''Dogtown'' is a 1997 American drama film by George Hickenlooper about life in the small town of

Cuba, Missouri Cuba is a city in Crawford County, Missouri, United States. The population was 3,356 at the 2010 census. Cuba is the largest city situated entirely in Crawford County. History Cuba was platted in 1857 when it was certain the railroad would be ...

starring

Mary Stuart Masterson Mary Stuart Masterson (born June 28, 1966) is an American actress and director. She has starred in the films '' At Close Range'' (1986), '' Some Kind of Wonderful'' (1987), '' Chances Are'' (1989), ''Fried Green Tomatoes'' (1991) and '' Benny & ...

Jon Favreau Jonathan Kolia Favreau (; born October 19, 1966) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as '' Rudy'' (1993), '' PCU'' (1994), '' Swingers'' (1996), ''Very Bad Things'' (1998), '' Deep Impact'' (1998) ...

Rory Cochrane Rory Cochrane (born February 28, 1972) is an American actor. He is known for playing Ron Slater in '' Dazed and Confused'', Lucas in ''Empire Records'', Lee Schatz in ''Argo'', Freck in '' A Scanner Darkly'', and Tim Speedle in ''CSI: Miami''. ...

Harold Russell Harold John Avery Russell (January 14, 1914 – January 29, 2002) was an American World War II veteran. After losing his hands during his military service, Russell was cast in the epic drama film ''The Best Years of Our Lives'' (1946), which ...

, and Natasha Gregson Wagner.

Plot

A failed actor returns to his small hometown, unaware that he has become a local celebrity. Taking advantage of his newfound fame, he attempts to impress an old unrequited crush who has fallen on hard times.

Cast

Trevor St. John Trevor Marshall St. John (born September 3, 1971) is an American actor. He portrayed Todd Manning/ Victor Lord Jr. on the ABC daytime drama ''One Life to Live'', and has starred in various primetime shows and films. He is known for his performan ...

as Phillip Van Horn, failed actor who returns to his hometown, had crush on Dorothy in high school *

as Dorothy Sternen, former beauty queen, now an alcoholic and depressed hairdresser in off/on relationship with Ezra *

as Ezra Good, racist bully from Phillip's past; off/on relationship with Dorothy * Karen Black as Rose Van Horn, Phillip's mother who sings in a local band *

as Blessed William, a war veteran who runs the cigar store; Russell's final role before his death * Natasha Gregson Wagner as Sara Ruth Van Horn, Phillip's sister and Rose's daughter who is mentally handicapped *

as Curtis Lasky, bully from Phillip's past; close friends with Ezra

Production

The film was shot entirely in

Torrance, California Torrance is a city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is part of what is known as the South Bay region of the metropolitan area. Torrance has of beachfront on the Pacific O ...

. Hickenlooper intentionally tried to make Ezra Good, Jon Favreau's character, compelling and worthy of the audience's interest despite his racism. Shooting took 24 days. Russell's part was written for him, though he had to be persuaded to take the role.

Release

''Dogtown'' premiered at the

Los Angeles Independent Film Festival The LA Film Festival was an annual film festival that was held in Los Angeles, California, and usually took place in June. It showcased independent, international, feature, documentary and short films, as well as web series, music videos, epi ...

in April 1997.

Reception

Todd McCarthy of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' called it an "occasionally amusing" melodrama that pales in comparison to ''

The Last Picture Show ''The Last Picture Show'' is a 1971 American coming-of-age drama film directed and co-written by Peter Bogdanovich, adapted from the semi-autobiographical 1966 novel ''The Last Picture Show'' by Larry McMurtry. The film's ensemble cast include ...

''.

Awards

*1998 Hermosa Beach Film Festival: Best Director (George Hickenlooper); Best Screenplay (George Hickenlooper); Best Actress (Karen Black) *1998

Newport Beach Film Festival The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) is an annual film festival in Newport Beach, California, typically held in late April. In 2022, it was announced that the festival have permanently changed its date to be held in October, as the festival beg ...

: Best Director (George Hickenlooper)

References

External links

* {{George Hickenlooper 1997 films 1997 drama films Films directed by George Hickenlooper American drama films Films about actors 1990s English-language films 1990s American films 1997 independent films