Trust (1990)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Hal Hartley

Writer:

Hal Hartley (writer)

Release Date:

20 September 1991 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A slightly twisted comedy

Plot:

When high school dropout Maria Coughlin announces her pregnancy to her parents, her father drops dead on the floor...

Plot Keywords:

Pregnancy | High School Dropout | Dropout | One Word Title | Abusive Father

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Adrienne Shelly	...	Maria Coughlin
Martin Donovan	...	Matthew Slaughter
Merritt Nelson	...	Jean Coughlin
John MacKay	...	Jim Slaughter
Edie Falco	...	Peg Coughlin
Gary Sauer	...	Anthony
Matt Malloy	...	Ed
Suzanne Costollos	...	Rachel
Jeff Howard	...	Robert
Karen Sillas	...	Nurse Paine
Tom Thon	...	Deli Man
Hannah Sullivan	...	Ruark Boss (as Patricia Sullivan)
Marko Hunt	...	John Coughlin
Kathryn Mederos	...	Factory Woman
Bill Sage	...	John Bill

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:L | Finland:K-14 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Lindenhurst, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

In an interview, Hal Hartley once explained that he made the movie on the spur of the moment because he wanted to work with Shelly again immediately after making The Unbelievable Truth (1989), so he had very little money and very little time. The movie was shot in 11 days. The reason he could do that, he said, was because so much of the direction was implied in the dialogue. The dialogue pretty much told the actors what to do.

Quotes:

Maria: Your job is making you boring and mean.
Matthew: My job is making me a respectable member of society.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Before Sunset (2004)

Soundtrack:

Walk Away

One Of My Fave Rave Indie Films!

I discovered Hal Hartley with this film and with "Simple Men". This is Hartley's greatest work and everything else since this has been second rate in my opinion. Friends have told me how much I'm like the character of Matthew, all that seething anger at the world and all.

The music, writing, acting, direction all add up to a wonderful and weird film experience. Hal Hartley's films are not for everyone and that's the way a lot of us Hartley fans like it. They are almost like a little private club of people who well...get it. Some people get his films, most don't. I've seen lots of people walk out in droves in the slower parts of some of his films. Case in point the Japanese dance scene in 'Flirt'. His films are filled with deadpan humor that reminds me a lot of the old 'Dragnet' TV series style of acting. Go see Trust and have a great time at the movies!