Equinox (1992 film)
Film directed by Alan Rudolph
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Equinox is a 1992 film written and directed by Alan Rudolph. It stars Matthew Modine in dual roles, along with Lara Flynn Boyle, Marisa Tomei and Fred Ward. The film was shot in Minnesota and Utah and is set in the fictional city of Empire. It was nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards.[citation needed]
| Equinox | |
|---|---|
Movie Poster | |
| Directed by | Alan Rudolph |
| Written by | Alan Rudolph |
| Produced by | David Blocker |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Elliot Davis |
| Edited by | Michael Ruscio |
| Music by | Terje Rypdal |
Production company | RainCity Productions |
| Distributed by | I.R.S. Media |
Release dates | |
Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $6 million[1] |
| Box office | $279,627[2] |
Plot
Henry Petosa and Freddy Ace are identical twins living in the fictional city of Empire with no knowledge of each other, separated at birth and placed for adoption.
Henry is a very funny and strong garage mechanic. He lives in a slum and loves Beverly Franks, his best friend's sister. He also baby-sits for his neighbor Rosie, a prostitute.
Freddy is a driver for Mr. Paris, a gangster. He is slick and self-confident, married to a materialistic woman named Sharon.
One day, a young woman named Sonya Kirk who works in a morgue accidentally comes across a letter indicating that the twins are actually the offspring of European nobility and owed a large sum of inheritance money. Sonya decides to play amateur detective and track them down.
It all leads to a confrontation between the surprised twins in a restaurant, a shootout and a final scene high above the Grand Canyon.
Principal cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Matthew Modine | Henry Petosa / Freddy Ace |
| Lara Flynn Boyle | Beverly Franks |
| Fred Ward | Mr. Paris |
| Tyra Ferrell | Sonya Kirk |
| Marisa Tomei | Rosie Rivers |
| Kevin J. O'Connor | Russell Franks |
| Tate Donovan | Richie Nunn |
| Lori Singer | Sharon Ace |
| Gailard Sartain | Dandridge |
| M. Emmet Walsh | Pete Petosa |
Twin child actors Jasen and Jereme Kane play the young version of Modine's characters, as well as appearing as the twin children in the restaurant at the end of the film.
Production
Parts of the film were shot in Crescent Junction and Moab, Utah as well as St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota.[3]
Alan Rudolph called it "one of my hip pocket movies" like Welcome to LA, Choose Me and Trouble in Mind. He said it was a film that "requires audience participation. It tries to draw upon the audience’s unconsciousness. The audience actually creates what it is. It’s a fable. In fact we did everything but “Once upon a time . . .” at the beginning of the film... It’s a gritty movie about improbable things. "[4]
Reception
Box office
According to Rudolph the film "was released in just a handful of theaters and then it was gone".[5]
Critical reception
Variety argued "film is full of ideas and evocative scenes. But its low-key, subtle aesthetic and plotline that deliberately takes most of the running time to reveal itself will keep B.O. potential modest."[6]
The New York Times movie reviewer Stephen Holden had praise for the actors, saying Modine "does a fine job of differentiating between the two without resorting to caricature. He is especially good at showing how the repressed qualities of each twin peek through their surfaces. As Henry's sweetheart, Ms. Boyle exudes the right mixture of warm-blooded ardor and strait-laced defensiveness."[7]
Jonathan Rosenbaum wrote "As a fan of both" Rudolph and Modine "I should have loved this dreamy metaphysical thriller... It has so many of the usual Rudolph tics that it often comes across as Rudolph squared, but maybe that’s the problem. Despite a likable cast, the movie drowns in its own stylishly self-regarding mannerisms and New Age pretensions."[8] Filmink felt the movie had a "Lovely mood and the acting is terrific, particularly from Lara Flynn Boyle."[9]
Rudolph himself later reflected:
After a really incredible screening of the film in Chicago, where it was received exactly as I’d intended, I realized that I’d simply held up a mirror on society. This is as close as I’ve come to doing that. Even though it’s fictional, it’s the same as all the films I write and direct: people trying to connect in a crazy world. But this film is also about an uncaring society, about people lying to themselves, about people whose fantasy lives become as important as their real, daily lives.[4]