My New Gun is a 1992 American black comedy film written and directed by Stacy Cochran in her debut.[2] It stars Diane Lane, James Le Gros, Stephen Collins, and Tess Harper, and also features an early minor role for Philip Seymour Hoffman.[3]
| My New Gun | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Stacy Cochran |
| Written by | Stacy Cochran |
| Produced by | Michael Flynn |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Edward Lachman |
| Edited by | Camilla Toniolo |
| Music by | Pat Irwin |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | IRS Media |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2.1 million[1] |
Plot
editA New Jersey doctor named Gerald buys his trophy wife, Debbie, a revolver against her wishes.[4] Trouble ensues when their eccentric slacker neighbor, Skippy, takes the gun and doesn't want to give it back. After an accident lands Gerald in the hospital, it's up to Debbie to get the gun back and try to figure out why Skippy took it in the first place.
Cast
edit- Diane Lane as Debbie Bender
- James Le Gros as Skippy
- Stephen Collins as Gerald Bender
- Tess Harper as Kimmy Hayes
- Bruce Altman as Irwin Bloom
- Maddie Corman as Myra
- Bill Raymond as Andrew
- Suzzy Roche as Checkout Girl
- Philip Seymour Hoffman as Chris
- Patti Chambers as Janice Phee
- Stephen Pearlman as Al Schlyen
- Leslie Brett Daniels as Waitress
- Paul J.Q. Lee as Desk Manager
- Angela Marie Baker as Maid at Ramada
- Kent Gash as Bell Hop
Production
editMy New Gun was shot on a budget of $2.1 million, financed from IRS Media[1] and Columbia-TriStar Home Video.[5] It was shot on location in Teaneck, New Jersey, and a townhouse was used for the interior of multiple homes.[5]
Reception
editOn Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 43% based on reviews from 7 critics.[6]
Terrence Rafferty of The New Yorker praised Cochran's directorial debut, writing that "The assurance she shows in handling even a brief expository scene is astonishing. [...] This film school graduate has a kind of 'technique' that can't be taught. [...] The sort of liberation that My New Gun proposes, and embodies, is the product of a true filmmaker's vision".[7]
The film was praised by another critic for its "masterfully understated structure" and eccentricities, which some considered to be influenced by Thelma and Louise or an update of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House.[4]
Emanuel Levy has noted the way in which "the gifted director Stacy Cochran examines suburbia in a manner devoid of the usually nasty, mean-spirited approach to the subject", and unlike other downtown New York films, it "displays no irony or condescension; yet its quirkily laconic, minimalist perspective goes against expectations."[5]
References
edit- ^ a b McCreadie, Marsha (October 25, 1992). "FILM; 'My New Gun' Hits Its Maker's Target". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ "My New Gun (1992)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
- ^ Oliver, David (2 February 2014). "Timeline: The life of Philip Seymour Hoffman". USA Today. Retrieved 17 February 2014.
- ^ a b Allon, Yoram; Cullen, Del; Patterson, Hannah (2002). Contemporary North American Film Directors: A Wallflower Critical Guide. Wallflower Press. p. 89. ISBN 978-1-903364-52-9.
- ^ a b c Levy, Emanuel (2001). Cinema of Outsiders: The Rise of American Independent Film. NYU Press. p. 393. ISBN 978-0-8147-5124-4.
- ^ "My New Gun". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2021-08-01.
- ^ Rafferty, Terence. "My New Gun". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
