American Heart

Plot

Following up on Streetwise, his powerful documentary on the homeless kids of Seattle, director Martin Bell returned to that city for a dramatic feature. Nick Kelson (Edward Furlong) is a troubled teenager whose mother has been dead for many years; he spends much of his time with other throwaway kids roaming the city. When Nick's father Jack (Jeff Bridges) is released from a long stretch in prison, the father and child reunion is a bumpy one. Jack senses an obligation to his son but is trying to focus on taking responsibility for his own life before he can extend himself. Nick is wary of his father's criminal background, but he also craves the stability of a real home life. Aware that a return to the city whose mean streets spawned his criminal career might pull him back into his old ways, Jack talks about moving to Alaska to make a fresh start, but it's not clear if Nick is part of his plan. The film's unsentimental look at its characters always on the verge of backsliding didn't endear it to ticket buyers, but it was lauded by many critics for its honesty and for Bridges' strong performance, which won an Independent Spirit award. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

Review

Not every documentary can spawn a successful feature, but then there is the case of director Martin Bell's Streetwise giving birth to his American Heart. Bell and his wife, photographer Mary Ellen Mark, collaborated on both films; it was her pictures of Seattle's street kids which inspired the documentary, and she and Bell wrote a screen story for writer Peter Silverman to fashion into a drama about a teen in danger of being lost to the streets. Jeff Bridges co-produced American Heart and anchored it with one of his strongest performances. His Jack Kelson is that familiar ex-con who's torn between going straight and falling prey to the lure of his former life. Kelson, with raggedy mustache, flowing hair, and a body sculpted by prison-yard workouts, is all swagger until he comes up against Nick, the son he barely knew. Edward Furlong and his clenched face exude alienation, and when he and Bridges square off, it's a showdown between two males who won't admit how badly they crave affection. Bell sees all of the down-and-out characters in this story with the same clear eye; they are neither colorfully eccentric nor pathetically damaged, just people trying to get by, often one day at a time. ~ Tom Wiener, Rovi

Cast

• Jeff Bridges - Jack Kelson
• Edward Furlong - Nick Kelson
• Lucinda Jenney - Charlotte
• Don Harvey - Rainey
• Tracey Kapisky

Maggie Welsh - Freddie; Loyd Catlett - Vernon the Bartender; Marcus Chong - Terry Cosmos; Barbara Irvin - Nicole; Todd Jamieson - Suburban Father; Cristine McMurdo-Wallis - School Administrator; Shareen J. Mitchell - Diane; Burke Pearson - Jack's Bum; John Boylan - Janitor; Kit McDonough - Landlady; Willie Williams - The Gospel Fireballs

Credit

Nancy Rae Stone - Associate Producer, Mary Ellen Mark - Associate Producer, Neil Koenigsberg - Co-producer, Beatrix Aruna Pasztor - Costume Designer, Richard Hawley - First Assistant Director, Timothy Lonsdale - First Assistant Director, Martin Bell - Director, Nancy Baker - Editor, James Newton Howard - Composer (Music Score), Joel Schiller - Production Designer, James R. Bagdonas - Cinematographer, Jeff Bridges - Producer, Cary Brokaw - Producer, Rosilyn Heller - Producer, Rondi Tucker - Set Designer, Bob Riggs - Special Effects, Peter Silverman - Screenwriter, Kevin Bartnof - Foley Artist

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