On leave from the Iraq War, Will Montgomery, a U.S. Armystaff sergeant, finds that his girlfriend Kelly is engaged to another man. Before he is to be discharged, he is dispatched as a casualty notification officer along with Gulf War veteran Captain Tony Stone as his mentor. He is told of the importance of his task by Lieutenant Colonel Dorsett as many have failed. Stone then relays the rules of telling next of kin of a tragedy. On the job, their first report to a family prompts the mother to slap Stone, as she and his pregnant fiancé weep over the deceased; a man named Dale Martin angrily throws things at Will; a woman who secretly married an enlisted man cries in her father's arms after learning of her husband's death; a Mexican man who is told through a translator about the death of his daughter cries in front of his other child; and a woman named Olivia is in considerably less visible pain after learning of her husband's death, which Stone suspects is due to her having an affair.
In a bar, Will and Stone discuss their lives to each other. Will talks about his girlfriend rejecting him and tells Stone about his father's death due to drunk driving, along with tales of his estranged mother. Will sees Olivia with her son at a mall buying clothes for her husband's funeral, breaking up a fight between her and two Army recruiters attempting to enlist boys and girls, before offering her a ride. He fixes her car and becomes friends with both her and her young son Matt. After hearing a voicemail from Kelly talking about her upcoming wedding, he punches a hole through his wall in a fit of rage, which further aggravates his hand. He arrives at Olivia's house and the two express affection for each other, but his attempts at physical intimacy are met with hesitancy as she tells him about how her husband mistreated her and her son.
When Will comforts a family in a local grocery store after telling them of their son's fate, Stone physically berates him for it. Will stands up to his rank by using his first name "Tony" before walking home on his own. They later make up and spend the next few days together, where Stone has a hookup and unsuccessfully tries to get Will to do the same. They end up at Kelly's wedding drunk and make a scene, fight in a parking lot, then wake up in a forest after passing out and go home. Martin is there, and he apologizes for lashing out at Will. In Tony's apartment, Will tells Tony about his experience with a friend who died while fighting in Iraq—an event that resulted in his chronic damage to his left eye—and how he feels his bravery was meaningless as he could not do anything for him; he contemplated suicide soon after, but stopped himself when he saw the sunrise. Hearing this, Tony breaks down in tears.
The next day, Olivia decides to move from her house. She informs Will that she is going with her son to Louisiana, and Will tells her he is considering staying in the U.S. Army. He asks Olivia to let him know their new address; she asks him to come with her into the house.
The Messenger marked the directorial debut of Israeli screenwriter and former journalist Oren Moverman. Though Sydney Pollack, Roger Michell, and Ben Affleck were all attached to direct the movie at various times, when those talks fell through, the producers eventually asked Moverman to helm the project.[2] The filmmakers worked closely with the United States Army and the Walter Reed Medical Center to conduct research on military life, and were specifically advised by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Sinor as a technical consultant.[3]
Releaseedit
The Messenger premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival before receiving a limited release in North America in 4 theaters.[4] It grossed $44,523 for an average of $11,131 per theater ranking 46th at the box office, and went on to earn $1.1 million domestically and $411,601 internationally for a total of $1.5 million, against its budget of $6.5 million.[1]
Receptionedit
Critical responseedit
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 90%, based on 162 reviews, with an average rating of 7.51/10. The site's critical consensus states, "A dark but timely subject is handled deftly by writer/director Oren Moverman and superbly acted by Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster."[5] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 77 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6]
^Brown, Phil (February 19, 2010). "An intimate look at grief found in the heart of war". Metro Canada. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
^Lavallée, Eric (October 28, 2010). "IDA 2010 Documentary Awards Noms: Sweetgrass, Steam of Life and Waste Land Among Five Noms". ION Cinema. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
^McCarthy, Todd (December 4, 2008). . Variety. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
messenger, 2009, film, messenger, 2009, drama, film, starring, foster, woody, harrelson, samantha, morton, steve, buscemi, jena, malone, directorial, debut, oren, moverman, also, wrote, screenplay, with, alessandro, camon, film, follows, pair, united, states, . The Messenger is a 2009 war drama film starring Ben Foster Woody Harrelson Samantha Morton Steve Buscemi and Jena Malone It is the directorial debut of Oren Moverman who also wrote the screenplay with Alessandro Camon The film follows a pair of United States Army casualty notification officers and the effects of their difficult work on their personal lives and each other The MessengerTheatrical release posterDirected byOren MovermanWritten byAlessandro CamonOren MovermanProduced byMark GordonLawrence IngleeZach MillerStarringBen FosterWoody HarrelsonSamantha MortonJena MaloneCinematographyBobby BukowskiEdited byAlexander HallMusic byNathan LarsonDistributed byOscilloscope LaboratoriesRelease dateNovember 13 2009 2009 11 13 Running time113 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishBudget 6 5 million 1 Box office 1 5 