Two criminal drifters without sympathy get more than they bargained for after kidnapping and holding for ransom the surrogate mother carrying a baby for a powerful, shady man.Two criminal drifters without sympathy get more than they bargained for after kidnapping and holding for ransom the surrogate mother carrying a baby for a powerful, shady man.Two criminal drifters without sympathy get more than they bargained for after kidnapping and holding for ransom the surrogate mother carrying a baby for a powerful, shady man.
- Director
- Writer
- Stars
Armando Guerrero
- Federale #1
- (as Mando Guerrero)
Jan Hanks
- Receptionist
- (as Jan Jensen)
José Pérez
- ?
- (as Jose Perez)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
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Two low-life criminals (Ryan Phillippe & Benicio Del Toro) kidnap a pregnant surrogate (Juliette Lewis) of a rich couple who, unknowingly, has ties to the mob.
"The Way of the Gun" (2000) is an offbeat flick in the tradition of "Pulp Fiction" written & directed by a proven screenwriter and featuring a quality cast, which includes James Caan. It's touted as a "modern Western" with two protagonists patterned after Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (their names in the film are the last names of Butch & Sundance).
It starts out as a black comedy with cussing every other word, but then morphs into a serious crime drama with flashes of gunplay. The score is notable.
Two issues hinder the film: (1) A plot that becomes convoluted and therefore increasingly unbelievable, and (2) unlikable characters, except for maybe the surrogate. Concerning the second issue, I understand the concept of antiheroes, but even antiheroes require some redeemable or universally human qualities to make the audience root for them or care about them. Wolverine and Clint Eastwood's Western characters, like Josey Wales, are good examples, as are the antiheroes in films like "Runaway Train" and "Apocalypse Now," two cinematic masterpieces.
These two points naturally create disinterest and tempt the viewer to tune out. The first time I watched it I gave up by the 90-minute mark with a half hour to go, I could care less about the characters, their story or how it turned out, even though I tried.
On my second viewing, I decided to pay closer attention and stick with the movie till the end. I'm glad I did because this is a well-written examination of crime & violence and the fools involved. An attempt is made to flesh-out all the main characters and I'm talking no less than nine people, each of whom are a piece of the interlocking puzzle, often with their own agenda.
While it's no where near great like the seminal "Pulp Fiction," it has style and glimmerings of depth. If you can get past the convoluted story and unlikable characters, it certainly has its points of interest, like well-scripted dialogues and Del Toro's towering performance, not to mention Taye Diggs's interesting heavy.
The film was shot in Utah in the Salt Lake City area.
GRADE: B-
"The Way of the Gun" (2000) is an offbeat flick in the tradition of "Pulp Fiction" written & directed by a proven screenwriter and featuring a quality cast, which includes James Caan. It's touted as a "modern Western" with two protagonists patterned after Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (their names in the film are the last names of Butch & Sundance).
It starts out as a black comedy with cussing every other word, but then morphs into a serious crime drama with flashes of gunplay. The score is notable.
Two issues hinder the film: (1) A plot that becomes convoluted and therefore increasingly unbelievable, and (2) unlikable characters, except for maybe the surrogate. Concerning the second issue, I understand the concept of antiheroes, but even antiheroes require some redeemable or universally human qualities to make the audience root for them or care about them. Wolverine and Clint Eastwood's Western characters, like Josey Wales, are good examples, as are the antiheroes in films like "Runaway Train" and "Apocalypse Now," two cinematic masterpieces.
These two points naturally create disinterest and tempt the viewer to tune out. The first time I watched it I gave up by the 90-minute mark with a half hour to go, I could care less about the characters, their story or how it turned out, even though I tried.
On my second viewing, I decided to pay closer attention and stick with the movie till the end. I'm glad I did because this is a well-written examination of crime & violence and the fools involved. An attempt is made to flesh-out all the main characters and I'm talking no less than nine people, each of whom are a piece of the interlocking puzzle, often with their own agenda.
While it's no where near great like the seminal "Pulp Fiction," it has style and glimmerings of depth. If you can get past the convoluted story and unlikable characters, it certainly has its points of interest, like well-scripted dialogues and Del Toro's towering performance, not to mention Taye Diggs's interesting heavy.
The film was shot in Utah in the Salt Lake City area.
GRADE: B-
What I fail to understand is why if "The Usual Suspects" was so incredibly popular (because it was so freakin' good), "The Way of the Gun" gets stepped on, both at the box office upon its initial release, and in various, snarky IMDb user comments.
This movie isn't just good. It's INTENSE. It's DARK. There's not a single character in the movie who's likable, and some viewers attack that like it's a bad thing. The story line is complex, the relationships between the numerous characters are subtle and nuanced; and still, some viewers attack that like that's a bad thing.
Just because a viewer doesn't understand something, doesn't make the film bad. It's a difference of opinion, absolutely, but that doesn't make "The Way of the Gun" a bad film. Au contraire, this is a very smart film... and when a filmmaker is making a smart film about amoral, gun-toting outlaws, the people who come to see that sort of movie are going to feel confused and angry. Because they wanted it to be simple. They wanted easy answers, a clear-cut good guy and bad guy, and a happy ending. The way movies have gone since film noir faded away, decades ago.
