Stuck (2007 film)
Encyclopedia
Stuck is a 2007
thriller directed by Stuart Gordon
and starring Mena Suvari
and Stephen Rea
. The film premiered on May 21, 2007 at the Cannes Film Market. The film is adapted in Bollywood as Accident on Hill Road
starring Celina Jaitley
in Mena Suvari's role.
) who commits a hit and run
on a pedestrian with her car. With the homeless man Tom (Stephen Rea
) trapped in her car's windshield, Brandi drives home with the promise that she will get the man help. But as she begins to debate the issue, Brandi feels this accident will destroy her life and opts to let the man die slowly in her garage. When Tom realizes he is being left to die, he painfully tries to escape.
Brandi enlists the help of her boyfriend, Rashid (Russell Hornsby
), in an attempt to kill and dispose of Tom. Meanwhile, Tom is able to pull himself free from the windshield, but before he is able to escape the garage, Rashid and Brandi restrain him. They go back into Brandi's house and decide to kill Tom, and hide the evidence by burning
both Tom and the car.
Rashid returns to the garage, and prepares to shoot the apparently unconscious Tom with a revolver. Tom, secretly awake, manages to attack Rashid, before stabbing him through the eye with a concealed pen, killing him. During the brawl, a shot is discharged from the gun, prompting Brandi to investigate. Tom tries to start the car, but Brandi enters the garage before he is able to do so. Tom knocks Brandi over and limps out of the garage towards the street, taking Rashid's gun with him.
Brandi pursues Tom, wielding a hammer from the garage. Tom pleads with Brandi to stay back, not wanting to fire on her, but she subdues him with the hammer. She drags Tom back to the garage and begins dousing the room with gasoline, panicking. She hopes that the police will conclude that Tom broke in, attacked Rashid, and accidentally became engulfed in flames while trying to burn the garage down. However, Tom is able to sneak back into the car, start it, and drive forwards, pinning Brandi against the back of the garage.
Brandi begs for help, while Tom steps out of the car and lights a match. He asks why she didn't help him, and Brandi says she doesn't know, and continues to plead for her life. Tom decides to spare Brandi and extinguishes the match. Brandi suddenly produces Rashid's revolver and fires on Tom. He ducks behind the car, and a stray bullet ignites the gasoline, setting Brandi alight. As she screams in pain, burning to death, Tom struggles to the front of the garage and is able to open the door. He stumbles out onto the driveway and collapses, as neighbours surround him, alerted by the fire. Tom is helped away, and turns to look at the burning garage, where Brandi's screaming has subsided.
that killed a homeless man, Gregory Biggs. Mallard struck Biggs with her car, causing him to become lodged in the windshield. She returned home with Biggs still trapped in the windshield, and subsequently allowed him to die in her garage without contacting authorities. She was later convicted of and sentenced for Biggs' death.
The film marks the first production under the newly reformed Amicus Productions
. It was filmed in Saint John, New Brunswick
, Canada
.
, Atlantic Film Festival
, Edmonton International Film Festival
, Wisconsin Film Festival
, Philadelphia Film Festival
, and RiverRun International Film Festival
. Stuck opened in limited release
in the United States on May 30, 2008.
reported that 72% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 82 reviews. Metacritic
reported the film had an average score of 61 out of 100, based on 25 reviews.
Stephen Holden of The New York Times
called the film a "grim, expert little thriller." Holden compared the character Tom Bardo and the setting of the film to director Stuart Gordon
's 2005 film Edmond
(in which Suvari also appeared). Holden wrote "Stuck, while not strictly a horror film, is steeped in gore and carries a seam of mocking gallows humor as relentless as that of Sweeney Todd." Holden said the film "is exceptional because its characters feel like real people plunged into a disorienting situation in which they behave like monsters." Ken Fox of TV Guide
gave the film 3 stars out of 4, and called the film "a drum-tight, extremely grisly thriller. And odd as it may sound given the subject matter, it's also surprisingly funny." Fox praised the script by John Strysik, calling it "blackly funny" and said "Rea
does quite a bit with a role that keeps him face down and bleeding like a stuck pig for most of the movie, but this is definitely Suvari
's show."
Robert Wilonsky of the The Village Voice
said "Stuck is both darkly comic and disgusting; the name alone reduces the crime to a sick joke." Joe Leydon of Variety
said "Stuck is ingeniously nasty and often shockingly funny as it incrementally worsens a very bad situation, then provides a potent payoff..." Leydon called it a "darkly comical farce" and said it could generate a cult following through a "carefully calibrated theatrical rollout, especially if it generates want-to-see buzz in key regions of the blogosphere." Leydon called the script "crafty" and the director Stuart Gordon "establishes a heightened-reality tone of bleak hilarity early on." Leydon said the film "overall has the look and feel of a tawdry B-movie. Whether that's due to budgetary limitations or artistic inspiration, it serves the material well."
