THE UNITED STATES OF LELAND

US, 2003, 105 minutes, Colour.
Don Cheadle, Ryan Gosling, Chris Klein, Jenna Malone, Lena Olin, Kevin Spacey, Michelle Williams, Martin Donovan, Ann Magnuson, Kerry Washington, Sherilyn Fenn.
Directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge.

For a long time, especially since the 1980s and films like Ordinary People, American films have continually presented us with portraits of dysfunctional families and the effect this has, especially, on the sons. Leland P.Fitzgerald is one of those sons. As the film opens, he confides in the audience that he has done a terrible thing but that he truly does not remember doing it. In fact, he has killed his young mentally disabled friend. Leland is played by Ryan Gosling who created bizarre characters in The Believer and Murder by Numbers. (He also played the sympathetic lead in the romantic drama, The Notebook.)

The film is Leland’s memoir, especially as told to a prison educator (who also sees a potential book in the interviews). Don Cheadle plays the interviewer who is fascinated by Leland’s innocence and straight-forward wisdom in his perceptions of people and himself despite what he has done. He rightly challenges his interviewers moral standards and behaviour.

The interviews lead to flashbacks – but not in strict chronological order (the audience seeing the lead-up to the killing only at the end of the film. This means that the film is a jigsaw, characters seen through Leland’s memories, though challenged by the interviewer. The boy’s grieving family are central, especially X (Jena Malone), the addict daughter of the family who loves Leland and confides in him but is caught up with her dealer. Martin Donovan is strong as the boy’s father. Chris Klein is the young man taken in by the family, in love with their other daughter (Michelle Williams) and compelled to a mad and desperate revenge on Leland.

Leland’s parents are sketched in only: his devout and loving mother (Lena Olin) and his arrogant, successful novelist father (Kevin Spacey).

Casual viewers will find the film rather enigmatic and left to their imagination which may be too much of an ask. More serious viewers will find something more substantial to reflect on, especially about the United States in general and Leland’s own America of brittle family life and moral expectations.

1. The interest of the film and its themes? Plot and characters? Motivations – or not?

2. The California settings, the California lifestyle, the bright colours, the way of life? Issues? Relationships, dysfunctional families? Violence?

3. The title, the map, Leland putting his name on the map, his being the centre of the United States? The puzzle about the title and Leland’s attitude? His being odd? The symbol of the title and the map? The musical score?

4. The structure, the voice-over, the initial death, the focus on Leland, his detention? Pearl and his glasses, interrogation? The situating of the flashbacks? The culmination of the drama? The mystery solved – or not?

5. The focus on Leland, his age, ordinary and quiet, fastidious, well mannered? The discovery of blood, the death? His not having any memory of what happened? Could it be true that, as he said, it just happened? His being interrogated? In detention, the others in detention, his life in the institution, the routines, meals, classes, games? His communicating – and not communicating? The audience piecing together his life, his absent and successful father, yet his visits to New York and the affluent style, the meetings with Mrs Calderon? The effect of his father’s influence on him? The contrast with his mother, her being sad, abandoned, her continual prayers? The relationship with the Pollards, with the parents, Julie and her suspicions, in love with Becky, the outings with her, the quality of the relationship, the violence, Becky breaking off? With Alan? His place in the household? Antagonisms? The friendship with Brian, his being retarded? The bonds, the suddenness of killing him, the possible motives in the fact that he was friendly, wanting to protect him? Did the screenplay give enough for understanding of Leland, of the United States and its mindless killing and amnesia?

6. Pearl, his personality, his work in the detention centre, teaching, his capacities as a writer, his ambitions? His relationship with his girlfriend in Los Angeles, phoning her? The attraction towards the worker, his conducting the affair with her? Leland challenging him, making him face his conscience and issues of truth, integrity? Acknowledging that he was doing wrong, that what he was doing was bad? Pearl and his attempts to reconcile, to atone? Pearl as a failure? The antagonistic meeting with Leland’s father?

7. Pearl and Leland, the questions, the possibility of Pearl writing a book, the nature of his probing? The authorities and the suspicions, the discussions with Pearl, limiting his mandate, removing him? The clash with the father, Leland finally giving him his journal?

8. The portrait of the Pollards, the mother and father, their relationship, their grief, the father’s anger towards Leland, the threats? Julie and her supporting her parents? Julie and her relationship with Becky, with Alan? Tensions within the house?

9. Becky, her age, her relationship with Alan, with Leland? The drug dealer, her relationship with him, taking the drugs, needing rehabilitation? Breaking off with Leland?

10. Alan, his background, the family, living with the Pollards, relating to them, feeling more on their behalf, the antagonism towards Leland, his relationship with Becky, with Julie? His demands of Leland, the device of the assault and robbery, leading to his arrest, being in the prison yard, the violent attack on Leland?

11. The FitzGeralds?, the mother, her separation from her husband, her praying, her love for her son? Silent and withdrawn?

12. The father, seeing him in the plane, his being a celebrity, supercilious attitude towards the fan? With his family, his absences, his career in Paris? Arranging for Leland to go to New York, giving him money? In the bar, meeting Pearl, insulting him? The poor parenting?

13. The women in Pearl’s life, his girlfriend, feeling his absence? The worker, the affair, her love for him, feeling let down by him?

14. Mrs Calderon, New York, her relationship with Leland?

15. The tradition of American films about dysfunctional families, parents and children, wayward children?