The Laramie Project (2002)
Actors:
Dave Aquino (actor),
Kevin Aviance (actor),
Dylan Baker (actor),
Stephen Belber (actor),
Tom Bower (actor),
Michael Bravo (actor),
Clancy Brown (actor),
Matt Brown (actor),
Steve Buscemi (actor),
Nestor Carbonell (actor),
Bill Christ (actor),
Bill Clinton (actor),
Zach Cumer (actor),
Jeremy Davies (actor),
Daniel Ahearn (actor),
Plot: 'Moisés Kaufman' (qv) and members of New York's Tectonic Theater Project went to Laramie, Wyoming after the murder of 'Matthew Shepard (I)' (qv). This is a film version of the play they wrote based on more than 200 interviews they conducted in Laramie. It follows and in some cases re-enacts the chronology of Shepard's visit to a local bar, his kidnap and beating, the discovery of him tied to a fence, the vigil at the hospital, his death and funeral, and the trial of his killers. It mixes real news reports with actors portraying friends, family, cops, killers, and other Laramie residents in their own words. It concludes with a Laramie staging of "Angels in America" a year after Shephard's death.
Keywords: activism, activist, angel, anger, anxiety, bar, based-on-play, based-on-true-story, beating, begging-for-your-life
Genres:
Crime,
Drama,
Taglines: When a small town comes face to face with murder, everybody has a tale to tell. Everyone Carries a Piece of the Truth.
Quotes:
[last lines]::Doc O'Conner: I remembered something to myself. The night he and I drove around together, he said, 'Laramie sparkles, doesn't it?' And where he was in that spot up there, if you sit exactly in that spot up there, Laramie sparkles. With the low-lying clouds, it's - uh - it's the blue lights that bounce off the clouds. And it goes over the whole city. I mean, I mean, it blows you away. And Matt was right there in that spot. And I can just picture - in his eyes - what he was seeing. And the last thing that he saw on this Earth was the sparkling lights of Laramie, Wyoming.
Dennis Shepard: My son, Matthew, did not look like a winner. He was rather uncoordinated and wore braces from the age of 13 until the day he died. However in his all-too-brief life, he proved that he was a winner. On October 6th 1998, he tried to show the world he could win again. On October 12th 1998, my first born son, and my hero, lost. On October 12th 1998, my first born son, and my hero, died. 50 days before his 22nd birthday. I keep wondering the same thing that I did when I first saw him in the hospital. What would he have become? How could he have changed his piece of the world to make it better? Matt officially died in a hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado. He actually died on the outskirts of Laramie, tied to a fence. You, Mr. McKinney, with your friend Mr. Henderson, left him there, by himself. But he was not alone. There were his lifelong friends with him, friends that he had grown up with. You're probably wondering who these friends were. First he had the beautiful night sky and the same stars and moon we used to see through a telescope. Then he had the daylight and the sun to shine on him. And through it all, he was breathing in the scent of the pine trees from the snowy range. He heard the wind, the ever present Wyoming wind for the last time. He had one more friend with him. He had God. And I feel better, knowing he wasn't alone. Matt's beating, hospitalization, and funeral focused worldwide attention on hate. Good is coming out of evil. People have said, 'Enough is enough.' I miss my son, but I am proud to be able to say that he was my son. Judy has been quoted as being against the death penalty. It has been stated that Matt was against the death penalty. Both of these statements are false. I, too, believe in the death penalty. I would like nothing better than to see you die, Mr. McKinney. However, this is the time to begin the healing process, to show mercy to someone who refused to show any mercy. Mr. McKinney, I am going to grant you life, as hard as it is to do so, because of Matthew. Everytime you celebrate Christmas, a birthday, the 4th of July, remember that Matt isn't. Everytime that you wake up in your prison cell, remember you had the opportunity and the ability to stop your actions that night. You robbed me of something very precious and I will never forgive you for that. Mr. McKinney, I give you life in the memory of someone who no longer lives. May you have a long life. And may you thank Matthew everyday for it.
