The Motel Life (film)
| The Motel Life | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Alan Polsky Gabriel Polsky |
| Produced by | Alan Polsky Gabriel Polsky Ann Ruark |
| Screenplay by | Noah Harpster Micha Fitzerman-Blue |
| Based on |
The Motel Life by Willy Vlautin |
| Starring |
Emile Hirsch Stephen Dorff Dakota Fanning Kris Kristofferson |
| Music by |
Keefus Ciancia David Holmes |
| Cinematography | Roman Vasyanov |
| Edited by | Hughes Winborne |
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Production
company |
Polsky Films
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| Distributed by | Random Media |
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Release date
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Running time
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90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Motel Life is a 2012 American drama film starring Emile Hirsch, Stephen Dorff, Dakota Fanning, and Kris Kristofferson. Directed and produced by brothers Alan and Gabriel Polsky, the screenplay was adapted by Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue from Willy Vlautin's novel of the same name. The film was shot in Gardnerville, Minden, Reno, and Virginia City and also features animated sequences drawn by Mike Smith.
In 1990, Frank and Jerry Lee Flannigan, brothers who drift aimlessly, attempt to escape their hopeless lives through their creativity and excessive drinking. When Jerry Lee strikes and kills a child in a hit-and-run accident, the two immediately pack up their belongings and leave town. However, Jerry Lee abandons his brother at a diner, destroys the car, and steals his sometime girlfriend Polly's pistol. Jerry Lee loses his nerve before he can commit suicide and instead shoots himself in the leg, which was already amputated at knee. Subsequent flashbacks reveal that the boys' mother died when they were young, and, with their father missing, the two set off on their own; Jerry Lee's leg is injured when they attempt to stow away on a train.
When Polly alerts Frank that Jerry Lee is in the hospital, he rushes to be with his brother. Although Frank attempts to reassure Jerry Lee that the boy was an unloved drifter like them, Jerry Lee remains dubious and guilt-ridden. When the police begin to piece together clues, the brothers once again decide to flee town, though Jerry Lee's leg has become infected. Frank meets with his friends, who suggest he invest his meager savings in the Tyson vs Douglas boxing match. Flush with cash after Douglas' upset victory, Frank donates some of his winnings to the dead boy's family and purchases a car from childhood father figure Earl Hurley, who advises him not to think of himself as a loser.
Frank sneaks his brother out of the hospital just as the police arrive. Jerry Lee is excited to find that Frank has rescued an abused dog, and the three of them head to a small town. Although Frank professes there to be no reason to head there, he later reveals that his former girlfriend, Annie James, lives there. She has sent him postcards asking for forgiveness for an unspecified action. When Jerry Lee presses Frank to discuss his thoughts and feelings, Frank explains that he caught Annie's forced prostitution by her abusive mother. Encouraged by Jerry Lee, Annie and Frank slowly rekindle their relationship. Meanwhile, Jerry Lee sinks further into depression, claiming that no woman will love a man with one leg, especially after he has killed a child.
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