J.R. Jones of the Chicago Reader said "As the title of this splatter comedy by writer-director Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator
) indicates, [Tom]'s like a bug stuck to her windshield, and that's about the level of humanity and insight one can expect here."
The film appeared on some critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008. Nathan Rabin
of The A.V. Club
named it the 7th best film of 2008, and Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club
named it the 10th best film of 2008.
in the United States
on May 30, 2008 and grossed $8,844 in 2 theaters. It was shown in as many as 16 theaters as of June 6, 2008.
The film grossed $146,154 worldwide — $67,505 in the United States and $78,649 in other territories.
won the Silver Raven award at the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film
and also the Staff Prize for Narrative Feature at the San Francisco Indiefest for the film.
, a Texas woman who received 50 years in prison for the murder of Gregory Glen Biggs. She hit Biggs, allegedly while driving impaired, and he became lodged in her windshield after the collision. She drove home, parked her car in the garage with Biggs still lodged, alive and conscious, in the windshield. While she did go out to apologize to Biggs, she failed to call for any assistance and allowed him to die. Mallard and two accomplices then took the body to a local park, where it was discovered. She was arrested four months later after bragging about the incident at a party. The Fort Worth Medical Examiner and other experts all testified at the trial that basic first responder care would have saved Biggs life. The film is not an accurate historical representation of the events surrounding Chante Jawan Mallard.
2007 in film
This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
thriller directed by Stuart Gordon
Stuart Gordon
After the University of Wisconsin demanded future theatrical productions by Screw Theater be overseen by a University Professor, Gordon cut his University ties to form Broom Street Theater. Its first production, the new translation of the risque Lysistrata, premiered in May 1969. Gordon is...
and starring Mena Suvari
Mena Suvari
Mena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
and Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
. The film premiered on May 21, 2007 at the Cannes Film Market. The film is adapted in Bollywood as Accident on Hill Road
Accident on Hill Road
Accident on Hill Road is a 2009 Bollywood film, directed by Mahesh Nair and produced by Nari Hira, starring Farooq Sheikh, Abhimanyu Singh, Celina Jaitley...
starring Celina Jaitley
Celina Jaitley
Celina Jiya Jaitley is an Indian actress born in Kabul, Afghanistan. She appears in mainly Bollywood films. As a former beauty queen and model, she was crowned Femina Miss India Universe in 2001.-Early life:...
in Mena Suvari's role.
Plot
Inspired by a true story, Stuck centers on retirement-home caregiver Brandi Boski (Mena SuvariMena Suvari
Mena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
) who commits a hit and run
Hit and run (vehicular)
Hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic accident , and failing to stop and identify oneself afterwards...
on a pedestrian with her car. With the homeless man Tom (Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
) trapped in her car's windshield, Brandi drives home with the promise that she will get the man help. But as she begins to debate the issue, Brandi feels this accident will destroy her life and opts to let the man die slowly in her garage. When Tom realizes he is being left to die, he painfully tries to escape.
Brandi enlists the help of her boyfriend, Rashid (Russell Hornsby
Russell Hornsby
Russell Hornsby is an American theater, television, and film actor. He is perhaps best known for portraying police officer Eddie Sutton on the ABC Family television drama series Lincoln Heights, and Luke on the HBO series In Treatment.-Early life and education:Hornsby was a football player at St....
), in an attempt to kill and dispose of Tom. Meanwhile, Tom is able to pull himself free from the windshield, but before he is able to escape the garage, Rashid and Brandi restrain him. They go back into Brandi's house and decide to kill Tom, and hide the evidence by burning
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
both Tom and the car.
Rashid returns to the garage, and prepares to shoot the apparently unconscious Tom with a revolver. Tom, secretly awake, manages to attack Rashid, before stabbing him through the eye with a concealed pen, killing him. During the brawl, a shot is discharged from the gun, prompting Brandi to investigate. Tom tries to start the car, but Brandi enters the garage before he is able to do so. Tom knocks Brandi over and limps out of the garage towards the street, taking Rashid's gun with him.
Brandi pursues Tom, wielding a hammer from the garage. Tom pleads with Brandi to stay back, not wanting to fire on her, but she subdues him with the hammer. She drags Tom back to the garage and begins dousing the room with gasoline, panicking. She hopes that the police will conclude that Tom broke in, attacked Rashid, and accidentally became engulfed in flames while trying to burn the garage down. However, Tom is able to sneak back into the car, start it, and drive forwards, pinning Brandi against the back of the garage.
