While reviews out of TIFF weren't great — we called it "a black blot of shame for everyone who had a part in its making" — "Hick" still remains a curiosity because it offers up a grittier side we've rarely seen from the cast led by Blake Lively, Chloe Moretz and Eddie Redmayne.
Directed by Derick Martini (”Lymelife”), the film is an adaptation of Andrea Portes’ coming-of-age novel of the same name (she penned the script as well). The story revolves around Luli (Moretz), a 13-year-old Nebraskan girl, and her hard-going life on the road after she runs away from her neglectful parents and home. She’s taken in by Glenda (Lively), a hard-living grifter who takes Luli under her wing. With the movie's release on the horizon, a new poster and a few new images have arrived, serving up another look at the film that seems both glamorous and trashy.
"Hick" will go UltraVOD on May 8th before rolling into theaters on May 11th. Check out the pics and poster below. [Facebook]
Kangaroo is fixated on this movie, like a stalker. Someone earlier said he was probably fired off of it and has a vendetta. I think that may be the case. Weirdo.
I saw this. It's pretty good. It's not The Godfather. But it's twisted and cool. I give it 2 and 1/2 stars out of 3
KANGAROO, there is something wrong with you. Why are you so obsessed? You sound like a jilted lover.
Haha! Don't worry, THE REASON, I'm pretty sure that gun goes off from everything I've heard. How hilarious if they just put it on the poster for no reason.
Kangaroo is all over this board is because he or she has a very large bone to pick with someone involved in this movie Hick. Why else would Kangaroo care if the thing sucked or was brilliant to the insane extent he or she has gone to to prove that it sucks?
The movie is coming out. People will see it. Or they won't. They'll like it or they won't. Who give a rat's ass?
And isn't this supposed to be about the poster anyway?
If I'm grading the poster I'd say it's catchy enough. Between the colors and the 2 girls, one pointing a revolver.
I will say this about the poster: If someone doesn't shoot someone in this film I will be super pissed. It will be false advertising.
Ya'll are smoking the glass pipe. This film is rad. If you don't like it, go watch mirror, mirror.
THEO and CHINAGIRL: There's no way they could get a cast like that with a shitty script. No way. Their agents wouldn't let them do it. It's an indy film, a labor of love. An action movie, yes. An indy film with zero money. Not a chance. Sounds to me like some people like it and some people hate it. I will see it just for that.
THEO: The answer is that the script does not suck. I read that script for my boss a year ago and he was salivating to direct it. He lost out. Too bad.
How can the acting be so fantastic if the script is bad? That makes no sense. What, are they just miming?
I want to marry Eddie Redmayne or have a baby with him.
This is to "HONEST NOTE". Hello cray cray!! Whoever you are, you know a little too much to just be some guy on the sidelines. Have fun never fulfilling your dreams!!!!
You guys are high. That book is rad. We read it in our comp lit class and everyone went crazy over it. I can't wait to see this. The only thing that makes me nervous is that it's not as good as the book.
Chloe I will wait for you!
HAHA! You blew it, KANGAROO, it's super obvious you have a personal vendetta here. Why else would you know all this stuff? Go drink a beer and get over it, loser.
http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/w0011416.html
I don't own multimillion dollar estates in New York. It's nothing personal w/ the director. Why would I be jealous… this movie is being called Hounddog… if i made a movie it wouldn't try to attract that type of attention. Infact this damage control is just really pathetic.
As for all of you… I'm guessing you just worked on the film and like the director. Or are the publicity team trying to cover up TIFF being dissapointing. Why don't you guys suck it up and say this film won't get good reviews and hope he makes a film that is better than Lymelife.
CAPTAIN KANGAROO I KNOW the author of the book and screenplay. You IDIOT. The movie starts in Nebraska. Moretz starts hitchhiking. She's picked up by a "drifter" (Redmayne) who has freakin' TEXAS license plates and talks about how he worked in a RODEO! Then, Lively hooks up w/Moretz and talks about coming from MEMPHIS. You are an IDIOT (I must say again) and it seems a little jealous of the director and his finances. And I don't think Martini acts any which way about money. He's directed 2 lower budget films and you never hear him talk about what a struggle it is. Grow up you jealous baby.
Also, note that the accents were thoroughly researched. Chloe comes from Nebraska = neutral accent. Eddie comes from Texas = his Texan drawl. Blake is more unclear, but she mentions coming from the south = the southern drawl.
