George Washington [Criterion Collection]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

David Gordon directs this bleak drama about a gang of rural teens going astray. The title character is 13-year-old boy who lives in an impoverished corner of North Carolina. While wandering around with his rag-tag band of mates, one boy gets inadvertently killed. Fearing parental retribution, the gang hides the body. Later, matters comes to a head when guilt and anxiety starts to take its toll. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: PCM Stereo, 5.1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: English
• Features:
  • New digital transfer, enhanced for 16x9 televisions
  • Commentary by director David Gordon Green, cinematographer Tim Orr, and actor Paul Schneider
  • Deleted scene with commentary
  • Original theatrical trailer
  • David Gordon Green's short films: "Pleasant Grove" (with commentary) and "Physical Pinball"
  • "Charlie Rose" interview with David Gordon Green
  • Exclusive new video interviews with the cast
  • Clu Gulager's 1969 short film "A Day With the Boys," an influence on "George Washington"
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired
  • Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition

AWARDS

• Berlin International Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2010

• Independent Spirit Awards

•     Won Best Ensemble Acting - 2000 (Candace Evanofski, Damien Jewan Lee, Rachel Handy, Curtis Cotton III, Donald Holden)
•     Nominated Best Cinematography - 2000 (Tim Orr)
•     Nominated Best First Screenplay - 2000 (David Gordon Green)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 2000

• New York Film Critics Circle

•     Won Best First Film - 2000 (David Gordon Green)

• Toronto International Film Festival

•     Won Discovery Award - 2000

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  David Gordon Green

• Producer:

  David Gordon Green, Lisa Muskat

• Screenwriter:

  David Gordon Green

• Cinematographer:

  Tim Orr

• Composer (Music Score):

  David Wingo, Michael Linnen

• Editor:

  Steven Gonzales, Zene Baker

• Production Designer:

  Richard A. Wright

• Co-producer:

  R. Craig Zobel

REVIEW:

• A bold, ambitious first feature by David Gordon Green, this fiercely independent effort chronicles young slum life in a more experimental vein than most modern movies. Recalling the work of filmmakers as diverse as Terrence Malick and Harmony Korine in its unconventional tactics, the film eventually wears out its welcome, especially after its crucial turning point is revealed. However, it retains significant dignity throughout, and Green's surprising grasp of visual storytelling is highly in evidence here. The film was created using non-professional actors (a device that is terrific in theory, but its execution is suspect), and filmed using natural light, which gives it a rich, documentary-like feel. Unlike the recent Dogma 95 movement, however, its roots in conventional filmmaking techniques are strongly apparent, as its evocative Cinemascope 35mm implementation indicates. An easier picture to admire than to genuinely "like," George Washington nonetheless stands out amidst a sea of impersonal, crudely made independent films. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi