Down in the Valley (2005)

Director:

David Jacobson

Writer:

David Jacobson (writer)

Release Date:

9 December 2005 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Sometimes it's hard to find your way...

Plot:

Set in the present-day San Fernando Valley, the project revolves around a delusional man who believes he's a cowboy and the relationship that he starts with a rebellious young woman.

Plot Keywords:

Valley | Cowboy | Beach | South Dakota | Cowboy Hat

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Edward Norton	...	Harlan
Evan Rachel Wood	...	Tobe
David Morse	...	Wade
Rory Culkin	...	Lonnie
Bruce Dern	...	Charlie
John Diehl	...	Steve
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Sheridan
Elizabeth Peña	...	Gale
Kat Dennings	...	April
Hunter Parrish	...	Kris
Aviva	...	Sherri
Aaron Fors	...	Jeremy
Heather Ashleigh	...	Shell
Jennifer Echols	...	Rita
Cesar Flores	...	Hispanic Kid (as Cesar D. Flores)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, sexual content, language and drug use.

Runtime:

Japan:112 min | USA:114 min | Argentina:114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Sweden:11 | France:-12 | Ireland:15A | USA:R | Norway:15 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:13 | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Element Films

Trivia:

The $8 million budget was financed by a wealthy producer-financier, Sam Nazarian of Element Films.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Harlan and Lonnie are chased away from the campfire, Harlan's mustache is missing in the next scene as they enter the old west town. It is missing from the rest of the film, even though there has been no time for him to shave it off.

Quotes:

Harlan: I've tried living down in the valley again, really tried this time. Walked up and down it looking for one open face, but most people I've meet hardly seem like human beings to me anymore.

Movie Connections:

References Deliverance (1972)

Soundtrack:

Down in the Valley

Textured, layered, and intense.

Down in The Valley What a great film...very layered and subtle. It is beautifully shot and the four main characters are original and yet painfully familiar in their alienation, anger, and despair. The Cowboy character played by Edward Norton (who is amazing) seems so simple at first but as he is drawn into the family his character and the truth unravels in ways that left me at a stand still near the end of the film. The character played by Rory Culkin, "Twig", says very little throughout the film and yet he conveys a sense of yearning and loneliness almost too painful to bare. But even he undergoes an unexpected transformation by the end of the film. The lead is a beautiful creature on the screen. Her relationship with the Cowboy seemed unlikely at first and then became completely believable, especially in the bathtub scene. This is a film for lovers of independent film and psychological kinds of cinema. There are also several scenes that border on surrealism. This film will leave you thinking and wondering about your life. My vote is 8 out of 10.