Eleanor & Park
8th Golden Reel Awards
1 Win
Best Soundtrack
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Director: Richard Linklater
Writer: H.G. Hansen
Based on the novel by Rainbow Rowell
Cast:
Chloe Grace Moretz .... Eleanor Douglas
Ryan Potter .... Park Sheridan
Bruce Campbell .... Richie Douglas
Malin Akerman .... Eleanor's Mother
James Badge Dale .... Jamie Sheridan
Constance Wu .... Park's mother
Taissa Farmiga .... Tina
Uriah Shelton .... Steve
Nat Wolff .... Josh Sheridan
Sawyer Bell .... Ben Douglas
McKenna Grace .... Maisie Douglas
Nicolas Bechtel .... Mouse Douglas
Cooper J. Friedman .... Richie Douglas Jr.
Plot: When the movie opens, we learn right away that our narrator, Park, has lost someone named Eleanor. Since this is set in the mid-1980s, in true 80s cassette-tape style, we rewind to the beginning of the school year to find out what happened. Park Sheridan (Ryan Potter), a half-Korean high school kid in the very Caucasian city of Omaha, Nebraska, feels like an outsider in lots of ways: He's obsessed with music, he loves comic books, and he doesn't have a ton of friends. But when he sees Eleanor Douglas (Chloe Grace Moretz) get on the bus one morning, he knows he's not as much of an outsider as she is.
Chubby, with bright red hair and a habit of dressing in men's clothing, Eleanor's mere existence is like a glowing neon sign for the bullies in their high school. Park knows immediately that the popular kids on the bus will eat her for lunch, so he silently offers her a seat. What happens next is a slow, dawning realization that the two of them have a connection unlike anything they've ever had with anyone else.
As Eleanor and Park share silent bus rides, we learn more about each of them, the narrative alternating between the two characters. They come from drastically different backgrounds. Eleanor lives in poverty in a tiny house, sharing a room with her four younger siblings. Eleanor's recently returned from a year away from home, living with distant family friends after being kicked out of the house by her violent stepfather. Richie (Bruce Campbell), an alcoholic who abuses Eleanor's mother (Malin Akerman), is such a threat that Eleanor and her siblings, Richie Jr. (Cooper J. Freidman), Mouse (Nicolas Bechtel), Maisie (Mckenna Grace), & Ben (Sawyer Bell), live in fear of even being in the same room with him.
Although Park's home life seems heavenly compared to Eleanor's—he comes from a stable, happy family—Park is constantly aware that his interests set him apart from his sports-loving father, Jamie, (James Badge Dale) and brother, Josh (Nat Wolff), and he's not sure if his dad really accepts him.
As Eleanor begins to read Park's comic books over his shoulder on the bus, the two of them totally click. Eventually, mix tapes are swapped, sparks fly, and soon they're inseparable, living for the minutes they spend together on the bus. When they finally reach out to hold hands, you'd never imagine handholding could be so incredible.
Although romance is blooming with Park, Eleanor has to cope with some difficult obstacles at school and at home. She's relentlessly bullied by her classmates, Tina (Taissa Farmiga) & Steve (Uriah Shelton), who call her "Big Red" and invent evil ways to make her life miserable; an anonymous bully even writes obscene messages on her textbooks. At home, Eleanor tries to make herself invisible, hoping Richie won't notice her, and listens to him abuse her mother at night. Eleanor finds refuge at Park's house after school, although Park's parents are initially a little freaked out by Eleanor's unconventional appearance (and their son's clear affection for her). Park's Korean mom, a beautician, has a particularly hard time accepting Eleanor. But once she gets a glimpse of Eleanor's family, she realizes she can relate to Eleanor—she also grew up in poverty with a bunch of siblings. From then on, Park's parents are incredibly supportive, inviting Eleanor to dinner every night and accepting her as Park's girlfriend—which, by now, she is.