Brandi begs for help, while Tom steps out of the car and lights a match. He asks why she didn't help him, and Brandi says she doesn't know, and continues to plead for her life. Tom decides to spare Brandi and extinguishes the match. Brandi suddenly produces Rashid's revolver and fires on Tom. He ducks behind the car, and a stray bullet ignites the gasoline, setting Brandi alight. As she screams in pain, burning to death, Tom struggles to the front of the garage and is able to open the door. He stumbles out onto the driveway and collapses, as neighbours surround him, alerted by the fire. Tom is helped away, and turns to look at the burning garage, where Brandi's screaming has subsided.
Cast
- Mena SuvariMena SuvariMena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
as Brandi Boski - Stephen ReaStephen ReaStephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
as Thomas "Tom" Bardo - Russell HornsbyRussell HornsbyRussell Hornsby is an American theater, television, and film actor. He is perhaps best known for portraying police officer Eddie Sutton on the ABC Family television drama series Lincoln Heights, and Luke on the HBO series In Treatment.-Early life and education:Hornsby was a football player at St....
as Rashid - Rukiya Bernard as Tanya
- Carolyn Purdy-Gordon as Petersen
- Lionel Mark SmithLionel Mark SmithLionel Mark Smith was an American actor.He appeared in several movies including Homicide, Edmond, State and Main and Spartan. He also appeared on such television series as Seinfeld, NYPD Blue, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Hill Street Blues.His last appearance was in the 2007 horror film Stuck...
as Sam - Wayne RobsonWayne RobsonWayne Robson was a Canadian television, film and stage actor best known for playing the part of Mike Hamar, an ex-convict and sometime thief, on the Canadian sitcom The Red Green Show from 1993 to 2006, as well as in the 2002 film Duct Tape Forever.Robson was born in Vancouver, British Columbia...
as Mr. Binckley - R.D. Reid as Manager
- Patrick McKennaPatrick McKennaPatrick McKenna born May 8, 1960 in Sylvania, Saskatchewan is a Canadian comedic and actor. He is best known for playing Harold Green on the television series The Red Green Show, Marty Stephens on Traders, and the Trudeau miniseries. McKenna is a member of Toronto's The Second City comedy troupe...
as Joe Lieber - John DunsworthJohn DunsworthJohn Dunsworth is a Canadian actor known for playing the frequently drunk trailer park supervisor Jim Lahey on the hit TV show Trailer Park Boys. He has also appeared in Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion, a CBC film about the 1917 Halifax explosion...
as Cabbie
Production
Stuck is loosely based on the hit-and-run committed by Chante Jawan MallardChante Jawan Mallard
Chante Jawan Mallard is a woman from Fort Worth, Texas who was convicted and sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment for her role in the death of a 37-year-old homeless man, Gregory Glen Biggs....
that killed a homeless man, Gregory Biggs. Mallard struck Biggs with her car, causing him to become lodged in the windshield. She returned home with Biggs still trapped in the windshield, and subsequently allowed him to die in her garage without contacting authorities. She was later convicted of and sentenced for Biggs' death.
The film marks the first production under the newly reformed Amicus Productions
Amicus Productions
Amicus Productions is a British film production company, based at Shepperton Studios, England. It was founded by American producer and screenwriter Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg.-Horror:...
. It was filmed in Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Release
The film premiered May 21, 2007 at the Cannes Film Market. It was also shown at the Toronto International Film FestivalToronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
, Atlantic Film Festival
Atlantic Film Festival
The Atlantic Film Festival is an international film festival held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.Held annually, the ten-day celebration of film and video from Atlantic Canada and around the world is committed to screening an inspiring and engaging collection of films and videos from Canada and the...
, Edmonton International Film Festival
Edmonton International Film Festival
The Edmonton International Film Festival is a nine-day film festival in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, hosted at Empire Theatres at Edmonton City Centre....
, Wisconsin Film Festival
Wisconsin Film Festival
The Wisconsin Film Festival is an annual film festival, founded in 1999. The five-day long festival is held every April in Madison, Wisconsin.The Festival presents a broad range of independent American and world cinema , restorations and revivals, and locally made pictures from Wisconsin filmmakers...
, Philadelphia Film Festival
Philadelphia Film Festival
The Philadelphia Film Festival is held annually in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Until 2009 it was generally held during the first weeks of April....
, and RiverRun International Film Festival
RiverRun International Film Festival
The RiverRun International Film Festival is a regional film festival held annually each spring in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The festival is a 5013 non-profit organization and presents a variety of feature-length and short films from all genres, and also presents special events, regional...
. Stuck opened in limited release
Limited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
in the United States on May 30, 2008.
Critical reception
Stuck received generally favorable reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 72% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 82 reviews. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 61 out of 100, based on 25 reviews.
