Little Boy Blue

1997
6.2| 1h39m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 29 May 1998 Released
Producted By: Jazz Pictures
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Living in rural Texas is a dysfunctional family: an abusive dad, a Vietnam vet with a war wound that's left him impotent; a compliant wife and a son of about 20, two small sons who look a lot like their brother. The dad harbors a secret, and he goes to murderous lengths to keep it hidden. The young man, Jimmy, who has suspicions, but little comes out until a Yankee woman comes to town.

Genre

Drama, Thriller

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Director

Antonio Tibaldi

Production Companies

Jazz Pictures

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Little Boy Blue Audience Reviews

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.
Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
Allissa .Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.
Lechuguilla Although interesting in retrospect, the film is made confusing in the first half owing to a difficult plot structure. Character motivations and relationships are not at all easy to figure out. A youthful Jimmy West (Ryan Phillippe) lives with his mom Kate (Nastassja Kinski) and dad Ray (John Savage) in their trashy trailer in rural Texas. Ray and Kate run a country-western bar. Two little boys also live in the same trailer. The plot gives the impression of a dysfunctional family, but the situation is actually worse than it at first seems.This is one of those films that can be frustrating because so much remains hidden from the viewer. Explanations do come at the end, for the most part. So the viewer will need to be patient.The main problem here is a script that needed a re-write or two. After all is revealed, I still didn't understand the motivations of Kate. A major character, one that doesn't show up until well into the film, probably needed to be introduced a little earlier in the plot. And though the two little boys are cute, too much plot time is spent on them relative to the film's underlying message.Yet, the story premise is fairly unique, and quite stunning. Color cinematography is properly dark, consistent with the dark, menacing tone of the story. Lots of close-ups, even extreme close-ups, stress the importance of character over action. Attention to detail in production design and some good Tex-Mex music add authenticity to the contemporary setting.Casting is acceptable. Overall acting is above average. I really liked the performance of Shirley Knight. And John Savage gives his usual intense performance."Little Boy Blue" conveys the message that people aren't always what they seem to be. And their secrets can negatively impact the lives of those around them. Despite some plot problems in the first half, the film is worth watching both for the acting and especially for the film's underlying premise.
blueapples This is one of those Southern Gothic flicks involving family secrets in a small town with characters and events that make your skin crawl, yet you just can't stop watching. About halfway through you'll think you've got it all figured out but one or two of the revelations towards the end will probably take you by surprise.Ryan Phillippe does an outstanding job, showing that even early in his career he was more than a pretty face, as does Nastassja Kinski, who I guess also shows she was more than a pretty face. (As for John Savage, he can probably phone in this kind of role by now.) One quirky aspect of the script is that various characters will be just about to learn something important when the scene will cut away .. leaving you, the viewer, in the dark. It comes dangerously close to being an annoyance, but the upside is that this allows the final act to spring its surprises all the more effectively.I appreciated that the ending was more hopeful than I'd expected, partly because I thought I'd figured things out but was proved wrong. Had this been directed by someone like David Lynch it would probably have been a masterpiece. Nonetheless, even if it doesn't rise to that level it is certainly a film that holds your attention and keeps you guessing until the end. More than a "B movie" .. maybe a B+.
dilbertsuperman Little boy blue is a blonde haired young man who lives with his trailer trash family out in the middle of nowhere, down south. His mom works at a bar and his dad does the classic haunted dysfunctional Viet Nam vet role. THere are random stabs of violence and the macabre but it's not cohesive and the movie has little impact because it's such an unlikely story that was attempted to be told for no particular reason that I can fathom. I don't think they had any idea on how to shift gears in this movie and as such the shifts are extremely clumsy. The way this story is told is inept and dull and the editing is poor with the pacing of the scenes. This is a pointless plot that can't seem to represent any of its' plot elements believably.One thing I noticed that was funny:When a woman is being questioned by police she is given Texas beer and she asks for Sam Adams instead. In the next camera shot she is drinking Heineken and there is no Texas beer or Sam Adams anywhere in the room. Bizarre.Ryan Phillipe is the main character and he's pretty annoyingly androgynous here, I was kind of hoping his back street boys character would die painfully. He does a much better job in "Five Fingers" and "Igby Goes Down".
AdaDee A real cinematic gem that unfortunately got little notice. Start with a total evolving original story by the writer, a director not afraid of hurting his chances with a big studio film and portrayals by John Savage & Ryan Phillippe, and this film adds up to one movie one might find hard to forget nor would one want to. "Little Boy Blue" blows the lid off of conventional story ideas and keeps one on the edge of their seats. It's unpredictable, scary, even funny at times but oh-so rewarding. It's kinda like "Blue Velvet", "The Great Santini" and that tv movie "Something About Amelia" from many years ago. I recommend it not only once as a rental but maybe two or three times because each viewing seems to show you a little something extra to put the pieces together in this suspenseful drama. I still can't believe hardly no one's heard of it in this day and age. I recommended it always to friends. Note: It has a couple of young characters but it's not for l