But we all know this story's about star-crossed lovers, and as Eleanor and Park fall more deeply in love, we start to feel like the other shoe's about to drop. They have almost no way to spend time alone; afraid of what might happen if Richie finds out about Park. Finally, after a blissful first (and only) night out together, Eleanor comes home to the unmistakable signs that Richie's discovered her secret. Even worse, she realizes that Richie's the one who's been writing obscene messages on her textbooks all year. Yikes.
Terrified that Richie's out to kill her—or worse—Eleanor takes off, knowing she can never go home again. Supported by his awesome, understanding parents, Park borrows the family truck and drives Eleanor from Omaha all the way to her uncle's house in Minnesota.
After a heartbreaking all-night drive, Park leaves Eleanor at her uncle's house and they say goodbye, though thankfully not Romeo-and-Juliet style. For these two, though, parting is definitely more sorrowful than sweet.
Though Park writes tons of letters, Eleanor can't bring herself to get in touch. Safe at her uncle's house, Eleanor starts a new life, but she's heartbroken over Park's absence. After six months of painful radio silence from Eleanor, Park finally gets a postcard in the mail. Eleanor's written three words on it, and we get to guess what they are. With the letter is a mixtape with all the songs we heard through the movie and Eleanor goes to play it for Park and "Don't You (Forget About Me)" plays.
1 Win
Best Soundtrack
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Director: Richard Linklater
Writer: H.G. Hansen
Based on the novel by Rainbow Rowell
Cast:
Chloe Grace Moretz .... Eleanor Douglas
Ryan Potter .... Park Sheridan
Bruce Campbell .... Richie Douglas
Malin Akerman .... Eleanor's Mother
James Badge Dale .... Jamie Sheridan
Constance Wu .... Park's mother
Taissa Farmiga .... Tina
Uriah Shelton .... Steve
Nat Wolff .... Josh Sheridan
Sawyer Bell .... Ben Douglas
McKenna Grace .... Maisie Douglas
Nicolas Bechtel .... Mouse Douglas
Cooper J. Friedman .... Richie Douglas Jr.
Plot: When the movie opens, we learn right away that our narrator, Park, has lost someone named Eleanor. Since this is set in the mid-1980s, in true 80s cassette-tape style, we rewind to the beginning of the school year to find out what happened. Park Sheridan (Ryan Potter), a half-Korean high school kid in the very Caucasian city of Omaha, Nebraska, feels like an outsider in lots of ways: He's obsessed with music, he loves comic books, and he doesn't have a ton of friends. But when he sees Eleanor Douglas (Chloe Grace Moretz) get on the bus one morning, he knows he's not as much of an outsider as she is.
Chubby, with bright red hair and a habit of dressing in men's clothing, Eleanor's mere existence is like a glowing neon sign for the bullies in their high school. Park knows immediately that the popular kids on the bus will eat her for lunch, so he silently offers her a seat. What happens next is a slow, dawning realization that the two of them have a connection unlike anything they've ever had with anyone else.
As Eleanor and Park share silent bus rides, we learn more about each of them, the narrative alternating between the two characters. They come from drastically different backgrounds. Eleanor lives in poverty in a tiny house, sharing a room with her four younger siblings. Eleanor's recently returned from a year away from home, living with distant family friends after being kicked out of the house by her violent stepfather. Richie (Bruce Campbell), an alcoholic who abuses Eleanor's mother (Malin Akerman), is such a threat that Eleanor and her siblings, Richie Jr. (Cooper J. Freidman), Mouse (Nicolas Bechtel), Maisie (Mckenna Grace), & Ben (Sawyer Bell), live in fear of even being in the same room with him.
Although Park's home life seems heavenly compared to Eleanor's—he comes from a stable, happy family—Park is constantly aware that his interests set him apart from his sports-loving father, Jamie, (James Badge Dale) and brother, Josh (Nat Wolff), and he's not sure if his dad really accepts him.
