Don's Plum (2001)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

R.D. Robb

Writers:

Bethany Ashton Wolf (writer)
Tawd Beckman (writer)

Release Date:

24 August 2001 (Denmark)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A group of Los Angeles teenagers meet every day at their local diner hangout to discus their latest misadventures with their miserable lives. |

Plot Keywords:

Vegetarian | Male Nudity | Bisexual | Lesbian Kiss | Diner

Cast

Amber Benson	...	Amy
Scott Bloom	...	Brad
Kevin Connolly	...	Jeremy
Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Derek
Jenny Lewis	...	Sara
Tobey Maguire	...	Ian
Heather McComb	...	Constance
Meadow Sisto	...	Juliet
Marissa Ribisi	...	Tracy
Jeremy Sisto	...	Bernard
Toledo Diamond	...	Acid Jazz Artist
Andre Berryman	...	Band
John Brooks	...	Band
Jeffrey Connor	...	Band
Walter Davis	...	Band

Also Known As:

Saturday Night Club (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA | Denmark | Sweden

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:MA | Germany:12 | Netherlands:16 | Spain:13

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Polo Pictures Entertainment

Trivia:

As a result of a lawsuit brought by stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire (settled in 1999), this film cannot be shown commercially in the USA or Canada.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Near the end before Derek kicks over the table in the bar he is mouthing words but we don't get to hear what he is saying.

Movie Connections:

References The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

Soundtrack:

Do The Panic

Hypnotic naturalism and cigarette smoke

If you like naturalistic films, then this film is for you. If you are mesmerised by smoke rising from your cigarette, then this film is for you. Hell, if you appreciate independent film, then there is no point in excluding this one.

Headed by a talented young cast including some of the most famous male actors of Generation X, do not expect the typical mindless American mash that fills up the majority of the shelving space in our video stores. Notably, Leonardo Di Caprio and Tobey Maguire accomplish creating characters that are polar to the characters the audience has come so use to seeing them play. These are in no way the finest performances of the cast so far, but the characters are sharp, interesting and well executed.

Don's Plum contains a hypnotic plot that is completely absent of seen-before action sequences and predictable twists. It is a simple story of a group of friends, the issues that they have had, are having and will have in time to come. The themes brought up throughout the film are relevant to every posse - homosexuality, comradeship, loyalty, ethics, morals, tolerance etc. Most importantly, the viewer is encouraged to arrive at a point of self reflection, as the characters so frequently do in the toilet mirror throughout the film.

Shot in black and white, the emotion of the actors is intensified almost dissolving the other physical elements of the film into insignificance. The acting is unconstrained, even impulsive at times, blurring the line between the character and the actor playing them. The use of sound and music is cleverly executed, with silence and the effect it can have when arriving upon a group of people, playing a major role. The other elements in the film are nowhere near a breakthrough, but are overall appropriate.

If you want to feel motivated to stay in touch with friends or if a favourite of yours is in the cast, get off the couch and watch it. Even if these don't apply to you, there is no harm in checking it out to roast some appreciation of the cast and crew's efforts in a unblemished independent film.

Don't press stop as soon as the credits appear...