Plot
Bonds of loyalty are put to the test when a hitman's son witnesses what his father does for a living.
Release Year: 2002
Rating: 7.8/10 (112,725 voted)
Critic's Score: 72/100
Director:
Sam Mendes
Stars: Tom Hanks, Tyler Hoechlin, Rob Maxey
Storyline Mike Sullivan works as a hit man for crime boss John Rooney. Sullivan views Rooney as a father figure. However after his son is witness to a killing he has done Mike Sullivan finds him self on the run trying to save the life of his son and at the same time looking for revenge on those who wronged him. Jude Law co stars as a hit man hired to kill Sullivan.
Writers: Max Allan Collins, Richard Piers Rayner
Cast: Tom Hanks
-
Michael Sullivan
Tyler Hoechlin
-
Michael Sullivan Jr.
Rob Maxey
-
Drugstore Owner
Paul Newman
-
John Rooney
Liam Aiken
-
Peter Sullivan
Jude Law
-
Harlen Maguire
Jennifer Jason Leigh
-
Annie Sullivan
Daniel Craig
-
Connor Rooney
Ciarán Hinds
-
Finn McGovern
Craig Spidle
-
Rooney's Henchman
Ian Barford
-
Rooney's Henchman
Stephen P. Dunn
-
Finn McGovern's Henchman
(as Stephen Dunn)
Paul Turner
-
Finn McGovern's Henchman
Kathleen Keane
-
Irish Musician
Brendan McKinney
-
Irish Musician
Taglines:
The innocence of a son is surpassed only by the father's will to save it.
Filming Locations: Barrington Hills, Illinois, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $80,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $22,079,481
(USA)
(14 July 2002)
(1797 Screens)
Gross: $161,354,514
(Worldwide)
(2002)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
The movie is dedicated to its cinematographer, Conrad L. Hall, whose last film this was.
Goofs:
Anachronisms:
The music playing in the background during the diner scene is "Queer Notions", which was recorded in 1933.
Quotes:
[first lines]
Michael Sullivan, Jr.:
There are many stories about Michael Sullivan. Some say he was a decent man. Some say there was no good in him at all. But I once spent 6 weeks on the road with him, in the winter of 1931. This is our story.
User Review
A true masterpiece
Rating: 10/10
Road to Perdition, a movie undeservedly overlooked at that year Oscars
is the second work of Sam Mendes (and in my opinion his best work), a
director who three years before won Oscar for his widely acclaimed but
controversial American Beauty. This is a terrific movie, and at the
same time ultimately poignant and sad.
It's a story of a relatively wealthy and happy family from outward
appearance during difficult times of Depression when the, Michael
Sullivan, a father of two children, played by great Tom Hanks (I'm not
his admirer but ought to say that) is a hit-man for local mafia boss,
played by Paul Newman. His eldest son, a thirteen years boy Michael
Sullivan Jr., perfectly played by young Tyler Hoechlin, after years of
blissful ignorance finds out what is his father job and on what money
their family live. Prompted by his curiosity and his aspiration to know
truth he accidentally becomes a witness of a murder, committed by John
Rooney, son of his father boss. Such discovery strikes an innocent soul
and it caused numerous events that changed his life forever. The
atmosphere of the period, all the backgrounds and decorations are
perfectly created, editing and cinematography are almost flawless while
the story is well written. But the main line of the movie, the most
important moments and points of the movie and the key factor of the
movie success are difficult father-son relations in bad times. They are
shown so deeply, strong and believable. Tom Hanks does excellent and
has one of the best performances of his career in a quite unusual role
for him and all acting across the board is superb. Finally worth to
mention a very nice score by Paul Newman and in the result we get an
outstanding work of all people involved in making this beautiful (but
one more time sad) masterpiece. I believe Road to Perdition belongs to
greatest achievements of film-making of this decade and undoubtedly one
of the best films of the year.
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