But this film is not so simple, and neither are the characters within it, nor is the plot. Chris McQuarrie refuses to write something so cut-and-dry, so black-and-white. It's taut, it's tight, it rides a bad vibe from the opening sequence all the way down to the last line. This film is so gritty it makes me feel dirty after watching it... McQuarrie may be a victim of his own success, because it was released in the aftermath of "The Usual Suspects," but if it built up an underground following like "The Killer," it would be on the shelf of must-haves next to John Woo, Guy Ritchie and any other art film your parents wouldn't approve of.
Every character has his own motive, has his own backstory, and not all are necessarily spelled out for you. The dialogue is wound so tight, it snaps: "Fifteen million dollars is not money. It's a motive, with a universal adapter on it."
I own this movie, and on a dark, rainy afternoon, I'll whip it out on the unsuspecting guest... "It's from the writer of 'The Usual Suspects'" I tell them. And from the opening scene, they're INTO IT.
It's not for everyone. But don't you dare call it a bad film. This is where YOUR favorite filmmaker steals all of his ideas.
This movie isn't just good. It's INTENSE. It's DARK. There's not a single character in the movie who's likable, and some viewers attack that like it's a bad thing. The story line is complex, the relationships between the numerous characters are subtle and nuanced; and still, some viewers attack that like that's a bad thing.
Just because a viewer doesn't understand something, doesn't make the film bad. It's a difference of opinion, absolutely, but that doesn't make "The Way of the Gun" a bad film. Au contraire, this is a very smart film... and when a filmmaker is making a smart film about amoral, gun-toting outlaws, the people who come to see that sort of movie are going to feel confused and angry. Because they wanted it to be simple. They wanted easy answers, a clear-cut good guy and bad guy, and a happy ending. The way movies have gone since film noir faded away, decades ago.
But this film is not so simple, and neither are the characters within it, nor is the plot. Chris McQuarrie refuses to write something so cut-and-dry, so black-and-white. It's taut, it's tight, it rides a bad vibe from the opening sequence all the way down to the last line. This film is so gritty it makes me feel dirty after watching it... McQuarrie may be a victim of his own success, because it was released in the aftermath of "The Usual Suspects," but if it built up an underground following like "The Killer," it would be on the shelf of must-haves next to John Woo, Guy Ritchie and any other art film your parents wouldn't approve of.
Every character has his own motive, has his own backstory, and not all are necessarily spelled out for you. The dialogue is wound so tight, it snaps: "Fifteen million dollars is not money. It's a motive, with a universal adapter on it."
I own this movie, and on a dark, rainy afternoon, I'll whip it out on the unsuspecting guest... "It's from the writer of 'The Usual Suspects'" I tell them. And from the opening scene, they're INTO IT.
It's not for everyone. But don't you dare call it a bad film. This is where YOUR favorite filmmaker steals all of his ideas.
Look I love 'The Usual Suspects' as much as the next guy, and think it's one of the few movies of the 1990s that can truly be considered a classic. But I think comparing that movie to 'The Way Of The Gun' (Christopher McQuarrie wrote both and directs this in an impressive debut) is unproductive and misguided. Both movies feature criminal anti-heroes and tricky plot twists, but in different ways, and are very different in approach and theme. McQuarrie isn't repeating himself here, this is something new. Something that has more in common with Sam Peckinpah than the plethora of shallow post-Tarantino rip-offs Hollywood has foisted on us in recent years.
The basic premise is fairly straightforward - two losers "Parker" (A surprisingly effective Ryan Phillipe in easily his best role to date) and "Longbaugh" (the always excellent Benicio Del Toro), cook up a half baked scheme to kidnap a surrogate mother (Juliette Lewis - 'Cape Fear', 'Kalifornia') and hold her for ransom. Little do they realize that she is carrying a child for Chidduck, a Mob money launderer (veteran character actor Scott Wilson - 'In Cold Blood', 'The Ninth Configuration') who has some nasty associates, and is reluctant to pay up.
The guys soon find themselves embroiled in a chinese puzzle of relationships including ruthless bodyguards Jeffers (Taye Digs - 'Go') and Obecks (Nicky Katt - 'SubUrbia', 'The Limey'), and Chidduck's bagman and troubleshooter, the complex Sarno (the legendary James Caan - 'The Godfather', 'Thief'), and Sarno's colleague Abner (frequent Clint Eastwood sidekick, and Juliet's real life father, Geoffrey Lewis).
To reveal what happens would be to ruin this wonderful movie. 'The Way Of The Gun' isn't a stupid popcorn action flick. It requires thought and attention to fully appreciate, and that fact, along with the lack of heroes, and the matter of fact violence, seems to have turned many people off. But in my opinion it is just those factors that will make this, like 'The Usual Suspects', a movie that will stand the test of time.
Along with 'Chopper', the movie that has impressed the most so far this decade. Don't miss either one!