million 1 The film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and was in competition at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay and the Berlinale Peace Film Award 09 The film received first prize for the 2009 Deauville American Film Festival The film has also received four Independent Spirit Award nominations including one win a Golden Globe nomination and two Oscar nominations Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Release 5 Reception 5 1 Critical response 5 2 Awards and nominations 5 3 Top ten lists 6 References 7 External linksPlot editOn leave from the Iraq War Will Montgomery a U S Army staff sergeant finds that his girlfriend Kelly is engaged to another man Before he is to be discharged he is dispatched as a casualty notification officer along with Gulf War veteran Captain Tony Stone as his mentor He is told of the importance of his task by Lieutenant Colonel Dorsett as many have failed Stone then relays the rules of telling next of kin of a tragedy On the job their first report to a family prompts the mother to slap Stone as she and his pregnant fiance weep over the deceased a man named Dale Martin angrily throws things at Will a woman who secretly married an enlisted man cries in her father s arms after learning of her husband s death a Mexican man who is told through a translator about the death of his daughter cries in front of his other child and a woman named Olivia is in considerably less visible pain after learning of her husband s death which Stone suspects is due to her having an affair In a bar Will and Stone discuss their lives to each other Will talks about his girlfriend rejecting him and tells Stone about his father s death due to drunk driving along with tales of his estranged mother Will sees Olivia with her son at a mall buying clothes for her husband s funeral breaking up a fight between her and two Army recruiters attempting to enlist boys and girls before offering her a ride He fixes her car and becomes friends with both her and her young son Matt After hearing a voicemail from Kelly talking about her upcoming wedding he punches a hole through his wall in a fit of rage which further aggravates his hand He arrives at Olivia s house and the two express affection for each other but his attempts at physical intimacy are met with hesitancy as she tells him about how her husband mistreated her and her son When Will comforts a family in a local grocery store after telling them of their son s fate Stone physically berates him for it Will stands up to his rank by using his first name Tony before walking home on his own They later make up and spend the next few days together where Stone has a hookup and unsuccessfully tries to get Will to do the same They end up at Kelly s wedding drunk and make a scene fight in a parking lot then wake up in a forest after passing out and go home Martin is there and he apologizes for lashing out at Will In Tony s apartment Will tells Tony about his experience with a friend who died while fighting in Iraq an event that resulted in his chronic damage to his left eye and how he feels his bravery was meaningless as he could not do anything for him he contemplated suicide soon after but stopped himself when he saw the sunrise Hearing this Tony breaks down in tears The next day Olivia decides to move from her house She informs Will that she is going with her son to Louisiana and Will tells her he is considering staying in the U S Army He asks Olivia to let him know their new address she asks him to come with her into the house Cast editBen Foster as Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery Woody Harrelson as Captain Tony Stone Samantha Morton as Olivia Pitterson Jena Malone as Kelly Steve Buscemi as Dale Martin Yaya DaCosta as Monica Washington Eamonn Walker as Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Dorsett Peter Francis James as Dr Grosso Merritt Wever as Lara Gaius Charles as Recruiter Brown Brendan Sexton III as Recruiter Olson Carl Anthony Payne II as Pitterson s Father Halley Feiffer as Marla Cohen Peter Friedman as Mr Cohen Jeremy Strong as Returning Soldier Fiona Dourif as Returning Soldier s Wife Michael Chernus as AlanProduction editThe Messenger marked the directorial debut of Israeli screenwriter and former journalist Oren Moverman Though Sydney Pollack Roger Michell and Ben Affleck were all attached to direct the movie at various times when those talks fell through the producers eventually asked Moverman to helm the project 2 The filmmakers worked closely with the United States Army and the Walter Reed Medical Center to conduct research on military life and were specifically advised by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Sinor as a technical consultant 3 Release editThe Messenger premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival before receiving a limited release in North America in 4 theaters 4 It grossed 44 523 for an average of 11 131 per theater ranking 46th at the box office and went on to earn 1 1 million domestically and 411 601 internationally for a total of 1 5 million against its budget of 6 5 million 1 Reception editCritical response edit On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 90 based on 162 reviews with an average rating of 7 51 10 The site s critical consensus states A dark but timely subject is handled deftly by writer director Oren Moverman and superbly acted by Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster 5 On Metacritic the film has a score of 77 out of 100 based on 32 critics indicating generally favorable reviews 6 Harrelson s performance was subject to considerable praise leading to Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor 7 8 Awards and nominations edit Year Ceremony Category Recipients Result2009 14th Satellite Awards 9 Best Drama Film NominatedBest Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson Nominated15th Critics Choice Awards 10 Best Supporting Actor NominatedBest Supporting Actress Samantha Morton Nominated16th Screen Actors Guild Awards 11 Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role Woody Harrelson Nominated25th Independent Spirit Awards 12 Best First Feature NominatedBest Supporting Male Woody Harrelson WonBest Supporting Female Samantha Morton NominatedBest Screenplay Alessandro CamonOren Moverman Nominated36th Saturn Awards 13 Best Action Adventure Thriller Film Nominated59th Berlin International Film Festival 14 Golden Bear Best Film NominatedSilver Bear Best Screenplay Alessandro CamonOren Moverman Won67th Golden Globe Awards 7 Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson Nominated82nd Academy Awards 8 Best Supporting Actor NominatedBest Original Screenplay Alessandro CamonOren Moverman Nominated2009 National Society of Film Critics Awards 15 Best Supporting Actress Samantha Morton NominatedChicago Film Critics Association Awards 2009 16 Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson NominatedDallas Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2009 17 Best Supporting Actor NominatedDeauville American Film Festival 18 Grand Prix WonDenver Film Critics Society Awards 2009 Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson NominatedDetroit Film Critics Society Awards 2009 Best Supporting Actor NominatedGotham Independent Film Awards 2009 19 Breakthrough Performer Ben Foster NominatedHouston Film Critics Society Awards 2009 20 Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson NominatedBest Supporting Actress Samantha Morton NominatedNational Board of Review Awards 2009 21 Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson WonBest Directorial Debut Oren Moverman WonOnline Film Critics Society Awards 2009 22 Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson NominatedSan Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2009 23 Best Actor Ben Foster NominatedBest Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson NominatedBest Supporting Actress Samantha Morton WonBest Original Screenplay Alessandro CamonOren Moverman NominatedBest Ensemble Performance NominatedSoutheastern Film Critics Association Awards 2009 24 Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson Runner upSt Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards 2009 Best Director Oren Moverman NominatedBest Actor Ben Foster NominatedBest Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson NominatedBest Supporting Actress Samantha Morton NominatedWashington D C Area Film Critics Association Awards 2009 25 Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson NominatedBest Supporting Actress Samantha Morton NominatedTop ten lists edit The Messenger appeared on several critics top ten lists of the best films of 2009 26 3rd Robert Mondello NPR 26 4th Ty Burr Boston Globe 26 4th Stephen Holden The New York Times 26 9th Frank Scheck The Hollywood Reporter 26 10th Peter Travers Rolling Stone 26 Top 10 David Denby The New Yorker 26 References edit a b c The Messenger 2009 Box Office Mojo Retrieved April 3 2011 Brown Phil February 19 2010 An intimate look at grief found in the heart of war Metro Canada Archived from the original on June 30 2012 Retrieved November 26 2010 Lavallee Eric October 28 2010 IDA 2010 Documentary Awards Noms Sweetgrass Steam of Life and Waste Land Among Five Noms ION Cinema Retrieved November 26 2020 McCarthy Todd December 4 2008 More star power at Sundance Variety Archived from the original on December 8 2008 Retrieved February 3 2009 The Messenger Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved July 19 2020 The Messenger Metacritic Retrieved May 14 2020 a b Winners amp Nominees 2010 www goldenglobes com Retrieved October 16 2022 a b 82nd Academy Awards www oscars org Retrieved October 16 2022 2009 Categories International Press Academy Retrieved September 25 2023 Kilday Gregg December 14 2009 Basterds Nine lead Critics Choice noms The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved September 25 2023 The 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards www sagawards org Retrieved September 25 2023 McNary Dave March 6 2010 A Precious night at Indie Spirit Awards Variety Retrieved September 25 2023 Miller Ross February 19 2010 Avatar Leads 2010 Saturn Awards Nominations ScreenRant Retrieved September 25 2023 Prizes amp Honours 2009 berlinale de Archived from the original on October 15 2013 Retrieved September 25 2023 Kilday Gregg January 3 2010 Hurt Locker tops critics group nods The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved September 25 2023 22nd Annual Chicago Film Critics Awards chicagofilmcritics org Archived from the original on February 24 2010 Retrieved September 25 2023 DFW Crix Up in the Air With Year End Tally Dallas Observer December 16 2009 Archived from the original on December 28 2010 Retrieved September 25 2023 Top prize at Deauville film fest for The Messenger The Sydney Morning Herald September 13 2009 Retrieved September 25 2023 Swart Sharon October 19 2009 Locker Fan top Gotham noms Variety Retrieved September 25 2023 Dansby Andrew December 18 2009 Houston critics judging films Houston Chronicle Retrieved September 27 2023 2009 Archives National Board of Review Retrieved September 25 2023 2009 Online Film Critics Society Award nominees www ofcs org Archived from the original on July 22 2011 Retrieved September 27 2023 2009 Awards San Diego Film Critics Society Retrieved September 25 2023 Winners SEFCA Retrieved September 25 2023 2009 WAFCA Awards www wafca com Retrieved September 25 2023 a b c d e f g Metacritic 2009 Film Critic Top Ten Lists Metacritic Archived from the original on February 11 2010 Retrieved January 5 2010 External links editOfficial website The Messenger at AllMovie The Messenger at Box Office Mojo The Messenger at IMDb The Messenger at Metacritic The Messenger at Rotten Tomatoes Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Messenger 2009 film amp oldid 1177506015, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
