21 Grams (2003)

Director:

Alejandro González Iñárritu

Writer (WGA):

Guillermo Arriaga (written by)

Release Date:

26 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Difference between dead and life

Plot:

A freak accident brings together a critically ill mathematician (Penn), a grieving mother (Watts) and a born-again ex-con (Del Toro).

Plot Keywords:

Faith | Mathematician | Guilt | Ex Convict | Born Again

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 20 wins & 34 nominations

Cast

Sean Penn	...	Paul Rivers
Naomi Watts	...	Cristina Peck
Danny Huston	...	Michael
Carly Nahon	...	Cathy
Claire Pakis	...	Laura
Benicio Del Toro	...	Jack Jordan
Nick Nichols	...	Boy
Charlotte Gainsbourg	...	Mary Rivers
John Rubinstein	...	Gynecologist
Eddie Marsan	...	Reverend John
Loyd Keith Salter	...	Fat Man
Antef A. Harris	...	Basketball Guy
Melissa Leo	...	Marianne Jordan
Marc Musso	...	Freddy (as Marc Thomas Musso)
Teresa Delgado	...	Gina

Also Known As:

21 gramos (Argentina) (Mexico) (Panama) (Spain) [es]
21 Gramm (Germany) (Switzerland: German title) [de]
21 gram (Finland: Swedish title) (Sweden) [sv]
21 grammes (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
21 Gramas (Brazil) [pt]
21 gram (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
21 gram (Serbia) [sr]
21 gram (Croatia) [hr]
21 gramów (Poland) [pl]
21 grammaa (Finland) [fi]
21 grammaria (Greece) [el]
21 grammi (Estonia) [et]
21 grammi - Il peso dell'anima (Italy) [it]

MPAA:

Rated R for language, sexuality, some violence and drug use.

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #40185) | Portugal:M/16 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | Japan:PG-12 | Mexico:B15 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Philippines:R-18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Singapore:R(A) | Singapore:M18 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Company:

This Is That Productions

Trivia:

The poem by the Venezuelan writer that Paul ('Sean Penn') quotes when he's in the restaurant with Cristina (Naomi Watts) is "La Tierra Giró para Acercarnos" by Eugenio Montejo.

Goofs:

Continuity: Christina crosses the street as traffic is stopped at a green light.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Michael: Check, please.
Cathy: Look Daddy, a volcano.
[Cathy blows bubbles into her soft drink]
Michael: It's very pretty. Drink up your volcano. All right. We're going. Mommy's waiting.
Cathy: Daddy, please. Just one more minute.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "ER: 21 Guns (#12.22)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Low Rider

Putting the Pieces Together

A movie directed in inimitable style, Inarritu's 21 Grams is a provocative, deeply moving filmic work that explores several fundamental questions: What is a life, what is its value, and can we place a value on it? Directed in a series of small, seemingly disconnected fragments that come together as the film progresses, the film is thus shot in a style deeply unfamiliar to American moviegoers. At the beginning, most American viewers will find the choppy, nonlinear timeline distracting and frustrating - a cinematic form of coitus interruptus where once on the verge of revealing an underlying plot concept, the fragment abruptly stops and is picked up at an unrelated point. This style continues throughout, but don't worry. The answers do come after a while.

It is worth noting that the actual storyline, when told linearly, is not as gripping as when told in this style. The linear form would resemble a typical mindless story of the wounded seeking revenge. The way Inarritu constructs the story allows him to give the viewer a sense of where various characters are at the same time without the appearance of repetition. It allows moviegoers to see actual events first, then form associations later. There is a sense of, "Oh, now I get it!" that would be conspicuously absent if 21 Grams were told linearly.

Moving on, the performances of the actors and actresses in the film are incredible. All are believable. The animalistic hatred of Christina Peck (Naomi Watts) for Jack Jordan (Benicio Del Toro), the deeply troubled father who regrets his big mistake and has become a born again Christian, is palpable throughout. Paul Rivers (Sean Penn) is genuine in his efforts to repay, literally, a life debt. The performances breathe further life into the series of events that 21 Grams attempts to chronicle.

By the film's ending, the entire tale of what has transpired is revealed to the viewer. Since key plot elements often appear in several of the disconnected sequences, they come to be points of reference that astute moviegoers can use to sort the rest of the plot. By the end, everything is complete. The title is finally put into context, and the attempt to answer the three previously mentioned fundamental questions is made. Yes, at the beginning, this movie may not seem to make much sense, and it may even be frustrating to watch. Still, resist the temptation to get up and leave the theater. Stick around and watch the whole thing. The pieces do ultimately fall into place. I promise. And besides, there's only one way to find out.