Tape (film)
Encyclopedia
Tape is a 2001 drama film directed by Richard Linklater
and written by Stephen Belber
, based on his play
of the same name. It stars Ethan Hawke
, Robert Sean Leonard
, and Uma Thurman
. The entire film takes place in real-time.
. Vince (Hawke), a drug dealer
/volunteer firefighter
from Oakland, is in town to support his old high school friend's entry into the Lansing film festival
.
His friend, documentary filmmaker Jon Salter (Leonard), joins Vince in his motel room and the two reminisce about their high school years. They get on the subject of Amy (Thurman), Vince's former girlfriend. It appears that, while they dated for some time, Vince and Amy never had sex. However, after their relationship had ended, Amy slept with Jon.
Vince claims Amy had told him that Jon had raped her. Vince becomes obsessed with, and eventually succeeds in getting a verbal confession from Jon about, the alleged rape. Immediately after Jon's admission, Vince pulls out a hidden tape recorder that had been recording their whole conversation, much to Jon's horror. Vince then tells Jon that he has invited Amy to dinner, and that she will be arriving shortly.
Eventually Amy does arrive and, even though all three of them feel awkward, they begin to talk. Amy explains that she is now an assistant district attorney
in the Lansing Justice Department. Eventually the three discuss what actually happened between Jon and Amy that night at the party, 10 years in the past.
Eventually, Jon asks Amy's forgiveness for raping her. Amy claims that the encounter was consensual, however, leading Jon to believe that she is in denial. After Jon becomes annoyed that Amy is refusing to accept his apology, Amy calls the local police. She asks for a squad car to pick up one person in possession of drugs (Vince), and one in relation to a verifiable rape (Jon). After concluding her phone call, Amy warns the men that they only have about four minutes to make a run for it.
In order to prove to Amy that he is truly remorseful, Jon decides to stay and wait for the police. Vince, realizing that there is nowhere for him to run, flushes his narcotics down the toilet and destroys the tape containing Jon's confession.
Amy reveals that she didn't really call the police and leaves.
based on 89 collected reviews, as well as a weighted average score of 71 out of 100 on Metacritic
.
Film critic Roger Ebert
gave this film 3.5 stars out of 4, concluding that "for audiences they are stimulating; for other filmmakers, instruction manuals about how to use the tricky new tools." Stephen Holden
of The New York Times
called the film "incisive" and praised the cast for giving "the most psychologically acute performances of their film careers". Entertainment Weekly
critic Owen Gleiberman
gave the film an A- and wrote "in Tape, Ethan Hawke releases his inner actor, and it's a kick to see."
Richard Linklater
-Early life:Linklater was born in Houston, Texas. He studied at Sam Houston State University and left midway through his stint in college to work on an off-shore oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. While working on the rig he read a lot of literature, but on land he developed a love of film through...
and written by Stephen Belber
Stephen Belber
Stephen Belber is an American playwright , screenwriter and film director.-Early life:Belber was born in Washington, D.C.. He studied philosophy as an undergraduate at Trinity College in Hartford, CT, and moved to New York at the age of 25. There he unwittingly moved in with a roommate with AIDS,...
, based on his play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
of the same name. It stars Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke
Ethan Green Hawke is an American actor, writer and director. He made his feature film debut in 1985 with the science fiction movie Explorers, before making a supporting appearance in the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society which is considered his breakthrough role...
, Robert Sean Leonard
Robert Sean Leonard
Robert Sean Leonard is an American actor, who has regularly starred in Broadway and off-Broadway productions. Since 2004 he has played the role of Dr. James Wilson on the TV series House...
, and Uma Thurman
Uma Thurman
Uma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action movies. Among her best-known roles are those in the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill...
. The entire film takes place in real-time.
Plot
In a motel room in Lansing, MichiganLansing, Michigan
Lansing is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located mostly in Ingham County, although small portions of the city extend into Eaton County. The 2010 Census places the city's population at 114,297, making it the fifth largest city in Michigan...
. Vince (Hawke), a drug dealer
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
/volunteer firefighter
Volunteer fire department
See also the Firefighter article and its respective sections regarding VFDs in other countries.A volunteer fire department is a fire department composed of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction.The first organized force of...
from Oakland, is in town to support his old high school friend's entry into the Lansing film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
.
His friend, documentary filmmaker Jon Salter (Leonard), joins Vince in his motel room and the two reminisce about their high school years. They get on the subject of Amy (Thurman), Vince's former girlfriend. It appears that, while they dated for some time, Vince and Amy never had sex. However, after their relationship had ended, Amy slept with Jon.
Vince claims Amy had told him that Jon had raped her. Vince becomes obsessed with, and eventually succeeds in getting a verbal confession from Jon about, the alleged rape. Immediately after Jon's admission, Vince pulls out a hidden tape recorder that had been recording their whole conversation, much to Jon's horror. Vince then tells Jon that he has invited Amy to dinner, and that she will be arriving shortly.
Eventually Amy does arrive and, even though all three of them feel awkward, they begin to talk. Amy explains that she is now an assistant district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
in the Lansing Justice Department. Eventually the three discuss what actually happened between Jon and Amy that night at the party, 10 years in the past.
Eventually, Jon asks Amy's forgiveness for raping her. Amy claims that the encounter was consensual, however, leading Jon to believe that she is in denial. After Jon becomes annoyed that Amy is refusing to accept his apology, Amy calls the local police. She asks for a squad car to pick up one person in possession of drugs (Vince), and one in relation to a verifiable rape (Jon). After concluding her phone call, Amy warns the men that they only have about four minutes to make a run for it.
In order to prove to Amy that he is truly remorseful, Jon decides to stay and wait for the police. Vince, realizing that there is nowhere for him to run, flushes his narcotics down the toilet and destroys the tape containing Jon's confession.
Amy reveals that she didn't really call the police and leaves.
Critical reception
The reviews of this film have been generally favorable. It currently holds a 76% rating on 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...
based on 89 collected reviews, as well as a weighted average score of 71 out of 100 on 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,...
.
Film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave this film 3.5 stars out of 4, concluding that "for audiences they are stimulating; for other filmmakers, instruction manuals about how to use the tricky new tools." Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden is an American writer, music critic, film critic, and poet.Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963...
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 "incisive" and praised the cast for giving "the most psychologically acute performances of their film careers". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
critic Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman is an American film critic for Entertainment Weekly, a position he has held since the magazine's launch in 1990. From 1981–89, he worked at the Boston Phoenix....
gave the film an A- and wrote "in Tape, Ethan Hawke releases his inner actor, and it's a kick to see."