United States of Leland on VHS. Starring Ryan Gosling, Don Cheadle, Kevin Spacey, Chris Klein, Jena Malone, Lena Olin, Michelle Williams. Written and directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge. 2003.
From the box:
Crime. Confusion. Compassion. They’re all just states of mind.
After seemingly ordinary 15-year-old Leland (Ryan Gosling) stuns his quiet suburban community with a chilling crime, he is sent to juvenile hall where he meets Pearl (Don Cheadle), a teacher and aspiring writer who dreams of making Leland’s compelling story into a book. As Pearl digs deeper into Leland’s life and the people caught in it — his mother (Lena Olin), his famous writer-father (Kevin Spacey), and his troubled girlfriend (Jena Malone) — he uncovers Leland’s disturbing motive. The tables soon turn when the enigmatic teen forces Pearl to examine his own morally questionable behavior. Climaxing with a shocking collision of violence, understanding, and hope, Leland will take you to states you never imagined.
With an ensemble cast that also includes Chris Klein and Michelle Williams, The United States of Leland is “sure to be controversial!” — Susannah Gora, Premiere
DVD Upgrade: The United States of Leland
