Stuck (2007)
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73% of critics liked it
(88 reviews) -
55% of users liked it
(3,012 ratings)
Re-Animator director Stuart Gordon takes the helm for this disturbing tale of a compassionate retirement-home caregiver whose life is turned upside down after a gruesome hit-and-run accident leaves a severely injured homeless man lodged helplessly in her shattered windshield. Despite her repeated… More Re-Animator director Stuart Gordon takes the helm for this disturbing tale of a compassionate retirement-home caregiver whose life is turned upside down after a gruesome hit-and-run accident leaves a severely injured homeless man lodged helplessly in her shattered windshield. Despite her repeated promises to take her ailing victim to the hospital, the realization that the accident could destroy both her career and her future finds her uncharacteristically deciding to let the man die a slow death in her garage while conspiring with her boyfriend to dispose of the body. A fictionalized account of actual events, Stuck was co-scripted by director Gordon and frequent Tales from the Darkside contributor John Strysik. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- R, 1 hr. 25 min.
- Directed By
- Stuart Gordon
- Written By
- John Strysik
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense, Horror
- In Theaters
- May 30, 2008 Wide
- On DVD
- Oct 14, 2008
- Studio
- ThinkFilm
Critic Reviews
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J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
As the title of this splatter comedy by writer-director Stuart Gordon indicates, he's like a bug stuck to her windshield, and that's about the level of humanity and insight one can expect here.
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David Edelstein, New York Magazine
It's a grueling little noirish thriller with slasher-worthy gore.
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Bruce Demara, Toronto Star
Stuck gives a boost to the dramatic elements of the story, while preserving the stern lesson about a society crumbling under the weight of self-interest and moral decay.
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Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
You might hope for fiction to bring insight to senseless cruelty, rather than augment the ignominy of the original crime.
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Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
Stuck lost me the moment it started going for cheap laughs. Are we really meant to snicker at his suffering and at this awful, awful woman?
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Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
There's no shortage of scenes that you'll watch through your fingers, groaning -- but you'll watch all the same.
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Renee Schonfeld, Common Sense Media
Darkly funny morality tale for mature gore lovers.
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Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
A compact, lurid tabloid item that blows the lid off mundane human insensitivity
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Andrew L. Urban, Urban Cinefile
You could see it all as a darkly bizarre tale that just might be true
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Kim Newman, Empire Magazine
It's a shaggy-dog story that spirals into garage Grand Guignol, with Suvari and Rea well-matched in uneasy roles.
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Nigel Floyd, Time Out
Gordon has directed drama, such as Mamet's 'Edmond', but also visceral horror movies like 'Re-Animator'. Elements of both are evident in this taut psychological thriller.
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, Film4
Stuck is disturbing in all the right ways, turning an incredible real-life story of human callousness and suffering into a tawdry entertainment that makes guffawing, sociopathic rubbernecks of us all.
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James Christopher, Times [UK]
Stuart Gordon's low-budget thriller is so compellingly perverse that it transcends its humble premise.
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Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
With a little more ingenuity, a few more evilly funny lines and a more interestingly written role for its female lead, this could have been a minor cult classic.
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Elliott Noble, Sky Movies
While it'll certainly make you wince, Gordon's slapsticky execution and misguided injections of humour serve only to bleed the situation of suspense. What emerges is not so much horror as a grisly farce.
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David Edwards, Daily Mirror [UK]
Uninspired by a true story, the first 20 minutes before the collision are entertaining but, after metal hits flesh, you can almost hear the premise creaking as it's stretched to feature length, resulting in some of the dullest moments I can remember.
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Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Bizarre film that remains watchable thanks to strong performances and a decent script, though the tone veers wildly from black comedy to violent thriller via thinly-disguised social commentary and the film never quite comes together as a result.
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Anton Bitel, Film4
disturbing in all the right ways, turning an incredible real-life story of human callousness and suffering into a tawdry entertainment that makes guffawing, sociopathic rubbernecks of us all.
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Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton, Dread Central
Gordon hits the proverbial ball not only directly out of the park, but also through the windshield of a ... well, maybe I should just start from the beginning.
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Bill Gibron, PopMatters
Stuck is the kind of film you'd expect from Stuart Gordon. It defies convention as it finds unusual ways to make its many captivating and insightful points.
Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
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Lady D
It truly amazes me that they couldn?t come up with a better name at least! Perhaps that?s why this film was free to watch on my rental package. The idea of Stephen Rea did sound promising and certain parts of the story did appear to look like it was going to be quite a good… More
It truly amazes me that they couldn?t come up with a better name at least! Perhaps that?s why this film was free to watch on my rental package. The idea of Stephen Rea did sound promising and certain parts of the story did appear to look like it was going to be quite a good storyline. There were moments like the impact of the crash (not giving you a spoiler there, that?s what the film is about) that looked really good, but it did start to border on the ridiculous. -
Emily A
Oooh. This is a really gritty and interesting movie about realistic (sickeningly so) villainy. Nothing that happens in this movie is simple, and it would be a crime to describe this movie in terms of the barebones of the plot. Stephen Rea is the victim and Mena Suvari is the culprit,… More
Oooh. This is a really gritty and interesting movie about realistic (sickeningly so) villainy. Nothing that happens in this movie is simple, and it would be a crime to describe this movie in terms of the barebones of the plot. Stephen Rea is the victim and Mena Suvari is the culprit, but circumstances complicate the situation. It's an accident that brings the two together, but the accident is made so much worse through Brandi's indecision, worry and inaction. It's really quite harrowing to watch the people in this movie digging thier own grave and sinking deeper in this more. The end though is really satisfying. It couldn't have ended any other way. The less I say, the better. If you were a fan of Hard Candy, you'll like this one. It's very similar in tone, but the events don't have any of the malice. It doesn't keep them from being anything but painful though. -
Dean L
This movie was terribly difficult to watch. Not because it was a bad film, but because it felt so raw and real in a way that made the viewer very intentionally uncomfortable. The gore felt genuine as did the pain. The choices of our antisocial female lead paired with the odd… More
This movie was terribly difficult to watch. Not because it was a bad film, but because it felt so raw and real in a way that made the viewer very intentionally uncomfortable. The gore felt genuine as did the pain. The choices of our antisocial female lead paired with the odd conscience of her paramour brought tension and conflict effectively combined to the viewer. We watch the suffering and suffer in turn. This is a train wreck that is difficult to turn away from and I hope that you are satisfied with the return. -
Nicki M
Very farfetched... I couldn't believe at the beginning it says it is a true story.... wow, they must have really done some improvising with it! Anyhow, despite that, much like the car crash it is based around, I couldn't quite tear my eyes off it OR Mena… More
Very farfetched... I couldn't believe at the beginning it says it is a true story.... wow, they must have really done some improvising with it! Anyhow, despite that, much like the car crash it is based around, I couldn't quite tear my eyes off it OR Mena Suvari's....um... fetching cornrow hairdo (with bald spots because it's too thin to wear in that style!). Very different role for her, and she does pull off being a nasty piece of work with an angelic face extremely well. Decent b-grade straight to dvd, (I assume), thriller. -
Gordon A
Serviceable B-movie schlock horror with atleast an original premise if not execution. -
Creep F
Stuart Gordon makes lots of strange choices with his films. I love his work, but Stuck was the strangest of his choices, to me anyway. I really didn't care for this one. I believe it's because I did lots of reading on the actual case, based on Chante Jawan Mallard, and… More
Stuart Gordon makes lots of strange choices with his films. I love his work, but Stuck was the strangest of his choices, to me anyway. I really didn't care for this one. I believe it's because I did lots of reading on the actual case, based on Chante Jawan Mallard, and figured this movie would focus on most of the facts. I know Stuck is "loosely based" on the true story, and it is, but it stayed TOO far from the truth, AND in ways that were very silly. Yes, it's part "dark comedy", but not only are the jokes not funny, they weren't brutal enough for this to have the real meaning that it should've had. The scenes dragged for too long, like someone who tells 1 joke 8 different times, desperately trying to make you laugh for at least one of them. Or someone who brags for way too long, just so you can be convinced of their bullsh*t. These are the kind of movies that feel amateurish, in a bad way. The kind of movie that tries too hard at being smart by talking on, and on, and on. We get the point that the director has a good idea, so why does Stuart Gordon seem to push so hard for wittiness? All you have to do is get your point across once...maybe twice...move on to the next part of the film, and continue the story before the credits roll, and turns out to be a bad joke. He does right with most of his films, doesn't he get how to piece the puzzle together? But it's not always a good score in the business, and to make a great film EVERY single time, would be asking way too much. Stuart Gordon has proved many times he's no hack, so I guess he just had a bad day, OR maybe it's just me. Maybe since I figured I'd get some other grotesque gem from Gordon, I set the standards a little too high. I mean why not though? The true incident that it's based on is so ridiculously insane. That, and you put Stuart Gordon into the mix, you'd think you have a mega hit on your hands. The next cult smash! But what I got was something dull instead. Cheesy, in the bad way(failing to be silly and funny), and too repetitive in it's details. A tiny boo-boo for Stuart Gordon, I just hope the band-aid will come off soon. Since it did start off good, and did have a few funny moments, with some twisted ideas(very few on display) I'll be generous and give it 2 and 1/2 stars. Wasn't the worse film by any means, but it also wasn't that good. Nice try though I guess. I just hope someone will tell the real story, in the proper way, sometime soon. -
A.D. V
Equal parts drama and black comedy this quirky film brings a return to form for Stuart Gordon who takes a simple idea of a man trapped in the windshield of a car and makes almost* every minute interesting. On a trivia note, listen out for a very brief cameo of sorts from Gordon… More
Equal parts drama and black comedy this quirky film brings a return to form for Stuart Gordon who takes a simple idea of a man trapped in the windshield of a car and makes almost* every minute interesting. On a trivia note, listen out for a very brief cameo of sorts from Gordon regular Jefferey Combs. *The almost being the unnecessary and unattractive sex scene. -
_kelly .
After a brilliant montage of nursing home living set to thudding rap music, this film's story begins outrageously bleak and desperate, and certainly doesn't improve with each passing sequence. Stephen Rea plays Tom, a man who in one day has lost his apartment, been lost in… More
After a brilliant montage of nursing home living set to thudding rap music, this film's story begins outrageously bleak and desperate, and certainly doesn't improve with each passing sequence. Stephen Rea plays Tom, a man who in one day has lost his apartment, been lost in the paper shuffle at unemployment, and now faces his first night as a homeless person. Mena Suvari plays Brandi, nursing attendant to the elderly by day and party girl by night. She too has a great day cleaning an incontinent Alzheimer's patient (and it is ALL the way graphic) just before she finds out that she's gonna have to pull another Saturday to help secure a promotion. Brandi just wants to party and Tom just wants to find somewhere to stay. After the club, Brandi is headed home and Tom, recently ejected from a nearby park and pushing his squeaky new - and fleeting- badge of homelessness, is seeking shelter for the night when Brandi provides her windshield for Tom to lodge in. I can remember when this happened - and actually, watching this film - where Brandi is driving around and there are no other cars to be seen - the events seem incredulous and beyond believability for fiction. But all the while the panging reality is that this actually happened and probably looked just as surreal and improbable as it is depicted. Upon arriving home, Brandi indulges in a night of explicit one on one partying with her boyfriend. In the morning, homegirl calls a cab to pick her up for work