Hayley's a smart, charming teenage girl. Jeff's a handsome, smooth fashion photographer. An Internet chat, a coffee shop meet-up, an impromptu fashion shoot back at Jeff's place. Jeff thinks... Read allHayley's a smart, charming teenage girl. Jeff's a handsome, smooth fashion photographer. An Internet chat, a coffee shop meet-up, an impromptu fashion shoot back at Jeff's place. Jeff thinks it's his lucky night. He's in for a surprise.Hayley's a smart, charming teenage girl. Jeff's a handsome, smooth fashion photographer. An Internet chat, a coffee shop meet-up, an impromptu fashion shoot back at Jeff's place. Jeff thinks it's his lucky night. He's in for a surprise.
- Awards
- 10 wins & 13 nominations
- Hayley Stark
- (as Ellen Page)
- Janelle Rogers
- (as Jennifer Holmes)
- Nighthawks Clerk
- (as Gilbert John)
- Girl in Nighthawks
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOn the DVD commentary Patrick Wilson recalled that while filming on the roof, he had to shoot a scene where he yells, "You're not gonna shoot me," five times. After the third or fourth take someone within earshot - not part of the film crew - called the police thinking an actual attack was occurring.
- GoofsJeff's facial hair is noticeably thicker in the opening coffee shop scene than it is later in the day.
- Quotes
Jeff Kohlver: Look. I'm not the monster you think I am. But, okay, I crossed a line. Just call the cops. I'll turn myself in.
Hayley Stark: [as if narrating a headline] Cute Pedophile Pleads Guilty.
[speaking as a defense attorney]
Hayley Stark: "Aww, it's not his fault. He's sick. He has an addiction."
Jeff Kohlver: I'll do jail. Isn't, isn't that what should happen?
Hayley Stark: Yeah. You might. You might get jail time. I dunno: therapy, drugs, group discussions, notifying people when you move into a new house. How bad is that, really?
Jeff Kohlver: It'll ruin my career, ruin my life.
Hayley Stark: Well, didn't Roman Polanski just win an Oscar?
Hard Candy is an intense psychological drama, with incredible performances by both Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson. The two actors are practically the only two people with lines in the film, aside from some brief appearances by Sandra Oh and Jennifer Holmes. Thusfar I have only seen Wilson in The Alamo and Phantom of the Opera, but I was blown away with how he handled this performance. The slow, suspenseful film is set mainly in the Los Angeles home of photographer Jeff, a 32 year old man whom Hayley, a mature 14 year old girl who met him online, suspects to be a pedophile. The pacing was steady, and phenomenal - after a brief exposition we get into the real suspense about 20 minutes into the film, and it doesn't let up from there. The cinematography and camera work went excellently with the film. Rather than being extremely gory, the adult themes of the film lead to a more psychological creepiness. There are also questions that remain unanswered until the end of the film, when everything is wrapped up nicely - leaving you puzzled to the true identities and motives of the characters throughout most of the duration.
Horror films are not my cup of tea, but psychological drama is. An early fall release date has been rumored, and I can only hope this movie doesn't get lost in the shuffle between summer blockbusters and Oscar season. I also hope Lion's Gate markets this film for what it is, and doesn't try to aim for fans of slash, or a teen crowd.
- Luckie Starr
- May 11, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Dulce venganza
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $950,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $1,024,640
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $58,049
- Apr 16, 2006
- Gross worldwide
- $7,022,209
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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