Rulon Stacey: [ready to make a statement with the hospital staff looking at the gathered crowd outside] Oh, my God... Anybody else wanna do this?
Stephen Belber: 'Live and let live' is, at best, a load of crap. It basically boils down to: 'If I don't tell you I'm a fag, you won't beat the crap out of me'. What kind of philosophy is that?
Family Affairs (1997)
Actors:
Ian Ashpitel (actor),
Huw Bevan (actor),
Anthony Booth (actor),
Richard Burke (actor),
Terry Burns (actor),
Dallas Campbell (actor),
Joshua Capstick (actor),
Simon Chadwick (actor),
Michael Cole (actor),
Simon Cook (actor),
Royce Cronin (actor),
Roger Davies (actor),
Jonathan Dow (actor),
Stuart Dunne (actor),
Miles Anderson (actor),
Genres:
Drama,
Quotes:
[Babs and Shaun are arguing when Tanya cries out in pain]::Barbara 'Babs' Woods: She's in labour! Quick, dump the midwife in the car and I'll phone the bag!
Lester 'Les' Boulter: [after a row with Denise over her book club] Well, that's put an end to my "Great Expectations" for tonight!
Sam Taylor: Fancy coming to McDonalds?::Lucy Day: [referring to Trish] I've already seen one red-headed clown.
Kelly Boulter: [Lucy is visibly drunk] How much have you had?::Lucy Day: 180!
Melanie 'Mel' Costello Boulter: [talking about Katie to Lucy and Kelly] I've had deeper soup!
Pete Callan: No son of mine plays with dolls!
Yasmin McHugh Matthews MacKenzie Green: [about Pete and Eileen renewing their vows] I give it six months before he chucks her back in the river.
Trish Wallace: [to Eileen about a Buck's Fizz song] Do you remember when we used to dance to this and rip off our skirts?::Pete Callan: Why change the habit of a lifetime?
Gary Costello: [after hearing Bradley confess to abusing Chloe] She's only 10 years old! [punches Bradley]
Chloe Costello: [Eileen gives Chloe a gift for her 11th Birthday] Is it ticking?
Family Affairs (1997)
Actors:
Ian Ashpitel (actor),
Huw Bevan (actor),
Anthony Booth (actor),
Richard Burke (actor),
Terry Burns (actor),
Dallas Campbell (actor),
Joshua Capstick (actor),
Simon Chadwick (actor),
Michael Cole (actor),
Simon Cook (actor),
Royce Cronin (actor),
Roger Davies (actor),
Jonathan Dow (actor),
Stuart Dunne (actor),
Miles Anderson (actor),
Genres:
Drama,
Quotes:
[Babs and Shaun are arguing when Tanya cries out in pain]::Barbara 'Babs' Woods: She's in labour! Quick, dump the midwife in the car and I'll phone the bag!
Lester 'Les' Boulter: [after a row with Denise over her book club] Well, that's put an end to my "Great Expectations" for tonight!
Sam Taylor: Fancy coming to McDonalds?::Lucy Day: [referring to Trish] I've already seen one red-headed clown.
Kelly Boulter: [Lucy is visibly drunk] How much have you had?::Lucy Day: 180!
Melanie 'Mel' Costello Boulter: [talking about Katie to Lucy and Kelly] I've had deeper soup!
Pete Callan: No son of mine plays with dolls!
Yasmin McHugh Matthews MacKenzie Green: [about Pete and Eileen renewing their vows] I give it six months before he chucks her back in the river.
Trish Wallace: [to Eileen about a Buck's Fizz song] Do you remember when we used to dance to this and rip off our skirts?::Pete Callan: Why change the habit of a lifetime?
Gary Costello: [after hearing Bradley confess to abusing Chloe] She's only 10 years old! [punches Bradley]
Chloe Costello: [Eileen gives Chloe a gift for her 11th Birthday] Is it ticking?