Why this one got so many comments here, about Blake Lively? Kinda superficial. Pay more a lot attention to the fabulous Juliette Lewis in it, she played the alter mom just rocks.
Kangarooo – It appears that Martini's publicist or friends are writing most of these trying to create buzz. Obviously 41 comments is a high point for a PL article…and this one talks about a film that is no where on people's radar. They troll harder than Ron Paul fans.
The people who walked out of the TIFF screening were critics and some casual fans. Infact off a google search of Tumblr reviews i found 16 people who said they wanted to walk out 1/2 way through. Matt Goldberg (Collider) even knows who they are. Martini comes from the greater New York area and from a ton of money (even though he loves to act indie and poor his family is pure 1%)…. it felt to me that he had never cared to look into researching the Midwest (or watch an Alexander Payne film) before realizing that they don't talk with Southern accents.
I read Colin Ferell was in this. Eddie Redmayne is a MUCH better choice. Thank god.
And so it begins. The release of one of my most anticipated films of 2012. With a poster that looks straight out of a 1970's exploitation film. And no trailer. I can't wait to see that trailer. Any idea when?
Decent poster. Sounds like an incredibly dark movie.
The movie is uneven and it is the performances that keep it going. But I felt that it was intentionally uneven because you are seeing the story through Chloe Moretz's innocent perspective. Sometimes she's confused regarding what the characters around her are getting at. I felt like that was smart and it made me feel like I was her, going through these very emotional twists and turns. It's harsh, but effective. Also, great music too.
I worked on HICK. Everyone, including the cast and director, knew that this was a very rough script. But the way Martini works, he just keeps pushing the actors in very clever ways to get more surprise and emotion out of the takes. He's so fast, it's hard to keep up with. Everything is organized and focused. I don't think anyone involved in this movie are surpassed that some people love it and others hate it. But I will say that I am on another movie now and I really miss working with a great director who quickly gets everyone headed in the right direction. It makes for a very fulfilling job. I hope to work with him again, also because he loves using the dolly.
WITH THS CAST AND THE LYMELIFE DIRECTOR, HOW COULD THIS BE BAD???????????
UNLESS THE SCREENPLAY SUCKS.
What's Blake looking at, do you think? Looking over her shoulder from danger, maybe?
I'm kinda digging this poster. It's better than Dark Shadows. Have no idea what the movie is like though
Blake Lively rocked in this film and she looks hot as hell on the poster
Crazy movie. The next great, unique, American indie. Whoever said Casavettes was dead on.
For every 10 Little Miss Sunshines we might get 1 HICK. A true indie. We should embrace that, not bitch about it.
I saw it twice. Once at TIFF and again recently at a screening. It's been re-edited, tightened, since TIFF. I didn't think it was so bad longer at TIFF but the trimmed down version is definitely better. The poster looks really good. The actors are all great. Even Rory Culkin, Alec Baldwin, Juliette Lewis and Ray Mc Kinnon in small roles. It isw one of those "too good to be true" for actors, especially working with the actor friendly director of Lymelife at the helm. the screenplay was written by a novelist based on her novel. That's its largest failure IMO. Maybe it wasn't the best material for Martini to agree to do, but in hollywood as a director, sometimes you have to go with the film that is funded and make the best of it. Which I believe he did. It's cast well, shot well and well edited. It's still a dark tale, but Martini and the actors certainly mined the material for all it was worth.
Risky story for any filmmaker or actor. Bravo for them for putting this on the screen. I'm prepared to be emotionally ripped up after watching this. But I am nervous.
Eddie was so brilliant in this film they should have made his photo on the poster bigger.
I'd say it's worth it to watch the acting. I did not like the rape or implied rape. It made me angry. But it's a movie where you have 5 scenes in a row that are stunning and then a scene or 2 that don't work. And it plays out that way to the end. I can say this, I will NEVER forget Lloyd's Lagoon. That was a highlight. Probably worth watching for that scene alone.
Boogie Nights comes to mind. Great scenes followed by mundane scenes, and on and on.
I worked on both of Martinis films as part of the key crew. I have no personal love for him. He's a smart guy, takes no shit, and protects his actors like they were his children. I haven't seen the edited version of Hick, but after seeing Lymeife, after working on it, I have to say that there is virtually no chance that Hick will be anything less than a heck of a lot of great acting. I'd be shocked if Martini ever makes a movie with poor acting. And here we had Moretz, Redmayne, Baldwin, Juliette Lewis, Rory Culkin, Ray McKinnon, Blake Lively. And ALL of them on set were brilliant. Martini pushes and pushes and pushes until he and the actors are satisfied. This gets a bit tedious for crew, but it paid off in Lymelife and I'd be utterly shocked if it doesn't pay off in Hick.
