Main Cast: Crispin Glover, R. Lee Ermey, Laura Elena Harring, Jackie Burroughs
Release Year: 2003
Country: US
Run Time: 100 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
A young man uses his vermin pals to exact revenge upon the people who've domineered his life in this remake of the 1971 cult classic. Starring Crispin Glover in the role originated by Bruce Davison, Willard concerns the mundane, repressed existence of the twentysomething title character, who lives at home with his nagging mother (Jackie Burroughs) and works at a shipping company for a stern, authoritarian supervisor (R. Lee Ermey). When Willard becomes fascinated with a gaggle of rats living in his decrepit home, they become both his friends and his aggressors, as he sics them upon anyone who crosses his path. But one rat, Ben, isn't so amenable to Willard's orders, and a horrifying test of wills begins. Willard was brought to the screen for the second time by writer/director Glen Morgan and producer James Wong, who previously worked together on episodes of The X-Files as well as the features Final Destination and The One. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
Review
It may not be the breakout hit that earns lead Crispin Glover the recognition he so deserves after toiling away for more than two decades in supporting roles, but director Glen Morgan's updating of the 1971 cult classic nevertheless remains an entertaining effort and an ideal vehicle for Glover's quirky nervous intensity. Stylishly shot by Morgan and cinematographer Robert McLachlan, Willard successfully plays up the lush gothic surroundings in which the eponymous character slowly fades under the watchful eye of his overbearing mother. Encapsulating the essence of a true outsider as few could, audiences are able to sympathize with Glover's character as the hapless loner suffers both at home and at work under the wrath of his barking pit bull of a boss. An interesting choice to play a shrewd businessman given his universally accepted drill-instructor persona, R. Lee Ermey offers an effective performance as a ruthless and greed-driven office tyrant who slowly pushes Willard over the edge in his conniving bid to overpower the family business. As Glover's decent into madness accelerates and his intensity begins to boil over, viewers are offered one of the actor's most memorable and satisfying voyages into unhinged psychosis thus far. His portrayal of his character's relationship with his rats shows a man well versed in the basic politics of business but unable to transfer that keen understanding into a social-based reality. Gradually becoming an animal trapped in his own maze of mental decay, Willard's relationship with the rats offers an interesting and effective parallel to his work environment. Although viewers expecting to be frightened are likely to walk away disappointed, those seeking a dark and quirky study in mental erosion liberally peppered with black humor are in for a neglected treat. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Kristen Cloke - Dr. Bludworth; Kim McKamy; David Parker - Detective Boxer
Credit
Catherine Ircha - Art Director, Centropolis Entertainment - Animator, John Papsidera - Casting, Coreen Mayrs - Casting, Heike Brandstatter - Casting, Gregory Mah - Costume Designer, Jack Hardy - First Assistant Director, Glen Morgan - Director, James Wong - Second Unit Director, James Coblentz - Editor, Bill Carraro - Executive Producer, Richard Brener - Executive Producer, Toby Emmerich - Executive Producer, Shirley Walker - Composer (Music Score), Mark Freeborn - Production Designer, Robert McLachlan - Cinematographer, James Wong - Producer, Glen Morgan - Producer, Dave McMoyler - Set Designer, Jon Title - Set Designer, Patrick Ramsay - Sound/Sound Designer, Boone Narr - Stunts Coordinator, Lou Bollo - Stunts Coordinator, Glen Morgan - Screenwriter, Michael Wrinch - Second Unit Director Of Photography, Stuart Robertson - Visual Effects Supervisor, The Creature Shop - Animatronic Effects, Dave McMoyler - Supervising Sound Editor, Centropolis Entertainment - Visual Effects, Mark Lane - Set Decorator, Gilbert A. Ralston - Book Author, Stephen Gilbert - Book Author, Howard A. Anderson Company - Title Design
Willard is a 2003horror film loosely based on the novel Ratman's Notebooks by Stephen Gilbert and a remake of the 1971 film of the same name. It was not billed as a remake by the producers, but as a re-working of the themes from the original, with a stronger focus on suspense.[1]
Willard Stiles (Crispin Glover) is a social misfit taking care of his ill and fragile but verbally abusive mother Henrietta (Jackie Burroughs) in a musty old mansion that is also home to a colony of rats. Willard finds himself constantly humiliated in front of his co-workers by his cruel boss, Frank Martin (R. Lee Ermey), a vicious man who assumed control of Willard's father's company upon his death, and whose professional interest in Willard extends to a personal financial one. A co-worker, Cathryn (Laura Elena Harring), has sympathy for the quirky Willard[2].
