Tanya’s Score: Good*
Rated: 14A
Starring: three members of the Penn brethren, Watts, George McFly, a cruel and intense Christopher Walken
Plot: In 1978 Pennsylvania, a criminal (Walken) is reunited with his two sons (Sean Penn and Christopher Penn) whom he hires as petty thieves until the law begins to catch up with them.
Tanya’s Verdict: There’s no denying that this movie is dated – in the way it unfolds and in several specific scenes. Yet this true story continues to haunt me – thanks to the tinkling strains of Madonna’s “Live to Tell” heard throughout as well as the cold calculations of Christopher Walken. His character’s ruthless manipulations of others as well as his intense mannerisms make the movie for me. While it takes its time to get to the end, the diligent character development as well as the slow and steady plot development make this movie’s ending all the more brutal and cruel.
*Four score descriptions: Sh**; Okay; Good; Great