Goats

Goats, a film directed by Christopher Neil, is a fantastic, unique coming of age story, that spins the common story of personal discovery into something new and previously unseen. I was lucky enough to see the premier of Goats at the Sundance Film Festival. It was a major hit with the audience. Its touching, funny, and original story had the audience watching with bated breath. The cast of Goats was amazing. Graham Phillips played the main character of Ellis, a boy who trying to cope with his difficult parents as well as other problems. His mentor and stand in father, "Goat Man" is played by David Duchovny, a pot growing, goat herder. Both actors hit their roles out of the park making this film a huge success. I would definitely recommend this wonderful film!

My wife and I screened this film at the Sundance Film Festival World Premier this evening and were proud to have given it a 9 out of 10 stars! This fantastically funny modern coming of age story is carried by a great cast that truly brings the audience into a world of starkly contrasting personalities. I never stopped laughing for the entire 90 minutes, not just at the overtly funny moments but at the subtle idiosyncrasies that each character brings to the screen. Put simply I loved this film. David Duchovny as the Goat Man alone is an act that could go on the road. In his directorial debut Christopher Neil has produced a film that I could easily see becoming a cult classic!

I saw this movie in Sundance. It was an amazing moment. the audience loved it and was 100% behind the story of young Ellis.

At last a subtle movie that shows how complex life is, that growing up is not an easy thing to do and that human relationships are a tricky things.

the cast is great, the photography is awesome, the directing is right on.

I give this film a 10 because its the kind of film i wish there was more of. yes i laughed and i felt and i related to the story but it was never forced and the director Chris Neil is always careful of being true and making the moments touching yet never overdoing it.

Go see Goats when it comes out , and you'll remember it.

(2012) Goats DRAMA

Adapted the screenplay from his own novel by the name of Mark Poirier, that was co-produced and directed by Christopher Neil which is a subtle oddball of a film centering on 15 year old, Ellis Whitman (Graham Phillips) coming to grips with the break up of his family and the people he interacts with, once leaving the household to go to an all boys prep school. At first, Ellis appears to be the only normal one since he's the narrator, but viewers should be able to feel empathy with other characters as the film is progressing, particularly the father, Frank Whitman (Ty Burrell) at first they nicknamed him as "F-cker Frank" who abandoned him and his mother to be with other people... and so we thought. It is called "Goats" because of Ellis's bond with the animals as well as the quirky character "Goatman", an unusual role played by David Duchovny who does nothing but smokes cannabis, and originally lives in the same household as Ellis as caretaker of the pool and gardener. Vera Farmiga (Into the Air) who plays the Ellis's mother as Wendy is probably the only character that's hard to identify but overall she's still quite harmless. Kerri Russell also stars as Judy, and a memorable sleazy performance by Justin Kirk as Bennett. This is one of those rare oddball movies about how things are able to work themselves out without resorting to extreme measures.

The first word that came to mind as I left the premiere of GOATS was forgiveness. The story is funny yet reflective and beautifully told. Impeccable acting and perfect direction brought each character to life. The story gently speaks of the struggles individuals face and how those around them learn to cope and to forgive, regardless of uninterrupted mistakes. Special kudos to the young actor who played Ellis. He was convincing and genuine. It seemed to me like each actor understood the depth of the story which translated into GOATS' authentically human relationships. It truly is an incredible story, with something to offer everyone.