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The Boy Who Cried Bitch

  • 1991
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
480
YOUR RATING
The Boy Who Cried Bitch (1991)
DramaThriller

A psychotic 12 year old makes life hell for his emotionally frail mother.A psychotic 12 year old makes life hell for his emotionally frail mother.A psychotic 12 year old makes life hell for his emotionally frail mother.

  • Director
    • Juan José Campanella
  • Writer
    • Catherine May Levin
  • Stars
    • Harley Cross
    • Karen Young
    • Jesse Bradford
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    480
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Juan José Campanella
    • Writer
      • Catherine May Levin
    • Stars
      • Harley Cross
      • Karen Young
      • Jesse Bradford
    • 13User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 2 nominations total

    Photos4

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    Top Cast27

    Edit
    Harley Cross
    Harley Cross
    • Dan Love
    Karen Young
    Karen Young
    • Candice Love
    Jesse Bradford
    Jesse Bradford
    • Mike Love
    J.D. Daniels
    • Nick Love
    Gene Canfield
    Gene Canfield
    • Jim Cutler
    Moira Kelly
    Moira Kelly
    • Jessica
    Adrien Brody
    Adrien Brody
    • Eddie
    Dennis Boutsikaris
    Dennis Boutsikaris
    • Orin Fell
    Reathel Bean
    • Dr. Goldstein
    John Rothman
    John Rothman
    • Stokes
    Samuel E. Wright
    Samuel E. Wright
    • Richard
    • (as Samuel Wright)
    Perry Moore
    • William
    Sean Ashby
    • Gene
    Edwina Lewis
    • Ann Marie, R.N.
    Ken Eaton
    • Teacher
    Chris McKenna
    Chris McKenna
    • Ross
    • (as Christopher L. McKenna)
    Michael Miceli
    Michael Miceli
    • Chet
    Judd Trichter
    • Jay
    • Director
      • Juan José Campanella
    • Writer
      • Catherine May Levin
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews13

    6.4480
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    Featured reviews

    10babalbew

    Praiseworthy performance by Harley Cross

    I am very fond of looking socially aware dramas acted by young actors as a leading or a key supporting roles. From this point of view, Harley Cross in this movie is the most brilliant among them. He plays main character who has a personality disorder and whose situation turns progressively worse by a mental hospital. His part is so difficult to act even by an adult actor. But he did it only by 12 old years old. It is very touching to view the superb acting which has never done by his age. As a result, he won the Best Actor at Valladolid International Film Festival in 1991. When we check the winner at that time, we can see Antonio Banderas (1989), Dirk Bogarde (1990), Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino et al. from "Glengarry Glen Ross" (1992) and Gian Maria Volonté (1993). There were distinguished representatives in those epoch. As a result, this movie is worth to see only by looking his performance. It is really sorry for him he has not recognized as talented child actor after this movie.
    8jesse-james

    wow, what a great movie!!!

    i bought a copy of this movie at ebay. i did not expect much from that title and to my big surprise it turned out to be a great psychological thriller. i can't believe that this movie did not find any distributor. if i had the money i would distribute it myself... my advice, if you get the chance to watch it then don't miss it. i also liked that movie because it shows a huge famelyproblem. a problem i'm experiencing in my own family too. it shows how hard it is for a family to live with a emotional disturbed child. you can't just get rid of your own kids by putting them into a psychic institution. i mean their your kids and you love them. however, thanks god that my problem is not as big as the mothers problem in that movie. and that is the shocking thing about that movie. it is made so realistic and the plot and actors are also very realistic so it scared me...
    6MovieMaddis

    Great Movie, great performances

    After seeing the Boy Who Cried Bitch, you might be left wondering what happened in 1991 that they couldn't release this film. This movie is one of the few effortlessly fused Theater Release with TV Movie of the Week that perhaps it lost it's footing in both venues. A shame that more people didn't get the chance to see what is surely a great performance by a young Harley Cross. This is before "Shriek If you know what I did Last Friday the 13th" but shortly after Believers.

    Harley was a young actor to watch with notable films "Cohen and Tate" peeking with "Perdita Durango" and an otherwise downward slide to obscurity since. He certainly shines in this role as a confused and psychotic adolescent on the brink of madness struggling to find a place in the outside that compliments his inner demons. Rarely have we seen a young actor display such range and for this reason alone, this movie should have shucked the title and some of the cursing for something a bit more palatable to the mainstream public.

    BWCB was unique in that it explored some of the complexities of child abuse, manic depression and a mother's ultimate failure to connect with her child in a way that is not cliché. For example a good scene early on has Dan (Cross) being seduced by a groundskeeper who obviously tries to fill a father's role and lure the boy into a man-boy relationship. Dan turns the power position around and immediately uses the man for beer and food for his brothers and friends. This film takes an honest look at young teens, not shying away from the way they talk and the amount of insight they have with their adult relationships.

    I recommend this film for those looking for a good hearted, insightful, sometimes dark and emotional journey through a troubled teen's life.

    6/10 Maddis
    kalispero

    Thanks Campanella

    Just to say it´s one of the greatest movies ever for me. I have seen it at least ten times and even more the last 15 minutes, a truly spine-chilling end. Any adjective to describe the sound track would be incomplete and, above all, the main actor performance is a lesson to Hollywood business empty 'big' stars Russell Crowe, Brad Pitt, etc, etc ..

    Impossible to find it in video/DVD, it´s unknown even for movie rental shops. A real real pity.
    9ElijahCSkuggs

    Realistic and Sad look into a Dysfunctional Family.

    The Boy Who Cried Bitch, is not only one of the best flicks I've seen in a while, but it's also one of the best movie titles I've ever come across.

    The story basically follows a young boy who suffers from serious mental issues. From his interactions with his family and how he rules the roost, to his interaction with the people who run the institution he eventually heads to.

    The Boy Who Cried Bitch was a incredibly intimate feeling flick that was really realistic in it's story-telling and it's portrayal of a young boy not being able to cope with the outside world. From not having a father to guide him and to having an incredibly immature and imbalanced mother, all the ingredients are there for a young kid to go awry and not benefit from a nurturing family.

    I've seriously got to commend the little dude who played the disturbed young kid. Harley Cross (cool ass name), is a genuine child-star and one performance I'll never forget. He's actually reason enough to watch this flick. I should give the producers and directors some love too, since I'm sure it's somewhat tough to direct young kids. And to do it as well as this, is damn impressive.

    It's been a while since I've seen a flick where I've been grabbed so fast and yanked right into the feel and atmosphere. Right away, you've got Harley screaming at his mother, "Slut bitch!" And not long after you've got the Mom yanking her shirt showing.....never mind, I'll just simply say, if you get the chance to see The Boy Who Cried Bitch don't let it pass by. This a really, really good flick.

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    Related interests

    Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, André Holland, Herman Caheej McGloun, Edson Jean, Alex R. Hibbert, and Tanisha Cidel in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Feature film debut for Moira Kelly.
    • Goofs
      The boom mic is visible in various scenes throughout the movie.
    • Connections
      Followed by The Boy Who Cried Bitch: The Adolescent Years (2007)
    • Soundtracks
      Let's Pretend
      Music by Wendy Blackstone

      Words by Ricky Byrd

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    FAQ16

    • How long is The Boy Who Cried Bitch?Powered by Alexa
    • A NOTE ABOUT SPOILERS

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 13, 1992 (Spain)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Line of Duty
    • Filming locations
      • New York, USA
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 45m(105 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

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