Keep Your Distance (2005)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Stu Pollard

Writer:

Stu Pollard (writer)

Genre:

Thriller | Mystery

Tagline:

Everyone you trust has the power to betray you.

Plot:

In the perfectly normal town of Louisville, KY, there is a perfectly normal man living the perfect life...

Plot Keywords:

Mercedes Benz | Glow In The Dark Stars | Long Distance Relationship | Word Game | Louisville Kentucky

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Gil Bellows	...	David Dailey
Jennifer Westfeldt	...	Melody Carpenter
Christian Kane	...	Sean Voight
Kim Raver	...	Susan Dailey
Jamie Harrold	...	Whit Harrington
Elizabeth Peña	...	Holly
Stacy Keach	...	Brooks Voight
Gary Anthony Williams	...	Kevin
Cynthia Martells	...	Dr. Havice
Dennis Burkley	...	Gus
Brooke L. Berry	...	Dream girl
Rick Overton	...	Dr. Floyd Beasley
Jenny McShane	...	Lindsay
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lisa Baldwin	...	Senator's Aide (scenes deleted)
Steve Carlson	...	Musician
James Ensor	...	Interview Boy
Tayler Lynch	...	Interviewed kid
Jim Petersmith	...	Bob Lentz
Matt Wheeler	...	The Todd

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and language.

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Company:

Blue & Grey Film Ventures

Trivia:

The red letters showing here and there, throughout the credits, spell T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U F-O-R W-A-T-C-H-I-N-G

Quotes:

Brooks Voight: Be careful of people who kiss your ass. They're always after something.

Movie Connections:

References Nice Guys Sleep Alone (1999)

Terrific Indy Comedy/Romance/Thriller

I was fortunate to catch this at a sneak preview in Los Angeles and was very nicely surprised. Pollard has created a sure-footed send-up of modern romance and what happens when devotion goes over the edge. Camera-work and settings around Kentucky were beautiful, creating a different spin from the constant romance-in-a-big-town-between-overeducated-professionals genre we all know too well.

Story splits its time between David (Gil Bellows of "Ally McBeal" & "Shawshank Redemption"), a popular (and married) local radio talk-show host and Melody (Jennifer Westfeldt of "Kissing Jessica Stein"), an attractive pharmaceutical saleswoman traveling through town to see her boyfriend, Sean (Christian Kane, "Angel" & "Friday Night Lights"). David meets Melody by chance after she humiliates Sean by turning down his very public marriage proposal. As a friendship develops between the two, we learn than Sean's not going to give up so easily on Melody and that David's perfect life as upstanding pillar of the community may not be what it seems...

Pollard deftly moves between romance, satire and unfolding mystery without ever letting his story run low on gas. The storyline is tight and the dialog is witty, funny and crisp. Realistic characters have to work around their warts, which creates a very funny commentary on marriage, dating and romantic obsession. Jennifer Westfeldt is particularly good at making a lot out of her neurotic beauty Melody, and she does look good here. Very nice use of multiple subplots and supporting characters (including "Mike Hammer" Stacy Keach and Elizabeth Pena of "Jacob's Ladder"). The story will keep you guessing until the last shot.

Good solid entertainment- keep an eye out for director Pollard in the future. 8/10