The United States of Leland

The United States of Leland is a drama about how a single tragic act impacts a community, forcing eight people to dramatically re-evaluate their lives. The story begins with a shocking murder, but even from the very beginning, the face of the murderer doesn’t fit. Title character Leland just doesn’t seem capable of the act he committed. He is sent to a juvenile detention facility, where he, in a series of conversations, develops a relationship to a teacher. But the film is just as much about the other characters feeling the ripple effects of a murderer, and as the film progresses towards some sort of explanation, these people cross paths in surprising ways. Even though it begins with a tragedy, the film’s central concerns is how something bad can ultimately inspire people to change their lives for the better.
Prior to the writing the highly acclaimed screenplay, debutante director Matthew Ryan Hoge spent two years as a teacher in the Los Angeles juvenile court system. The United States of Leland was shot in only 28 days throughout the Los Angeles area. It stars an ensemble cast including Don Cheadle, Lena Olin and two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey (who also produced the film), as well as Stockholm International Film Festival favorite Ryan Gosling in the leading role as Leland.
Christo Burman

Medverkande
Kevin Spacey, Ryan Gosling, Lena Olin: Producent
Kevin Spacey: Manus
Matthew Ryan Hoge: Foto
James Glennon: Musik
Jeremy Enigk: Talat språk
English