Gun Hill Road (film)
Encyclopedia
Gun Hill Road is a 2011 drama film starring Esai Morales
. The title of the film derives from the Bronx neighborhood of the same name
.
said in his review: " In his feature debut, Gun Hill Road, writer-director Rashaad Ernesto Green displays compassion for his characters and an ability to create strong scenes to underscore his thematic concerns. But the story itself is too shopworn especially at Sundance where countless films have presented dysfunctional families where parents and offspring are at odds".
Dennis Harvey of Variety
similarly said; "script and direction tend to telegraph all events, draining the competently packaged pic of tension, nuance and surprise".
Director Rashaad Ernesto Green was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival
.
The subject matter of the movie was noted "for the casualness with which it puts a Hispanic transsexual in a black male's bed" because this kind of relationship is rarely-seen in movies.
Esai Morales
Esai Manuel Morales is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Bob Morales in the 1987 biopic La Bamba. He also appeared in the PBS drama American Family and in the Showtime series Resurrection Blvd.. However, he is best known for his roles as Lt...
. The title of the film derives from the Bronx neighborhood of the same name
Gun Hill Road (Bronx)
Gun Hill Road is a major thoroughfare in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The road stretches for 3.5 miles in Woodlawn and Morris Park. Gun Hill Road begins at Stillwell Avenue in Morris Park near the Hutchinson River Parkway exit and comes to an end at the Mosholu Parkway in Woodlawn...
.
Plot
Ex-con Enrique returns home after a stint in prison. His wife Angela has had an affair while he was away, and his son Michael is exploring a life as a transsexual, leaving Enrique with decisions to make regarding his family's future.Cast
- Esai MoralesEsai MoralesEsai Manuel Morales is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Bob Morales in the 1987 biopic La Bamba. He also appeared in the PBS drama American Family and in the Showtime series Resurrection Blvd.. However, he is best known for his roles as Lt...
as Enrique - Judy ReyesJudy ReyesJudy Reyes is an American actress of Dominican heritage. She is best known for her portrayal of nurse Carla Espinosa on the TV comedy Scrubs.-Early life:...
as Angela - Harmony Santana as Michael
- Isiah Whitlock, Jr.Isiah Whitlock, Jr.Isiah Whitlock Jr. is an American actor.He is most famous for his role on the HBO television series, The Wire as corrupt state senator Clay Davis. He also is notable for appearing in Spike Lee films She Hate Me and 25th Hour as Agent Amos Flood...
as Thompson - Míriam Colón as Gloria
- Franky GFranky GFranky G , is a Puerto Rican-American film and television actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Xavier in Saw II and Wrench in the 2003 remake of The Italian Job as well as other various roles such as Lupus in Confidence and Detective Cruz in Wonderland.-Early life and...
as Tico - Vincent LarescaVincent LarescaVincent Laresca is an American actor.Laresca first appeared in film in 1992, in the movie Juice as Radames. Since then, he has appeared in many popular films, including The Devil's Advocate, The Aviator, Empire, Coach Carter, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and Baz Luhrmann's William...
as Hector - Robert PrescottRobert Prescott (actor)Robert Prescott is an American actor who has starred in various roles in film and on television. He is best known for his role as Kent in the 1985 hit comedy film Real Genius...
as Mr. Donovan - Robin de JesúsRobin de JesúsRobin de Jesús is an American film and theater actor of Puerto Rican descent. He is perhaps best known for playing the role of Sonny in the 2008 Broadway musical In the Heights, for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.In 2010, he joined the revival cast...
as Robin
Reception
The film has received mixed reviews. Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
said in his review: " In his feature debut, Gun Hill Road, writer-director Rashaad Ernesto Green displays compassion for his characters and an ability to create strong scenes to underscore his thematic concerns. But the story itself is too shopworn especially at Sundance where countless films have presented dysfunctional families where parents and offspring are at odds".
Dennis Harvey 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...
similarly said; "script and direction tend to telegraph all events, draining the competently packaged pic of tension, nuance and surprise".
Director Rashaad Ernesto Green was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
.
The subject matter of the movie was noted "for the casualness with which it puts a Hispanic transsexual in a black male's bed" because this kind of relationship is rarely-seen in movies.
Awards/Nominations
- Independent Spirit AwardsIndependent Spirit AwardsThe Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
- 2012, Best Supporting Actress: Harmony Santana (nominated)