As Eleanor begins to read Park's comic books over his shoulder on the bus, the two of them totally click. Eventually, mix tapes are swapped, sparks fly, and soon they're inseparable, living for the minutes they spend together on the bus. When they finally reach out to hold hands, you'd never imagine handholding could be so incredible.
Although romance is blooming with Park, Eleanor has to cope with some difficult obstacles at school and at home. She's relentlessly bullied by her classmates, Tina (Taissa Farmiga) & Steve (Uriah Shelton), who call her "Big Red" and invent evil ways to make her life miserable; an anonymous bully even writes obscene messages on her textbooks. At home, Eleanor tries to make herself invisible, hoping Richie won't notice her, and listens to him abuse her mother at night. Eleanor finds refuge at Park's house after school, although Park's parents are initially a little freaked out by Eleanor's unconventional appearance (and their son's clear affection for her). Park's Korean mom, a beautician, has a particularly hard time accepting Eleanor. But once she gets a glimpse of Eleanor's family, she realizes she can relate to Eleanor—she also grew up in poverty with a bunch of siblings. From then on, Park's parents are incredibly supportive, inviting Eleanor to dinner every night and accepting her as Park's girlfriend—which, by now, she is.
But we all know this story's about star-crossed lovers, and as Eleanor and Park fall more deeply in love, we start to feel like the other shoe's about to drop. They have almost no way to spend time alone; afraid of what might happen if Richie finds out about Park. Finally, after a blissful first (and only) night out together, Eleanor comes home to the unmistakable signs that Richie's discovered her secret. Even worse, she realizes that Richie's the one who's been writing obscene messages on her textbooks all year. Yikes.
Terrified that Richie's out to kill her—or worse—Eleanor takes off, knowing she can never go home again. Supported by his awesome, understanding parents, Park borrows the family truck and drives Eleanor from Omaha all the way to her uncle's house in Minnesota.
After a heartbreaking all-night drive, Park leaves Eleanor at her uncle's house and they say goodbye, though thankfully not Romeo-and-Juliet style. For these two, though, parting is definitely more sorrowful than sweet.
Though Park writes tons of letters, Eleanor can't bring herself to get in touch. Safe at her uncle's house, Eleanor starts a new life, but she's heartbroken over Park's absence. After six months of painful radio silence from Eleanor, Park finally gets a postcard in the mail. Eleanor's written three words on it, and we get to guess what they are. With the letter is a mixtape with all the songs we heard through the movie and Eleanor goes to play it for Park and "Don't You (Forget About Me)" plays.
BOX OFFICE
Budget: $29,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $33,000,092
Foreign Box Office: $10,710,883
Total Profit: -$22,976,239
Domestic Box Office: $33,000,092
Foreign Box Office: $10,710,883
Total Profit: -$22,976,239
REVIEWS
"A lot of elements work in the film: the direction, the soundtrack, the plot. But that is all let down by the poor casting, especially that of the lead characters played by Chloe Grace Moretz and Ryan Potter. Here we are supposed to believe that Moretz's appearance makes her the object of ridicule and bullying. The problem being that Moretz is very traditionally beautiful, something her character is not supposed to be. It just didn't add up." - Reggie Dunn, Sacramento Bee
"Chloe Moretz is a great young actress. But here she is unable to convince us that she is an awkward, lonely, unattractive 16-year-old. It's not really her fault though. Even with the attempts at making her look unattractive, which is mostly just an "Orphan Annie" style hair-do, her charm and beauty shine through." - Eric Marsh, Denver Post
"The strong soundtrack choices almost save this film, but the story is too-standard and the acting is too sub-par (aside from a strong supporting turn from Malin Akerman) to pull it off. This one is going to go down as a rare misfire for the director Richard Linklater, and looks like a stepback for writer Hansen (who was nominated for a GRA for his last script)." - Jeremy Raren, RottenTomatoes.com
Rated PG-13 for some language and scenes of domestic violence
Filming Locations:
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA