L.I.E. (2001)

83% of critics liked it
(82 reviews)
76% of users liked it
(6,880 ratings)

A teenaged boy in desperate need of a father figure finds one in a place no one should ever have to look in this controversial drama. Howie (Paul Franklin Dano) is a 15-year-old who has been emotionally at sea ever since the death of his mother in an auto accident several years before. Howie's… More A teenaged boy in desperate need of a father figure finds one in a place no one should ever have to look in this controversial drama. Howie (Paul Franklin Dano) is a 15-year-old who has been emotionally at sea ever since the death of his mother in an auto accident several years before. Howie's father Marty (Bruce Altman) is also having trouble dealing with the loss, and distracts himself with empty sex while avoiding authorities attempting to prosecute him for using unsafe materials in his building contracting business. Howie falls in with a group of homeless delinquents his own age, becoming especially close to streetwise Gary (Billy Kay). In time, Howie begins to wonder if his feelings for Gary go past ordinary friendship, but the issue of his sexuality is forced into a very different light after Gary persuades Howie to join him in robbing the home of middle-aged former Marine Big John Harrigan (Brian Cox). It doesn't take long for Big John to track down the culprits after Howie and Gary steal several guns from his house, but Howie learns that Big John and Gary have met before -- Gary sometimes works as a male prostitute, and Big John, whose tastes run to boys in their early teens, is a regular customer. When Gary runs away to California, Big John proposes that Howie work off their debt by having sex with him; while Howie is hardly comfortable with this arrangement, he has nowhere else to go after his father ends up in jail, and he finds an unexpected degree of emotional support in his relationship with the curiously compassionate pedophile, who comes to understand just how badly Howie needs help. L.I.E. (the title stands for "Long Island Expressway") premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: NC-17, 1 hr. 48 min.
Directed By: Michael Cuesta
Written By: Stephen Ryder, Michael Cuesta, Gerald Cuesta
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Sep 7, 2001 Wide
On DVD: Jun 4, 2002
Studio: Lot 47 Films

Critic Reviews

Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Cuesta never gives us the satisfaction of fulfilling our expectations; instead he gives us a movie that we can ponder long the road takes its final turn.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
Recoiling from L.I.E. is a very human, and frankly a very responsible, reaction.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
Difficult and flawed feature debut.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Gripping, troubling, and deftly acted.
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
One of the most provocative independent films of the year.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
If you're open-minded and adventurous in your moviegoing, and if you can handle a disturbing but major performance, then by all means see it.
Prairie Miller, Long Island Press
Taps into that growing body of gothic disaffection best termed suburban noir. And this particular dystopic suburban teen's eye view of that gauntlet to difficult adulthood, redefines the notion of road movie as inner road rage in chilling ways.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...worth checking out for Cox's amazing performance...
Moira Sullivan, FilmFestivals.com
Cuesta has succeeded in making a clear and captivating narrative involving the issues of trust, loss and deceit, all of which take place within the space of a week.
Joshua Tanzer, Offoffoff
Raises the bar on the coming-of-age story with a tightly focused portrait of a 15-year-old who looks for a father figure and finds his kindly neighborhood sexual predator.
Harry Guerin, RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)
A story which never resorts to sensationalism in its troubling study of people wanting to find a way out.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Ultimately offers little satisfaction outside of the strong performances.

Read all 12 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Lady D

This is a fairly well acted film with part of the story being of a disturbing nature. The power of suggestion is everything in this film and heightens the controversial subject in hand, whilst giving Brian Cox a controversial role to tackle. The general storyline does hold your… More
This is a fairly well acted film with part of the story being of a disturbing nature. The power of suggestion is everything in this film and heightens the controversial subject in hand, whilst giving Brian Cox a controversial role to tackle. The general storyline does hold your attention, but the highs and lows of the film and few and far between, leaving it on a very monotone level.
Leigh R

Good, but be ready for some biting qualities.
Conner R

Amazing. The film covered so much ground and officially went where no coming-of-age story has ever dared to go. Paul Dano was dead on, one of the most believable confused teens i've seen on camera. Brian Cox was almost too good and I'm sure it was an incredibly hard role to… More
Amazing. The film covered so much ground and officially went where no coming-of-age story has ever dared to go. Paul Dano was dead on, one of the most believable confused teens i've seen on camera. Brian Cox was almost too good and I'm sure it was an incredibly hard role to play. The look and direction of it was really good. It was a perfectly depressing backdrop. I guess if you can't handle the subject matter it would be rough, but I really liked that aspect of it. It wasn't afraid to bring up any subject.
Nicki M

This was impossible to find as a rental, so I ended up having to buy it from overseas! Glad I did, it was definitely worth a watch. I love this twisted teen crap. LOL.
Tom E

this is the most real portrayal of pedophilia I've ever seen in the movies --
Alec B

Its beyond honest and it never settles for anything less than that. It handles the material well and never exploits it. Paul Dano is great in this and so is Brian Cox. They are two roles that a lot of actors would avoid because of the content but they both are up the task, they… More
Its beyond honest and it never settles for anything less than that. It handles the material well and never exploits it. Paul Dano is great in this and so is Brian Cox. They are two roles that a lot of actors would avoid because of the content but they both are up the task, they achieve a realistic emotional connection with the audience that is what really makes the whole film so compelling.
Mike T

Although I still really like and admire this film, it doesn't quite hold up on a second viewing. It works as a stirring depiction of adolescence, and it demonstrates promise from director Michael Cuesta. Delving into some of the most dangerous topics associated with teenagers,… More
Although I still really like and admire this film, it doesn't quite hold up on a second viewing. It works as a stirring depiction of adolescence, and it demonstrates promise from director Michael Cuesta. Delving into some of the most dangerous topics associated with teenagers, this movie almost always avoids cheap summaries and judgment. Brian Cox's performance as a pedophile really is a revelation - he does things with this character that are downright astonishing. The rest of the acting is fantastic too, especially from a very young Paul Dano in the lead. With an intuitive screenplay, vivid direction and a cast of great performances, this is a really special piece.
Daisy M

L.I.E. was the short name for the Long Island Expressway. It was quite a disturbing movie of a 15 years old boy Howard who became the prey of the local pedophile.This topic required real honest understanding for being a problem of our society and an uncomfortable matter so I guess… More
L.I.E. was the short name for the Long Island Expressway. It was quite a disturbing movie of a 15 years old boy Howard who became the prey of the local pedophile.This topic required real honest understanding for being a problem of our society and an uncomfortable matter so I guess that was the reason they rated this movie NC17. The movie portrayed both characters very well, the pedophile role and the emotional needs he filled boy with. It could be very disturbing to watch young boys getting blackmailed into having sex with a 60 year old man. The child actors were great and natural, Brian Cox played the pedophile Big John very well. The script was heartbreaking and the whole movie had a strong intensity to keep you watching till the end.