Stephen Holden of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called the film a "grim, expert little thriller." Holden compared the character Tom Bardo and the setting of the film to director Stuart Gordon
Stuart Gordon
After the University of Wisconsin demanded future theatrical productions by Screw Theater be overseen by a University Professor, Gordon cut his University ties to form Broom Street Theater. Its first production, the new translation of the risque Lysistrata, premiered in May 1969. Gordon is...
's 2005 film Edmond
Edmond (film)
Edmond is a 2005 drama-thriller film starring William H. Macy, based on the play of the same name. It was written by David Mamet and directed by Stuart Gordon....
(in which Suvari also appeared). Holden wrote "Stuck, while not strictly a horror film, is steeped in gore and carries a seam of mocking gallows humor as relentless as that of Sweeney Todd." Holden said the film "is exceptional because its characters feel like real people plunged into a disorienting situation in which they behave like monsters." Ken Fox of TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
gave the film 3 stars out of 4, and called the film "a drum-tight, extremely grisly thriller. And odd as it may sound given the subject matter, it's also surprisingly funny." Fox praised the script by John Strysik, calling it "blackly funny" and said "Rea
Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
does quite a bit with a role that keeps him face down and bleeding like a stuck pig for most of the movie, but this is definitely Suvari
Mena Suvari
Mena Alexandra Suvari is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. Shortly after beginning her career as a model, she appeared in guest roles on 1990's television shows such as Boy Meets World and High Incident...
's show."
Robert Wilonsky of the The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
said "Stuck is both darkly comic and disgusting; the name alone reduces the crime to a sick joke." Joe Leydon of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
said "Stuck is ingeniously nasty and often shockingly funny as it incrementally worsens a very bad situation, then provides a potent payoff..." Leydon called it a "darkly comical farce" and said it could generate a cult following through a "carefully calibrated theatrical rollout, especially if it generates want-to-see buzz in key regions of the blogosphere." Leydon called the script "crafty" and the director Stuart Gordon "establishes a heightened-reality tone of bleak hilarity early on." Leydon said the film "overall has the look and feel of a tawdry B-movie. Whether that's due to budgetary limitations or artistic inspiration, it serves the material well."
J.R. Jones of the Chicago Reader said "As the title of this splatter comedy by writer-director Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator
Re-Animator
Re-Animator is a 1985 American science fiction horror film based on the H. P. Lovecraft story "Herbert West–Reanimator." Directed by Stuart Gordon, it was the first film in the Re-Animator series. The film has since become a cult film, driven by fans of Jeffrey Combs and H. P...
) indicates, [Tom]'s like a bug stuck to her windshield, and that's about the level of humanity and insight one can expect here."
The film appeared on some critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2008. Nathan Rabin
Nathan Rabin
Nathan Rabin is an American film and music critic. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Rabin was the first head writer for The A.V. Club, a position he continues to hold today....
of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
named it the 7th best film of 2008, and Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
named it the 10th best film of 2008.
Box office
The film opened in limited releaseLimited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on May 30, 2008 and grossed $8,844 in 2 theaters. It was shown in as many as 16 theaters as of June 6, 2008.
The film grossed $146,154 worldwide — $67,505 in the United States and $78,649 in other territories.
Awards and nominations
Director Stuart GordonStuart Gordon
After the University of Wisconsin demanded future theatrical productions by Screw Theater be overseen by a University Professor, Gordon cut his University ties to form Broom Street Theater. Its first production, the new translation of the risque Lysistrata, premiered in May 1969. Gordon is...
won the Silver Raven award at the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film
Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film
The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival , previously named Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Film was created in 1983 as a venue for horror, thriller and science fiction films. It takes place in Brussels, every year in March...
and also the Staff Prize for Narrative Feature at the San Francisco Indiefest for the film.
Inspiration
Stuck was based on the true story of Chante Jawan MallardChante Jawan Mallard
Chante Jawan Mallard is a woman from Fort Worth, Texas who was convicted and sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment for her role in the death of a 37-year-old homeless man, Gregory Glen Biggs....
, a Texas woman who received 50 years in prison for the murder of Gregory Glen Biggs. She hit Biggs, allegedly while driving impaired, and he became lodged in her windshield after the collision. She drove home, parked her car in the garage with Biggs still lodged, alive and conscious, in the windshield. While she did go out to apologize to Biggs, she failed to call for any assistance and allowed him to die. Mallard and two accomplices then took the body to a local park, where it was discovered. She was arrested four months later after bragging about the incident at a party. The Fort Worth Medical Examiner and other experts all testified at the trial that basic first responder care would have saved Biggs life. The film is not an accurate historical representation of the events surrounding Chante Jawan Mallard.
External links
- Interview with Stuart Gordon at Cinefantastique Online