Meanwhile, Willard quickly becomes obsessed with his friendship with a rat he names Socrates. Willard then begins to train and befriend the other rats including an extra large one he calls Ben. Ben begins to assume a position of "leadership" among the other rats, while Socrates remains Willard's favorite. Willard's mother panics when she overhears the rats and later dies by falling down the stairs of the basement. Willard learns soon afterward that payments on the house have fallen far behind, and that the bank will likely foreclose upon the property. Willard then says that Socrates is all he has left.
Cathryn stops by and gives Willard a cat named Sculley, he sets the cat inside and leaves. The rats, led by Ben, attack and kill Sculley soon after it arrives.
When Willard arrives home he notices Ben watching him evilly; Willard begins to distrust Ben thereafter. Desperately lonely, Willard begins to bring Socrates to work with him. Willard finds a note at his desk declaring that he's being fired by Frank Martin from the company his father founded. While he's arguing with Martin, begging not to be fired, Socrates is discovered by a coworker in the supply room. She screams, and Martin bludgeons Socrates to death. Willard, his mental state already precarious, is devastated. Willard turns to Ben, who is more than willing to guide the army of basement rats to help Willard avenge himself upon his slave-driving boss. Willard and his basement rats confront Martin, and upon Willard's command they swarm Martin and tear him apart.
Willard, however, mistrusts Ben and attempts to dispose of him and the other rats. He succeeds in killing some, but Ben remains, and turns the remaining rat army against Willard. Willard barely escapes with his life, and kills Ben. But an epilogue reveals that he has retreated into a semi-catatonic state and been placed in a mental institution. There he finds a new white rat, which looks like Socrates and he believes is a rebirth of his one friend. In the end Willard beckons the rat over to him and says "It's not over yet, no! Our time is going to come."
Cast
Crispin Glover as Willard Stiles: An antisocial worker for Martin-Stiles Manufacturing. A business originally started by his father but was "stolen" by Frank Martin. Willard is constantly tormented by his boss and his beloved mother. He befriends a colony of rats, especially a white rat named Socrates and a big rat named Ben. When his torment finally makes Willard vengeful, he uses his rats to get revenge, transforming into a sociopath.
R. Lee Ermey as Frank Martin: A cruel and uncaring CEO of Martin-Stiles Manufacturing. He constantly humiliates Willard for his late arrivals at work and even kills his pet rat Socrates. He is eventually eaten alive by Willard's rats.
Laura Elena Harring as Cathryn: A co-worker of Willard who sympathizes with him until she realizes his involvement in Martin's murder.
Jackie Burroughs as Henrietta Stiles: Willard's ill yet verbally abusive mother who even calls him "Clark" since she hates his real name.
Kimberly Patton as Ms. Leach: A cynical secretary for Frank Martin.
William S. Taylor as Mr. Garter: A trustee of the Stiles estate who informs Willard of dire financial straits after Willard's mother dies.
Ty Olsson as Officer Salmon: A policeman who discovers Willard is "nuts."
"Ben" By Michael Jackson is again featured in this movie (his song was first used in the 1972 film of the same name). The framed picture of Willard's father is a picture of Bruce Davison, who played Willard in the 1971 film of the same name.
The 2004 DVD includes two alternate endings:
The original ending concludes with a pan from the outside of the house up to an illuminated opaque window of the library. After a moment, Ben's silhouette appears in the window, nursing its paw. The film then fades to black and ends, implying Willard's death.
The extended new ending includes additional footage in the asylum. A female psychiatrist sums up her diagnosis from outside Willard's cell. Standing next to her is Mr. Garter from the bank who asks her to sign a document which puts him in charge of Willard's possessions, i.e. his house. In the cell, Willard's soothing words to his white visitor are intercut with a shot where he looks at Mr. Garter and the psychiatrist through the bull's eye of his cell door.
Ben is played by a Gambian pouched rat, a species native to Africa. In 2003, import of these animals into the United States was banned.
The movie has a score of 61 out of 100 by Metacritic,[3] and a 64% from all reviewers at Rotten Tomatoes,[4] it grossed $6,886,089 in domestic box office and $1,660,577 in foreign box office.
