IMDb RATING
6.5/10
6.2K
YOUR RATING
The daughter of a man on death row falls in love with a woman on the opposing side of her family's political cause.The daughter of a man on death row falls in love with a woman on the opposing side of her family's political cause.The daughter of a man on death row falls in love with a woman on the opposing side of her family's political cause.
- Awards
- 1 win & 2 nominations
Elliot Page
- Lucy
- (as Ellen Page)
Bishop Ali Stevens
- Paul
- (as Bishop Stephens)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaKate Mara and Elliot Page had been wanting to work together on a project for some time. When they couldn't find any active projects to join, they decided to produce their own. They found Joe Barton's script, which had been in developmental limbo for eight years.
- GoofsWhen Lucy is scrolling through the law firm's website, the employee's about sections switch names partway through. Only the names at the top and the first instance in the description match the film's characters. Mercy's name changes to Irma and Chance changes to Boling.
- ConnectionsFeatures Harvey Beaks: Pe-Choo/The Spitting Tree (2015)
- SoundtracksMercy
Performed by Duffy
Courtesy of Island Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
Featured review
Greetings again from the darkness. There have been some fine movies centered on death row. These include: THE GREEN MILE (1999), DEAD MAN WALKING (1995), THE LIFE OF DAVID GALE (2003), and TRUE CRIME (1999). The only one I can remember that even comes close to also being a love story is MONSTER'S BALL (2001), and if you've seen it, you would likely agree that it's not exactly a warm and fuzzy story of romance. With this latest, however, Israeli director Tali Shalom-Ezer and British writer Joe Barton combine for a romantic story where death row plays a vital part.
Ellen Page stars as Lucy. She travels around the country in a well-worn motorhome with her older sister Martha (Amy Seimetz, UPSTREAM COLOR) and their little brother Benjamin (Charlie Shotwell, CAPTAIN FANTASTIC), as they partake in the anti-death penalty demonstrations outside the prison gates as the next execution takes place. Across the parking lot, the pro-death penalty side hold their own signs and keep their own vigil. Lucy's eyes lock on those of a striking young woman from the other side. When they meet, the ironically named Mercy (Kate Mara) aggressively flirts with the shy and confused Lucy, and the two sneak out for drinks at a bar.
Soon Lucy is anxiously awaiting the next protest so that she can meet up with Mercy. The sexual tension builds as they get to know each other, and their awkward friendship turns romantic. Their activism for different sides of an important topic doesn't have any negative impact on their attraction to each other. Each woman has been personally affected by the death penalty, and as viewers we struggle with the idea that these two lovebirds part each time with what amounts to 'see you at the next execution!'
Elias Koteas (TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, 1990) plays Lucy's death row dad, and Brian Geraghty (THE HURT LOCKER) plays the attorney who is simultaneously working on his case and on Lucy's sister Martha. The acting here is top notch as Kate Mara balances the two sides of Mercy, and Ellen Page flashes her familiar JUNO snark - albeit with the heft of a wisened adult. Ms. Seimetz adds to her list of always-interesting characters, and has a couple of truly outstanding scenes.
Blending love and the death penalty makes for an unusual combination, and we do understand that folks choose their side based on personal belief and circumstances. For the film, the death penalty issue is a bit of a distraction to the story of these two people, though it's admirable that Mr. Barton chose to give them a personal stake in two different cases, rather than the same - which we would expect in a lesser movie. The use of "last meals" is quite creative, as we see the actual food, as well as the name of the inmate, the crime, and the prison.
The fallout from executions is widespread. Perhaps no one wants a narrative film focused entirely on such a depressing and divisive topic. We do ask ourselves if a romantic relationship is even possible for two who are diametrically opposed on such an emotional topic. It's an ending that lets no one off the hook easily. Life is hard. So is death. Make your choices wisely.
Ellen Page stars as Lucy. She travels around the country in a well-worn motorhome with her older sister Martha (Amy Seimetz, UPSTREAM COLOR) and their little brother Benjamin (Charlie Shotwell, CAPTAIN FANTASTIC), as they partake in the anti-death penalty demonstrations outside the prison gates as the next execution takes place. Across the parking lot, the pro-death penalty side hold their own signs and keep their own vigil. Lucy's eyes lock on those of a striking young woman from the other side. When they meet, the ironically named Mercy (Kate Mara) aggressively flirts with the shy and confused Lucy, and the two sneak out for drinks at a bar.
Soon Lucy is anxiously awaiting the next protest so that she can meet up with Mercy. The sexual tension builds as they get to know each other, and their awkward friendship turns romantic. Their activism for different sides of an important topic doesn't have any negative impact on their attraction to each other. Each woman has been personally affected by the death penalty, and as viewers we struggle with the idea that these two lovebirds part each time with what amounts to 'see you at the next execution!'
Elias Koteas (TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, 1990) plays Lucy's death row dad, and Brian Geraghty (THE HURT LOCKER) plays the attorney who is simultaneously working on his case and on Lucy's sister Martha. The acting here is top notch as Kate Mara balances the two sides of Mercy, and Ellen Page flashes her familiar JUNO snark - albeit with the heft of a wisened adult. Ms. Seimetz adds to her list of always-interesting characters, and has a couple of truly outstanding scenes.
Blending love and the death penalty makes for an unusual combination, and we do understand that folks choose their side based on personal belief and circumstances. For the film, the death penalty issue is a bit of a distraction to the story of these two people, though it's admirable that Mr. Barton chose to give them a personal stake in two different cases, rather than the same - which we would expect in a lesser movie. The use of "last meals" is quite creative, as we see the actual food, as well as the name of the inmate, the crime, and the prison.
The fallout from executions is widespread. Perhaps no one wants a narrative film focused entirely on such a depressing and divisive topic. We do ask ourselves if a romantic relationship is even possible for two who are diametrically opposed on such an emotional topic. It's an ending that lets no one off the hook easily. Life is hard. So is death. Make your choices wisely.
- ferguson-6
- Jul 3, 2019
- Permalink
Details
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $18,766
- Runtime1 hour 48 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.40:1
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