Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006)
Comedy, Drama, Fantasy |.
Wristcutters: A Love Story is a American black comedy fantasy road movie written and directed by Goran Dukić and starring Patrick Fugit, Shea Whigham, and Shannyn Sossamon. Its premise is set in a strange afterlife way-station that has been reserved for people who have died by suicide.
It is based on Etgar Keret’s short story “Kneller’s Happy Campers.” A graphic novel version was titled Pizzeria Kamikaze.
The film was originally intended to be shot on super-16 color infrared film, which was produced specially by Kodak. The color-shifts inherent in using this kind of film were thought to enhance the parallel world feel to the action. In the end, it proved to be too time-consuming and the film was shot using normal filmstock manipulated in post-processing.
After Zia (Patrick Fugit) takes his own life, he finds himself in an afterlife limbo much the same as life, but slightly worse. The color is dim, there are no stars, and no one can smile. This strange realm is populated by people who have died by suicide, such as Eugene (Shea Whigham), a Russian musician who lives with his mother, father, and brother – all suicide victims. Together they waste most of their afterlives in bars, until Zia learns from a friend, Brian (Jake Busey), that his ex-girlfriend, Desiree (Leslie Bibb), took her own life shortly after Zia’s death. He and Eugene take to the road to find her in Eugene’s rundown car. Early on, it is revealed that Eugene’s car has two idiosyncrasies, a black hole underneath the passenger seat where items that are dropped disappear forever, and broken headlights that cannot be fixed by even the most adept mechanics. On their trip, they pick up hitchhiker, Mikal, who insists she has arrived by mistake, and is seeking the “people in charge” (a.k.a. the PIC) in order to be sent back.
Director: Goran Dukic
Writers: Goran Dukic, Etgar Keret (novel)
Stars: Patrick Fugit, Shea Whigham, Tom Waits, Shannyn Sossamon, Goran Dukic, Leslie Bibb, Will Arnett
Cast:
| Will Arnett | … | Messiah |
| Abraham Benrubi | … | Erik |
| Leslie Bibb | … | Desiree |
| Mark Boone Junior | … | Mike (as Mark Boone Jr.) |
| Cameron Bowen | … | Kostya |
| Clayne Crawford | … | Jim |
| Chase Ellison | … | Kid Kostya |
| Patrick Fugit | … | Zia |
| Adam Gifford | … | Gas Station Attendant (as Adam G.) |
| Mary Pat Gleason | … | Eugene’s Mother |
| John Hawkes | … | Yan |
| Mikal P. Lazarev | … | Nanuk |
| Aaron Parker Mouser | … | Max (as Aaron Mouser) |
| Nick Offerman | … | Cop |
| Anatol Rezmeritza | … | Eugene’s Father |
| Sarah Roemer | … | Rachel |
| Amy Seimetz | … | Nina (as Amy Siemetz) |
| Azura Skye | … | Tania |
| Shannyn Sossamon | … | Mikal |
| Tom Waits | … | Kneller |
| Shea Whigham | … | Eugene |
| Sharone Meir | … | Doctor (as Sharon Meir) |
| Jonathan Alberts | … | Funeral Attendant |
| Michael Brodersen | … | Funeral Attendant (as Mike Brodersen) |
| John Brookbank | … | Funeral Attendant |
| Chris Coen | … | Funeral Attendant |
| Erica Nicotra | … | Funeral Attendant |
| Alexis Spraic | … | Funeral Attendant |
| Anthony Azizi | … | Hassan |
| Azazel Jacobs | … | Kamakaze Pizza Patron |
| David Baum | … | Eugene’s Band |
| Nicki Nevlin | … | Eugene’s Band |
| Emily Yanez | … | Eugene’s Band |
| Alicia Warrington | … | Eugene’s Band |
| Rob Hall | … | Eugene’s Band |
| James Fraijo | … | Man in White (as James Fraigo) |
| Reedy Gibbs | … | Max’s Teacher |
| Nils Allen Stewart | … | Messiah Bodyguard (as Nils Stewart) |
| Brian David | … | Messiah Double |
| Jakub Dolezal | … | Messiah Double (as Jacob Dolezal) |
| Bonnie Aarons | … | Messiah Worshipper |
| Goran Dukic | … | People in Charge (P.I.C.) (as Zoran Dukic) |
| Ernst Gossner | … | People in Charge (P.I.C.) |
| Chris Hanley | … | People in Charge (P.I.C.) |
| Ava Metz | … | People in Charge (P.I.C.) |
| Wilbur Schwartz | … | People in Charge (P.I.C.) (as Dr. Wilbur Schwartz) |
| Gregorio | … | Pizza Delivery Guy (as Zia Harris) |
| Marlon Mark | … | Soldier |
| Peter Wulff | … | Soldier |
| Irwin Keyes | … | Stiff Drinks Bartender |
| Bridget Powers | … | Stripper (as Bridget Powerz) |
| Rachel Stolte | … | Stripper |
| Jonathan Schwartz | … | Train Conductor |
| Shay Morgan Brook | … | Train Passenger |
| Jazzmun | … | Transvestite |
| George Weiss Vando | … | Tranvestite |
| Vicky Reineger | … | Vicky |
| Mark Fredrichs | … | Zia’s Father (as Mark Frederichs) |
| Julia Sanford | … | Zia’s Mother (as Julie Sanford) |
| Foxie | … | Freddy the Dog |
| Lonnie Beard | … | Bartender (uncredited) |
| Jake Busey | … | Brian (uncredited) |
| Troy DeWalt | … | People in Charge (P.I.C.) (uncredited) |
| Mark Edward Smith | … | Policeman (uncredited) |
| Eddie Steeples | … | Josh (uncredited) |
Sources: imdb & wikipedia