A withdrawn young man, Leland Fitzgerald is imprisoned for the murder of a mentally disabled boy, who also happened to be the brother of his girlfriend, Becky. As the community struggles to deal with the killing, Pearl Madison, a teacher at the prison, decides to write about Leland's case. Meanwhile, others affected by the murder, including Becky and her sister, Julie, must contend with their own problems.
Directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge
romance
teacher
murder
writer
theft
juvenile detention center
Rank
#56 in 2003·#3551 overall
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Letterboxd
3.4 / 5
Where to Watch
Cast
Don Cheadle
Pearl Madison
Ryan Gosling
Leland P. Fitzgerald
Chris Klein
Allen Harris
Kevin Spacey
Albert T. Fitzgerald
Jena Malone
Becky Pollard
Lena Olin
Marybeth Fitzgerald
Michelle Williams
Julie Pollard
Martin Donovan
Harry Pollard
Ann Magnuson
Karen Pollard
Kerry Washington
Ayesha
Sherilyn Fenn
Mrs. Calderon
Matt Malloy
Charlie
Crew
Jeff Betancourt
Editor
James Glennon
Director of Photography
Kevin Spacey
Producer
Keith Adams
Stunt Coordinator
Jan Pascale
Set Decoration
Jude S. Walko
Assistant Production Coordinator
David Parker
Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Barbara Harris
ADR Voice Casting
Chris Navarro
ADR Recordist
Emily Schweber
Casting
Popular Reviews
121 reviews
Georgia
8.0★ · 05/25/26
Maybe there is a why, why did I feel bad for Leland for killing a kid because he didn’t want him to be sad anymore
Maybe there is a why, why did I feel bad for Leland for killing a kid because he didn’t want him to be sad anymore
Alex H
8.0★ · 05/17/26
Everything is going to be okay, I promise.
Everything is going to be okay, I promise.
ace
10.0★ · 05/17/26
“ you want a why. well, maybe there isn't one. maybe this is just something that happened. ”
“ you want a why. well, maybe there isn't one. maybe this is just something that happened. ”
Zoe
8.0★ · 05/13/26
Leland and Holden Caulfield should feed the ducks in central park together.
Leland and Holden Caulfield should feed the ducks in central park together.
millie
9.0★ · 05/07/26
I think i related to every character in this movie in some sort of way. I hate everyone who thinks Ryan Gosling is not a phenomenal actor.
I think i related to every character in this movie in some sort of way. I hate everyone who thinks Ryan Gosling is not a phenomenal actor.