This movie is not bad because it makes you feel uncomfortable. It's bad because there is nothing to see. The acting is fine for the most part (Redmayne was the stand out for me) but the script and uneven direction kill any chances the film has of critical success. Also, Lively isn't as terrible in this film as she is in everything else… make of that what you will.
Chloe looks good. She'll be a great Carrie.
Love/Hate at the same time.
Now I'm intrigued. I loved loved loved Lymelife, Let Me In and Savage Grace. And all of this polarity has me salivating.
Whoever said "demented" has it right. I've seen it, I won't say when because I was not supped to be there. But it is demented. And sort of cruel. But I liked it a lot. Ballsy acting and filmmaking.
This article is actually spot on. The movie as a whole is a showcase for the actors to play very serious, fun, dark roles. I know it's based on a book, written by the author, but it felt like a Casavettes (John, to his Nick) movie. All about the actors all the time. Showing all kinds of talent. The story is definitely not a blot of shame, it's just not much of a story. I'm 50/50 on this one. I wan't disappointed because the acting was truly surprising, but I wasn't sure how I felt about the end. It left me worried for the Moretz character as opposed to resolving it fully. Worth seeing if you love cinema. Not worth seeing if you just want to be entertained. This director, of Lymelife, seemed to take pleasure in Hick by making the audience uncomfortable. Which is the opposite of Lymelife, which was a real pleasure, good cinema, etc. But he took a turn here into the world usually reserved for Todd Solondz and Todd Field. Actually pretty versatile, if you ask me. I was shocked at the turns this move took. But, then again, maybe he was just following the script. I did not read the book.
I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS MOVIE!
Where's the trailer??
"curiosity" my ass. This one's a stinker.
Hot poster. Should I be saying that about Moretz? Isn't she 15? Whatever. It's hot. So is Blake Lively! And if I were gay, I'd probably like the cowboy on top too.
This film will get no love from me, even if I do like the poster. Which, surprisingly, I do. Despite some really good acting and camera work, it is really disturbing in the end.
F-U whoever made this.
Saw it. Eddie Redmayne almost steals the movie from Chloe. Almost. Finest acting Lively has ever done and I am not a Lively hater. I'm just sayin', she cries a lot. So maybe that's "good acting". It's ok, overall, not nearly as bad as some people think, but you have to like this kind of no holds barred drama with some weird, awkward comedy here and there.
YES! Totally demented movie! I saw it at Toronto. No one walked out! That's BS. People were weeping at the end!
But it is one tough movie. I would only recommend it to people who have the stomach for some pretty grueling emotional stuff. Other wise, stay away.
Pitch perfect acting, BTW.
I'm seeing it again!
Looks like a pretty cool poster to me.
A "blot of shame" is strangely appropriate. I saw this at TIFF too and it made me feel ASHAMED. I can't say that I did not enjoy it. I actually want to scream "I HATE THIS MOVIE" but I can't. It lingered in my mind for a couple of days afterwards. Usually proof that I saw something memorable. Was it a memorable mess? No sir. It kept me hooked in and made me feel ashamed, uncertain…I think it was designed that way. I have no idea. But it made me feel like I was hit by a train.
By far the best performances from the festival. Moretz is basically the whole movie. But Redmayne and Lively are pretty important characters. Redmayne is pure raw talent. He is the most disarming freaky creep I've seen on film in a long time. Everything with Redmayne and Moretz was riveting. A very weird relationship. All the stuff with Lively and Moretz was kind of fun.
In an effort to sum it up, this is the kind of pure INDIE that is not polite. Little Miss Sunshine, it is not. It's more like "screw narrative, screw logic, screw you if you can't follow it, screw you if you don't like it, we had the balls to make it, now watch if you dare".
I think that's a fair assessment. And this poster, it only hints at how f-ed up things get.
The poster looks like it was made in a middle school art class. This movie is dreadful… I saw it at TIFF and while I didn't walk-out like many others in the theater, I was shocked at just how bad it was. Bad script, uneven acting, and vacant direction. This might just be a blip in Moretz's (and maybe Redmayne's) otherwise impressive resume, but everyone else has some explaining to do. Strange they haven't released a trailer yet.