Paranoid Park (2008)

Paranoid Park (2008)

Alex (Gabe Nevins), a 16-year-old skateboarder, rides a freight train clandestinely with a man named Scratch (Scott Patrick Green) whom he has just met at the Eastside Skatepark, known as “Paranoid Park”. While the train is moving a security guard (John Burrowes) notices the pair, chases after them, and tries to get them off by hitting Scratch with his flashlight.

During the melee, Alex hits him with his skateboard and the guard, losing balance, falls onto another track into the path of an oncoming freight train which cuts him in half. Alex tries to destroy some of the evidence. For example, he throws his skateboard into the Willamette River from the Steel Bridge, and when he arrives at his friend Jared’s (Jake Miller) house, he showers and disposes of the clothes he had been wearing.

Alex is later questioned at school by Detective Richard Lu (Daniel Liu), as are several other students who had been skateboarding on the night in question. It is revealed that the police have recovered Alex’s skateboard, though they have not traced it back to him, and have identified DNA evidence which places the skateboard at the scene of the security guard’s death.

Throughout the film Alex keeps the incident to himself, and does not confide in anyone else. After having impassive sex with his girlfriend, Jennifer (Taylor Momsen), he breaks up with her. Another of his friends, Macy (Lauren McKinney), notices that he is worried about something. She advises him to write down whatever is bothering him as a cathartic release if nothing else. He initially rejects the idea, but eventually writes an account, which becomes the basis for the story. After completing the written account, Alex burns it.

Paranoid Park is a 2007 American-French drama film written and directed by Gus Van Sant. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Blake Nelson and takes place in Portland, Oregon. It stars Gabe Nevins as a teenage skateboarder who accidentally kills a security guard.

Paranoid Park premiered on May 21, at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and was given a limited release on March 7, 2008. It grossed over US$4,481,000 from its $3 million budget.[4] The film received mostly positive reviews; some critics praised the direction and cinematography in particular, though others believed the film to be overly stylized and slow paced. It won one Independent Spirit Award, two Boston Society of Film Critics awards and the Cannes Film Festival’s special 60th anniversary prize.

Paranoid Park Movie Poster (2008)

Paranoid Park (2008)

Directed by: Gus Van Sant
Starring: Gabe Nevins, Daniel Liu, Taylor Momsen, Jake Miller, Lauren McKinney, Scott Patrick Green, John Michael Burrowes, Grace Carter, Jay ‘Smay’ Williamson, Christopher Doyle
Screenplay by: Gus Van Sant
Cinematography by: Christopher Doyle, Rain Li
Film Editing by: Gus Van Sant
Costume Design by: Chapin Simpson
Set Decoration by: Sean Fong
Art Direction by: John Pearson-Denning
MPAA Rating: R for disturbing images, language, sexual content.
Distributed by: IFC First Take
Release Date: March 7, 2008

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