Personal Velocity: Three Portraits (2002)

Director:

Rebecca Miller

Writers:

Rebecca Miller (book)
Rebecca Miller (written by)

Release Date:

28 March 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Three women's escapes from their afflicted lives. Each struggles to flee from the men who confine their personal freedom.

Plot Keywords:

Anthology | Battered Child | Battered Woman | Car Accident | Editor

Awards:

6 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Kyra Sedgwick	...	Delia Shunt
Parker Posey	...	Greta Herskowitz
Fairuza Balk	...	Paula
John Ventimiglia	...	Narrator (voice)
Ron Leibman	...	Avram Herskowitz
Wallace Shawn	...	Mr. Gelb
David Warshofsky	...	Kurt Wurtzle
Leo Fitzpatrick	...	Mylert
Tim Guinee	...	Lee
Patti D'Arbanville	...	Celia
Ben Shenkman	...	Max
Joel de la Fuente	...	Thavi Matola (as Joel De La Fuente)
Marceline Hugot	...	Pam
Brian Tarantina	...	Pete Shunt
Seth Gilliam	...	Vincent

Also Known As:

Enter Fleeing (USA) (working title)
Personal Velocity (USA) (short title)

MPAA:

Rated R for brief violence, some strong sexuality and language.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Netherlands:12 | Peru:14 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ellenville, New York, USA

Company:

Blue Magic Pictures

Quotes:

Paula: I used to write. Then I used to paint. I think I'm going to be one of those people with a lot of potential who never really takes off.
Norwegian Man Who Dies with Paula: Those are always the best kind of people

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

A Beautifully Acted, Melancholy Film Experience

It is so hard to find a film that actually elicits a genuine emotional response from its viewers, but you need look no further than "Personal Velocity". The direction and scriptwriting are both wonderful and the acting is definitely award-worthy. "Personal Velocity" explores a major event in the lives of three different women, Delia (Kyra Sedgwick), Greta (Parker Posey) and Paula (Fairuza Balk). The first segment of the three explores Delia's quest to rebuild her life after escaping from an abusive household. Kyra Sedgwick is completely believable as Delia and delivers one of the best performances of her career. The second segment tells the story of Greta, an unknown businesswoman, suddenly thrust into the limelight and all of the troubles that it brings. Parker Posey, while not quite as good as she usually is in comedic films (see her amazing turn in The House of Yes), still gives an admirable performance. The third and final segment is one of the most emotional, showing a confused young woman, Paula, witnessing a tragic accident and hitting the road in panic, where she picks up a badly injured hitch-hiker. Fairuza Balk captures the character's quirks perfectly, giving you the impression of watching a real-life happening. The script is wonderfully timed and striking, with the exception of some of the narrator's lines, the cinematography perfectly captures the mood, confusion and panic of the storyline, and the three actresses show the potential for brilliance that all three have. All in all, a beautiful, melancholy film experience.