Stone (2010 Film)

''Stone'' is a 2010 American crime thriller film directed by John Curran, written by Angus MacLachlan, and starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton and Milla Jovovich. Most of the filming was done in Washtenaw County, Michigan. It was the final film to be released by Overture Films. This is the second film in which De Niro and Norton starred together, after ''The Score'' (2001).

Plot

Young mother Madylyn Mabry puts her daughter to bed while her husband Jack watches golf on television. After the child is asleep, Madylyn goes downstairs and announces she's leaving Jack. Jack runs upstairs to the bedroom and holds their daughter out the window, threatening to drop her if Madylyn leaves. Madylyn acquiesces.

Decades later, Jack and Madylyn return home from church for a quiet afternoon. He watches TV and drinks in his usual pose. Late that night, a call wakes them. Jack picks up the phone and hears a woman's voice. Jack reports to work at a prison, where he is a parole officer. He is called into the warden's office. His upcoming retirement is brought up. Jack requests that he be allowed to keep all of his inmates until he leaves in order to see them through until review.

Jack has a new case: Inmate Gerald Creeson, who visits Jack's office. The inmate insists he likes to be called Stone. Stone asks Jack if he can help him get out early. Stone begins to ask questions about Jack's relationship with his wife. Jack explains that he does not want to discuss his wife and that they are there to talk about his case. Stone later phones his wife, Lucetta, from prison.

Stone and Jack hold several more meetings. Stone insists he deserves to be free. He also begins reading literature about spiritual awakenings. One night, Lucetta leaves a message on Jack and Madylyn's answering machine. She shows up at the prison the next day to meet Jack, who rebuffs her. Lucetta phones Jack again, and they meet for lunch. They end up at Lucetta's home. After a few drinks, he sleeps with Lucetta. At prison, two guards arrive to escort Stone to the infirmary. While waiting for someone to see him, he witnesses another inmate being brutally murdered.

Jack soon goes to see Lucetta several more times for sex. Jack tells her no-one can know about their relationship. One day, he tells Stone that he sent the report recommending early release. Stone follows this by admitting to having no remorse for starting the fire that got him convicted. The next morning, Jack asks the warden for Stone's report. The warden informs him Stone's parole hearing is in an hour and that no changes can be made. Jack does not stay for the hearing.

Stone is informed that he will be released. Stone tells Jack that he knows about the relationship between him and Lucetta. That night, Jack goes home with paranoia and is awakened by a fire in his home. Jack suspects Stone, but Madylyn believes the fire is a punishment from God.

Later, Madylyn and Jack's daughter Candace, and their granddaughter look through photo albums. Candace tells her mother she's surprised she didn't leave her father sooner.

Jack finds and confronts Stone with a revolver, but cannot bring himself to shoot him, letting him leave. Jack is now retired, trying to determine his future.

Cast

* Robert De Niro as Jack Mabry, a parole officer who is only weeks from retirement.
* Edward Norton as Gerald "Stone" Creeson, a convicted arsonist seeking parole by any means.
* Milla Jovovich as Lucetta, Stone's wife
* Frances Conroy as Madylyn, Jack's wife.

Enver Gjokaj and Pepper Binkley appear as younger versions of Jack and Madylyn Mabry, respectively. Many Ypsilanti residents appear as extras.

Production

The film was directed by John Curran, from a screenplay by Angus MacLachlan. Originally written by MacLachlan in 2000 as a play, it has been performed once, in 2003 as a staged reading. In 2005, MacLachlan turned it into a screenplay. The film was overseen by Mimran Schur Pictures, with the aid of producer Holly Wiersma. ''Stone'' is the debut of Mimran Schur Pictures, formed in 2010 by private investor David Mimran and long-time music business executive and former Geffen Records President Jordan Schur. Stone Productions, the film's production company, also aided in the production of the film.

Filming began on May 18, 2009, in Michigan. Prison scenes were filmed at the Southern Michigan Correctional Facility in Blackman Township. The Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Ypsilanti hosted filming for two days. The funeral service and a few outside scenes were filmed at the Church, with locals as extras. Mast Road, in Dexter, was closed for several weeks while the farmhouse scenes were shot at the historic Mast Farm house; and, at the end of the shoot, it was burned down.

Filming was interrupted on June 5, 2009, when an intoxicated woman got past security and accosted Robert De Niro. She was arrested and admitted to a local hospital.

Following a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, ''Stone'' premiered in the United States at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas on September 24, 2010.

The main theme for the film was composed by musician Jon Brion.

Reception

''Stone'' has received generally mixed reviews. Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 49% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 104 reviews, with an average score of 5.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Stone boasts a cast that includes Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, and Milla Jovovich, and it features strong dialogue, but it's ultimately undone by its heavy-handed symbolism and overabundant plot twists." Metacritic gave the film an average score of 58/100 based 27 reviews.

Roger Ebert, in a positive review of the film, writes: "''Stone'' has Robert De Niro and Edward Norton playing against type and at the top of their forms in a psychological duel between a parole officer and a tricky prisoner who has his number."

The film was a box office bomb; as of November 11, 2010, the film had grossed US$8,463,124, which is approximately one-third of its production budget.

Awards

Milla Jovovich received the Hollywood Spotlight Award for her work in ''Stone'' at the 14th Annual Hollywood Awards Gala at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.

References

External links

*
*
*
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone
2010 films
2010 drama films
2010s American films
2010s English-language films
2010s prison drama films
American prison drama films
Films directed by John Curran
Films shot in Michigan
Overture Films films
English-language crime films