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Clay Pigeons (15-Sep-1998)

Director: David Dobkin

Writer: Matt Healy

Music by: John Lurie

Producers: Ridley Scott; Chris Zarpas

Keywords: Crime/Comedy, Suicide, Serial Killer

NameOccupationBirthDeathKnown for
Georgina Cates
Actor
14-Jan-1975   Clay Pigeons
Janeane Garofalo
Comic
28-Sep-1964   Actor, Comedian, Author, Activist
Phil Morris
Actor
4-Apr-1959   Mission: Impossible revival
Joaquin Phoenix
Actor
28-Oct-1974   Gladiator
Kevin Rahm
Actor
7-Jan-1971   Kyle McCarty on Judging Amy
Joseph D. Reitman
Actor
25-May-1968   Actor/Husband of Shannon Elizabeth
Vince Vaughn
Actor
28-Mar-1970   Swingers
Vince Vieluf
Actor
10-Nov-1970   Grind
Scott Wilson
Actor
29-Mar-1942 6-Oct-2018 In Cold Blood

CAST

Joaquin Phoenix   ...   Clay
Vince Vaughn   ...   Lester
Janeane Garofalo   ...   Agent Shelby
Georgina Cates   ...   Amanda
Gregory Sporleder   ...   Earl
Vince Vieluf   ...   Deputy Barney
Phil Morris   ...   Agent Reynard
and
Scott Wilson   ...   Sheriff Mooney
Wayne Brennan   ...   Minister
Joseph D. Reitman   ...   Glen
Nikki Arlyn   ...   Gloria
Jeff Olson   ...   Mark
Monica Moench   ...   Kimberly
Kevin Rahm   ...   Bystander at Amanda's
Jesse Bennett   ...   Dr. Jaffe
Zane Parker   ...   Dr. Buckley
Ryan Mouritsen   ...   Pizza Delivery Kid
Kari Petersen   ...   Dolores
Duane Stephens   ...   Bartender
Steve Anderson   ...   Old Man Waiter

REVIEWS

Review by anonymous (posted on 10-Jul-2006)

Clay Pigeons is the story of a man by the name of Clay Bidwell (Joaquim Pheonix), who is having an affair with the wife of his best friend. The story starts with the two of them in a remote, dusty, plateau in the hills of their small-town, America home. When Clay's apparet best-friend confronts him about the affair, before committing suicide in a way that puts Clay firmly in the frame for his murder. Clay panics, and tells his dead friend's, clearly indifferent, adulteress wife, what has happened. Clay subsequently returns, covers the body in alcohol, and pushes his friend's truck off a cliff, hoping that the police will think it was an accident. In stereo-typical, small-town police, style the cops don't even bother to have the body autopsied, which puts Clay in the clear. That is, until his dead friend's, unrelentessly promiscuous, nymphomanic, widow sees the passing of her husband, in this 'tragic accident', as the perfect opportunity to exercise her, quite obviously, bunny-boiling, lust for Clay. He refuses her latest attempt to seduce him in a public bar, whilst he plays pool; reaching breaking-point, he slaps her. She threatens to tell the police what really happened before storming out. Then, in steps the observant Lester Long (Vaughn), using a comical remark over what had just happened to break the ice. Lester soon uses his inimitable charm to befriend Clay. But, then things really start to turn difficult for Clay, when he asks out the girl who works at the local diner, and his dead friend's, now completely maniacal widow shoots her while Clay and her are having sex, again leaving Clay in the frame for murder. Clay, dumps the body in the lake. But when Lester and he are fishing at the lake, the body floats to the surface. Lester suggests they phone the police, but tells Clay he can't be late for work, as his boss has it in for him, and asks his new friend to omit his name from the police report. Clay agrees, and ends up having to do all the explaining. This time, though, the police ask a few more questions, and when the crazy widow ends up knifed to death in a frenzied attack at her home, FBI agent Janeane Garofalo turns up to investigate. The finger of blame then starts pointing squarely at Clay. Clay, then decides he must tell the police about his friend Lester, so as to prove his innocence. But the information that Lester has provided is all false and no trace of him can be found. The movie then becomes the typical race to prove his innocence and prove that Lester is actually a serial killer. Pheonix is intense and plays the character of a young man, caught up in a nightmare situation, well, and Vaughn does a, worringly convincing, job as the smooth-talking, yet cold and calculating, psychopath. The script is a clever mix of sharp one-liners and thrilling suspense. And the back-drop of the small town in the middle of no-where, only adds to the sense of helplessness of the main character, but there is also an element of comedy to the whole predicament, as the situation goes from bad to worse for Clay. Verdict: Great performances by both Vaughn and Pheonix, and this David Dobkin thriller is clevery carved out.


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