Love Liza (2002)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Todd Louiso

Writer:

Gordy Hoffman (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 January 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A Comic Tragedy

Plot:

Following the unexplained suicide of his wife Liza, website designer Wilson Joel (Philip Seymour Hoffman) turns to gasoline fumes and remote control gaming while avoiding an inevitable conflict with his mother-in-law (Kathy Bates).

Plot Keywords:

Mother In Law | Suicide | Model Airplane | Sleeping In Car | Mental Breakdown

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Wilson Joel
J.D. Walsh	...	Bern (as JD Walsh)
Jimmy Raskin	...	Pad
Kathy Bates	...	Mary Ann Bankhead
Erika Alexander	...	Brenda
Sarah Koskoff	...	Maura
Mark Hannibal	...	Waiter with Drink
Jim Wise	...	Bland Man
Trace Turville	...	Bland Woman
Wayne Duvall	...	Gas Station
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Tom Bailey
Kevin Breznahan	...	Jim
Jennifer Keddy	...	Lynne
David Lenthall	...	Hobbytown USA Clerk (as David Lenthal)
Jack Kehler	...	Denny

MPAA:

Rated R for drug use, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

France | Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Germany:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Spain:13 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Audubon Zoo - 6500 Magazine Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Kinowelt Filmproduktion

Quotes:

Model Boat Man: HEY! There's no swimming today!
Wilson Joel: Do you know who I am?
[pause]
Wilson Joel: I am a big fan of Radio Control!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "High Chaparall: (#2.5)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Halfway To A Threeway

This is not your mother's film about death of a loved one

This is not 'Terms of Endearment'. This film does not offer answers, explanations, or resolution, and as such I found it to be a very effective portrayal of the aftermath of a suicide.

It's not an enjoyable film to watch, but it's very much worthwhile. First off, the acting is fantastic. Philip Seymour Hoffman deserves all the raves he's getting for this role -- he's downright painful to watch. All of the supporting cast -- except for the mother-in-law portrayed by Kathy Bates, who is exhausted with her own grief -- brilliantly introduces nuances of discomfort. It's not overdone, but it's obvious that these characters are internally dealing with the question of how to deal with Hoffman's character Wilson, who has just suffered this terrible and shocking loss. The dialogue is consistently and realistically not natural, in keeping with the awkward position of the supporting characters and Wilson's deteriorating mental health.

I have seen this film criticized because Wilson's position is *so* dreary, that it may seem over-the-top, unrealistic. But, really, the character's wife recently shot herself. What bright spots were such critics expecting in this character's life at this time? I believe the writing of the plot is realistic in this regard.

Structurally, it's brave, risky, and effective. I felt alienated by the lack of explanation and resolution of Wilson's position. Not a positive emotion to walk out of a film with, but extremely powerful. The sparse soundtrack and the painfully sympathetic supporting characters all added to this feeling of alienation.