The War Boys
Encyclopedia
The War Boys is a 2009 American
independent
drama film
directed by Ronald Daniels. Its screenplay was written by Naomi Wallace
and Bruce McLeod, based on the play of the same name by Naomi Wallace.
It stars Peter Gallagher
, Victor Rasuk
, Brian J. Smith
and Benjamin Walker
.
. According to Daniels, the shoot was plagued by sandstorms
and prop mishaps.
from Mexico
; living on the U.S. side of the border, they help the police patrol chase back clandestine Mexican immigrants.
Angry at his father because he won't agree to him leaving school to join the family business, the protagonist sets up a plan to steal one of his dad's trucks that should be loaded with black market TVs from Mexico and make some money by selling the goods. The three-party theft is a success and the locked truck is temporarily abandoned in a desolated area while the boys look for a purchaser.
The operation goes perfectly fine until a group of traffickers threatens the love interest of one of the lads, a mexican woman who had occasionally helped immigrants to get fake documents, and interrogates her on the whereabouts of the cargo. The boys are still unsuspected, but this episode makes it clear to them that the truck must contain something more trouble-worthy than just TVs, possibly drugs. Determined to get some profit anyway, they choose to get back to the wasteland, take what they can and then have the truck recovered by the traffickers via an anonymous call. It all falls out of control when they unlock the truck's storage, only to find out that it secluded something way more precious than any kind of merchandise... and a mix of rage and fear leads the situation to slip completely off their hands as the three friends confront the protagonist's father and the police.
, held in Woods Hole
, Massachusetts
; the San Antonio Film Festival, held in San Antonio, Texas
; and the SoCal Independent Film Festival, held in Huntington Beach
, California
, where it won the Best Feature Film Award.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
independent
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by Ronald Daniels. Its screenplay was written by Naomi Wallace
Naomi Wallace
Naomi Wallace is a playwright, screenwriter and poet from Prospect, Kentucky, United States.-Life:Wallace obtained her Bachelor of Arts from Hampshire College and did graduate studies at the University of Iowa....
and Bruce McLeod, based on the play of the same name by Naomi Wallace.
It stars Peter Gallagher
Peter Gallagher
Peter Killian Gallagher is an American actor, musician and writer. Since 1980, Gallagher has played many roles in numerous Hollywood films. He starred as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series The O.C. from 2003 to 2007...
, Victor Rasuk
Victor Rasuk
Victor Rasuk is an American actor.Rasuk was born in Harlem, New York to Dominican parents. He has one brother, Silvestre, with whom he starred in Raising Victor Vargas....
, Brian J. Smith
Brian J. Smith
Brian J. Smith is an American actor who is known for his role as Trey in the 2006 independent film Hate Crime and as series regular Lt. Matthew Scott in the military science fiction television series, Stargate Universe....
and Benjamin Walker
Benjamin Walker (actor)
Benjamin "Ben" Walker is an American actor, best known for his film appearances in Kinsey , Harlon Block in Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, and his critically acclaimed portrayal of Andrew Jackson in the Off- and On Broadway incarnations of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.-Education and...
.
Production
The film was shot over a twenty-three-day span in Albuquerque, New MexicoAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. According to Daniels, the shoot was plagued by sandstorms
Dust storm
A dust / sand storm is a meteorological phenomenon common in arid and semi-arid regions. Dust storms arise when a gust front or other strong wind blows loose sand and dirt from a dry surface. Particles are transported by saltation and suspension, causing soil to move from one place and deposition...
and prop mishaps.
Plot
Three young and bored childhood friends spend their spare time during high school's spring break around the border that separates the U.S.United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
; living on the U.S. side of the border, they help the police patrol chase back clandestine Mexican immigrants.
Angry at his father because he won't agree to him leaving school to join the family business, the protagonist sets up a plan to steal one of his dad's trucks that should be loaded with black market TVs from Mexico and make some money by selling the goods. The three-party theft is a success and the locked truck is temporarily abandoned in a desolated area while the boys look for a purchaser.
The operation goes perfectly fine until a group of traffickers threatens the love interest of one of the lads, a mexican woman who had occasionally helped immigrants to get fake documents, and interrogates her on the whereabouts of the cargo. The boys are still unsuspected, but this episode makes it clear to them that the truck must contain something more trouble-worthy than just TVs, possibly drugs. Determined to get some profit anyway, they choose to get back to the wasteland, take what they can and then have the truck recovered by the traffickers via an anonymous call. It all falls out of control when they unlock the truck's storage, only to find out that it secluded something way more precious than any kind of merchandise... and a mix of rage and fear leads the situation to slip completely off their hands as the three friends confront the protagonist's father and the police.
Cast
- Peter GallagherPeter GallagherPeter Killian Gallagher is an American actor, musician and writer. Since 1980, Gallagher has played many roles in numerous Hollywood films. He starred as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series The O.C. from 2003 to 2007...
as Slater Welch - Benjamin WalkerBenjamin Walker (actor)Benjamin "Ben" Walker is an American actor, best known for his film appearances in Kinsey , Harlon Block in Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers, and his critically acclaimed portrayal of Andrew Jackson in the Off- and On Broadway incarnations of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.-Education and...
as David Welch - Victor RasukVictor RasukVictor Rasuk is an American actor.Rasuk was born in Harlem, New York to Dominican parents. He has one brother, Silvestre, with whom he starred in Raising Victor Vargas....
as Greg - Brian J. SmithBrian J. SmithBrian J. Smith is an American actor who is known for his role as Trey in the 2006 independent film Hate Crime and as series regular Lt. Matthew Scott in the military science fiction television series, Stargate Universe....
as George - Greg SeranoGreg SeranoGreg Serano is an American actor. He was most known for his role of Pablo Betart on Wildfire.-Filmography:*Undocumented *Felon .... Officer Diaz*Beer For My Horses .... Tito Garza...
as Silvio - Teresa Yenque as Maria
- Cheyenne Serano as Cat
- Micaela NevárezMicaela NevárezMicaela Nevárez is a Puerto Rican actress who has appeared in independent and European films. She made her film debut in the Spanish film Princesas which was directed by Fernando León de Aranoa, in which she played Zulema, an illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic trying to make a living as...
as Marta
Release and reception
The film premiered at the Birmingham Gay and Lesbian Film Festival on May 30, 2009. It went on to be screened at the Woods Hole Film FestivalWoods Hole Film Festival
The Woods Hole Film Festival was founded in 1991 by Judith Laster and Kate Davis.Over the years, it has grown from a one day invitational event to an eight day event with films submitted from around the world. The Festival is held each year from the last Saturday of July through the first Saturday...
, held in Woods Hole
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Woods Hole is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies at the extreme southwest corner of Cape Cod, near Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
; the San Antonio Film Festival, held in San Antonio, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
; and the SoCal Independent Film Festival, held in Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it won the Best Feature Film Award.
See also
- 2009 in film2009 in filmThe year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
- List of American films of 2009
- List of drama films
- List of films: U-V-W
External links
- thewarboys.com, film's official website