The basic premise is fairly straightforward - two losers "Parker" (A surprisingly effective Ryan Phillipe in easily his best role to date) and "Longbaugh" (the always excellent Benicio Del Toro), cook up a half baked scheme to kidnap a surrogate mother (Juliette Lewis - 'Cape Fear', 'Kalifornia') and hold her for ransom. Little do they realize that she is carrying a child for Chidduck, a Mob money launderer (veteran character actor Scott Wilson - 'In Cold Blood', 'The Ninth Configuration') who has some nasty associates, and is reluctant to pay up.
The guys soon find themselves embroiled in a chinese puzzle of relationships including ruthless bodyguards Jeffers (Taye Digs - 'Go') and Obecks (Nicky Katt - 'SubUrbia', 'The Limey'), and Chidduck's bagman and troubleshooter, the complex Sarno (the legendary James Caan - 'The Godfather', 'Thief'), and Sarno's colleague Abner (frequent Clint Eastwood sidekick, and Juliet's real life father, Geoffrey Lewis).
To reveal what happens would be to ruin this wonderful movie. 'The Way Of The Gun' isn't a stupid popcorn action flick. It requires thought and attention to fully appreciate, and that fact, along with the lack of heroes, and the matter of fact violence, seems to have turned many people off. But in my opinion it is just those factors that will make this, like 'The Usual Suspects', a movie that will stand the test of time.
Along with 'Chopper', the movie that has impressed the most so far this decade. Don't miss either one!
I have enjoyed Bryan Singer's "Usual Suspects" which was written by the director of "The Way of the Gun", Christopher McQuarrie(this is his directional debut). First let me start with the premise. Two out of their luck hitmen(?) named Longbaugh and Parker, search for that one chance at fortune. In the beginning of the film, we learn that they earn their money by means of donating uh, well, their "fluids" and blood. While in a sperm bank, the pair find out that a surrogate mother, Robin, of a rich couple is conducting her usual check up with her doctor. With that Longbaugh and Parker kidnap Robin and place a ransom on her.
Anyways, the movie contains some of the most exciting gun-fight sequences. Sadly, that's the only positive thing I have to say about the movie. The scenes in between the flying bullets were long and boring. I felt that some of the conversations between the characters were superfluous and would be better if some of it were edited out. With a title like "The Way of The Gun", one would expect the movie to be high on the action meter and less on the banter.
A lot of the characters were two dimensional. The average performances from the actors (except for Lewis doing her usual psycho role) made it a lot worse.
I can only recommend this movie when it comes out on video. "The Way Of the Gun" would be bearable if there is a forward button handy.
the movie *1/2 out of **** action scenes ***1/2 out of ****
Anyways, the movie contains some of the most exciting gun-fight sequences. Sadly, that's the only positive thing I have to say about the movie. The scenes in between the flying bullets were long and boring. I felt that some of the conversations between the characters were superfluous and would be better if some of it were edited out. With a title like "The Way of The Gun", one would expect the movie to be high on the action meter and less on the banter.
A lot of the characters were two dimensional. The average performances from the actors (except for Lewis doing her usual psycho role) made it a lot worse.
I can only recommend this movie when it comes out on video. "The Way Of the Gun" would be bearable if there is a forward button handy.
the movie *1/2 out of **** action scenes ***1/2 out of ****
"Way of the Gun" is the best western to come down that perverbial turnpike in a great while. Like the aging cynical worn out outlaws in Peckinpahs Wild Bunch, these modern day anti-hero's whether Old or young realize that sometimes life gives you that one chance. It is up to you to seize it . whether its kidnapping your fortune or giving birth to it we all soon realize that in the end we all come in the same way & go out the same way the difference being on how hard.
Although I know I am in the extreme minority "Way of the Gun is a much more complete film than Usual Suspects it is a metaphor for the careless way we lead our lives only realizing that the one most innocent and beautiful thing is life it self. Bravo Christopher a fine film indeed!!!
Although I know I am in the extreme minority "Way of the Gun is a much more complete film than Usual Suspects it is a metaphor for the careless way we lead our lives only realizing that the one most innocent and beautiful thing is life it self. Bravo Christopher a fine film indeed!!!
Did you know
- TriviaThe unusual car chase scenes after the kidnapping were Benicio Del Toro's idea. He suggested this to writer and director Christopher McQuarrie after watching Cops (1989), where a couple of criminals did the same when cops were chasing them.
- GoofsThe shape and size of the bandage (and the blood thereon) above Dr. Parker's right eye while he's in the truck stop restroom talking to Parker and Longbaugh.
- Crazy creditsHenry Griffin is listed as P. Whipped. He is the guy whose girlfriend is yelling at Parker and Longbaugh and ends up fighting them, thus he is "P[ussy] Whipped."
- Alternate versionsIn Germany, a FSK-16 version was released and was cut. An FSK-18 uncut version was also released.
- How long is The Way of the Gun?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $8,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $6,055,661
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,150,979
- Sep 10, 2000
- Gross worldwide
- $13,200,972
- Runtime1 hour 59 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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