlin International Film Festival36th Berlin International Film Festival
-Jury:* Gina Lollobrigida * Rudi Fehr* Lindsay Anderson* August Coppola* Werner Grassmann* Otar Iosseliani* Norbert Kückelmann* Francoise Maupin* Rosaura Revueltas* Naoki Togawa* Jerzy Toeplitz-Films in competition:...
. It grossed a total of $2,347,000 at the North American box office during its theatrical run in 83 theaters.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Sean Penn Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism... |
Brad Whitewood, Jr |
| Christopher Walken Christopher Walken Christopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New... |
Brad Whitewood, Sr. |
| Mary Stuart Masterson Mary Stuart Masterson Mary Stuart Masterson is an American film, stage and television actress and director.-Early life:Masterson was born in New York City to writer/director Peter Masterson and actress Carlin Glynn. She has two siblings: Peter Masterson Jr., and Alexandra Masterson, who are both involved in the... |
Terry |
| Chris Penn Chris Penn Christopher Shannon "Chris" Penn was an American film and television actor known for his roles in such films as The Wild Life, Reservoir Dogs, Footloose, Rush Hour, True Romance, All the Right Moves and Pale Rider.-Early life:Penn was born in Los Angeles, California, the youngest son of Leo Penn,... |
Tommy Whitewood |
| Millie Perkins Millie Perkins Millie Perkins is an American film and television actress.Born in Passaic, New Jersey, Millie grew up in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Her father was a merchant marine captain... |
Julie |
| Eileen Ryan Eileen Ryan Eileen Ryan is an American actress who has appeared in a number of movies and TV series. She is the widow of actor and director, Leo Penn, and mother of singer, Michael Penn, and actors, Sean and, Chris Penn, who died in January 2006.... |
Grandma |
| Tracey Walter Tracey Walter Tracey Walter is an American character actor. He has appeared in over 100 films and television shows.-Life and career:Walter was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of a truck driver.... |
Uncle Patch Whitewood |
| R.D. Call | Dickie |
| David Strathairn David Strathairn David Russell Strathairn is an American actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for portraying journalist Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck... |
Tony Pine |
| J.C. Quinn | Boyd |
| Candy Clark Candy Clark Candace June "Candy" Clark is an American film and television actress, well known for her role as Debbie Dunham in the 1973 film American Graffiti, which garnered her an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress, a character she reprised in 1979 for the sequel More American Graffiti... |
Mary Sue |
| Jake Dengel | Lester |
| Kiefer Sutherland Kiefer Sutherland Kiefer Sutherland is an English-born Canadian actor, producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24 for which he has won an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite... |
Tim |
| Crispin Glover Crispin Glover Crispin Hellion Glover is an American film actor, director and screenwriter, recording artist, publisher, and author. Glover is known for portraying eccentric people on screen such as George McFly in Back to the Future, Layne in River's Edge, unfriendly recluse Rubin Farr in Rubin and Ed, the... |
Lucas |
| Stephen Geoffreys Stephen Geoffreys -Life and career:Born Stephen Geoffrey Miller in Cincinnati, Ohio, Geoffreys first began acting on the stage. In 1984, he was nominated for Broadway's Tony Award for "Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical" for his performance in a play based on the The Human Comedy... |
Aggie |
- Actress Eileen RyanEileen RyanEileen Ryan is an American actress who has appeared in a number of movies and TV series. She is the widow of actor and director, Leo Penn, and mother of singer, Michael Penn, and actors, Sean and, Chris Penn, who died in January 2006....
who plays Sean PennSean PennSean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
's and Chris PennChris PennChristopher Shannon "Chris" Penn was an American film and television actor known for his roles in such films as The Wild Life, Reservoir Dogs, Footloose, Rush Hour, True Romance, All the Right Moves and Pale Rider.-Early life:Penn was born in Los Angeles, California, the youngest son of Leo Penn,...
's grandmother in the film, is their real-life mother. - Director James Foley portrayed the assistant D.A. at the end of the film.
Music
There was no official soundtrack to the film but the main song, "Live to TellLive to Tell
"Live to Tell" is a pop ballad by American singer-songwriter Madonna. Originally written by Patrick Leonard for the soundtrack of the film Fire with Fire, the song was shown to Madonna, who decided to use it for then-husband Sean Penn's film At Close Range...
", can be found on Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's album True Blue which was released two months after the film. The song was originally written for use in the film Fire with Fire but after the film studio rejected the song, Madonna decided to use the song in her then-husband's film At Close Range. Shots of the film also appeared in the music video for the song. Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken is an American stage and screen actor. He has appeared in more than 100 movies and television shows, including Joe Dirt, Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Prophecy trilogy, The Dogs of War, Sleepy Hollow, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, King of New...
would later act in Madonna's video for 1993's "Bad Girl" and director James Foley would go on to direct Who's That Girl in 1987 with Madonna in the lead role.
Other songs used in the film include "Miss You" by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, "It Started with a Touch" and "High Time" by Le Roux, "Boogie Oogie Oogie
Boogie Oogie Oogie
"Boogie Oogie Oogie" is the name of a popular song by disco/R&B group A Taste of Honey. Released from their self-titled album in 1978, it became an extremely popular "crossover" song. The lyrics urge listeners to "boogie oogie oogie till you just can't boogie no more." It topped the Billboard Hot...
" by A Taste of Honey
A Taste of Honey (band)
A Taste of Honey was the name of an American recording act, formed in 1971 by associates Perry Kibble and Donald Ray Johnson. In 1978 they had one of the best known chart-toppers of the disco era, "Boogie Oogie Oogie"...
, "October" by Tom Elliott, "In Between Rainbows" by John Townsend, and "Technique" by Bill LaBounty
Bill LaBounty
Bill LaBounty is an American musician. He was initially a singer-songwriter in the soft rock genre, first as a member of the band Fat Chance, and later as a solo artist. As a solo artist, LaBounty recorded six studio albums, including four on Curb Records/Warner Bros. Records...
.
External links
- "It was Pennsylvania Gothic", TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, January 15, 1979 (news report of the real life events that inspired the film) - Bruce Johnston Sr. obituary