The United States of Leland
Seen it?2003 | 108 min | Crime, Drama
Weeknight WatchWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With just 34% on Rotten Tomatoes and soft box office, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans. If you loved Cape Fear, start here. Audiences love it more than critics do: a crowd-pleaser first.
- The mood
- Dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 48 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: expect violence.
A withdrawn young man, Leland Fitzgerald is imprisoned for the murder of a mentally disabled boy, who also happened to be the brother of his girlfriend, Becky. As the community struggles to deal with the killing, Pearl Madison, a teacher at the prison, decides to write about Leland's case. Meanwhile, others affected by the murder, including Becky and her sister, Julie, must contend with their own problems.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsWeak
34% on Rotten Tomatoes, 37 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.5 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$344K worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 65K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge
- Don CheadlePearl Madison
- Ryan GoslingLeland P. Fitzgerald
- Chris KleinAllen Harris
- Kevin SpaceyAlbert T. Fitzgerald
- Jena MaloneBecky Pollard
- Lena OlinMarybeth Fitzgerald
- Michelle WilliamsJulie Pollard
- Martin DonovanHarry Pollard
- Ann MagnusonKaren Pollard
- Kerry WashingtonAyesha