Ever Heard Of It?

I had never even heard of this movie until last week, and it came highly recommended by one of the employees at the video store when he saw that I had returned another movie starring Ryan Gosling ('Lars and The Real Girl', which is also fabulous). So I decided to give it a shot!


We loved it! It is such a great story, with a lot of twists that you wouldn't see coming, and Ryan Gosling does an amazing job with the character he plays. It is a totally different roll than we were used to seeing him in, it's definitely no romantic drama!

It premiered at The Sundance Film Festival in 2003, and was produced by Kevin Spacey. Well known cast includes:

• Ryan Gosling
• Kevin Spacey
• Don Cheadle
• Chris Klein
• Jena Malone
• Michelle Williams
• Kerry Washington
• Lena Olin

Here's the basic premise of the story:
Produced by Kevin Spacey, The United States of Leland is a psychological drama concerning the aftereffects of a brutal murder. Ryan Gosling plays Leland, an imprisoned teenager doing time for the stabbing murder of a disabled boy. Prison writing teacher Pearl Madison (Don Cheadle) gets caught up in the story with the intention of making a book out of it, especially when he finds out that Leland's father is the famous novelist Albert Fitzgerald (Kevin Spacey). Pearl's investigation uncovers some of the details and effects of the murder for everyone involved, including the victim's parents. Jena Malone plays Becky, the teenage junkie who is both Leland's ex-girlfriend and the victim's sister. The situation also complicates the relationship between Becky's older sister, Jennifer (Michelle Williams), and her sensitive boyfriend, Allen (Chris Klein).
Here's the trailer to give you a sneak peak =)
If you haven't seen this movie yet, I highly recommend it! (Keep in mind though, it is rated R) After you watch it, let me know what you think! What other great-but-unheard of movies are out there that you know of, and I don't?? Do tell!