the next morning and !!!HOLY SHIT!!! John Dunsworth of Trailer Park Boys Mr. Lahey infamy is the cabbie!!! (If you don't know the TPB, well... get all the episodes now! I literally yelled with delight when I saw 'Mr. Lahey' in this serious flick, but back to the story) Meanwhile, Tom is still STUCK in the windshield of Brandi's car, in her garage, and he is conscious but obviously injured beyond capability of major movement. The film stays pretty firm to the real timeline at the outset (visit http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,90498,00.html for the real life case timeline) and Gordon even timestamps events. After the big incident, the movie strays far from reality for dramatic effect especially in terms of how long the victim remains conscious and what he is able to do to cry for help. [[That concludes the minibits of spoilage]] and there is plenty more astounding developments as the story takes a turn towards (extreme) dark comedy. It is fantastic to see Stuart Gordon, who has such a schlocky history beginning with Re-Animator, doing some realistic and truly intelligent work in the first half of the film. I saw much development in his Masters of Horror episodes (Dreams in the Witch House and The Black Cat) that I started to really respect him as a director, but I never expected this astounding level of skill. I'll certainly have to check out his other recent not-totally-horror forays King of the Ants and Edmond (written by David Mamet). Of course because this is Gordon all the red stuff is done just right and the sound mix fits the amount of pain and will cause as much (or for me more) flinching than the gory visuals. Most fucked up highlight: Brandi and ALL her actions -
Luke B
A really surprising little film. An unbelievable true story is the basis for this tense, gruesome and often funny film. It's Misery in a garage as Stephen Rea finds himself stuck in a windshield. Suvari is excellent as a nurse who spends her days helping others, but when it comes… More
A really surprising little film. An unbelievable true story is the basis for this tense, gruesome and often funny film. It's Misery in a garage as Stephen Rea finds himself stuck in a windshield. Suvari is excellent as a nurse who spends her days helping others, but when it comes down to it she shows herself as the calculating selfish little minx she is. The film is tragic in its depiction of humanity and even more tragic in that the true life ending had an even worse outcome. Gordon hasn't forgotten about this being a film and a lot of the dark humour comes from witnessing these unbelievable acts of selfishness. The violence can be quite gruesome but serves the story well. A film where I had no idea where it was going but enjoyed every second of the journey. -
Lewis C
Does the fact that I genuinely enjoyed Stuck (and was slightly disappointed at who survived the end) make me a morbid person? Hopefully not. Does the fact that I was openly rooting for Mena Suvari's character (and her horrible cornrows) the entire movie mean that I sometimes… More
Does the fact that I genuinely enjoyed Stuck (and was slightly disappointed at who survived the end) make me a morbid person? Hopefully not. Does the fact that I was openly rooting for Mena Suvari's character (and her horrible cornrows) the entire movie mean that I sometimes like my heroes to be not so heroic? Definitely. Stuck won't appeal to everyone. It's full of gore and dark humor, and the ending is only happy in comparison to all the misery that comes before it. Are there people in this world that are really as selfish and unsympathetic as Brandi? I know that Stuck is supposedly based on a true story, but I prefer to keep thinking that these kinds of things can only happen in the movies. If you're in the mood for a short, gory thriller, then there aren't many recent movies that are more entertaining than Stuck. -
Walter M
In "Stuck," Brandi Boski(Mena Suvari) works as an aide at a nursing home. Her hard work has gained her the possibility of a promotion and to further please her superiors, she agrees to work on a Saturday. That night, she goes partying with Tanya(Rukiya Bernard), a… More
In "Stuck," Brandi Boski(Mena Suvari) works as an aide at a nursing home. Her hard work has gained her the possibility of a promotion and to further please her superiors, she agrees to work on a Saturday. That night, she goes partying with Tanya(Rukiya Bernard), a co-worker and friend, and Rashid(Russell Hornsby), their drug connection. Even though Brandi is high on ecstasy and alcohol, she drives home but runs a red light and hits Thomas Bardo(Stephen Rea), an unemployed project manager and newly evicted from a flophouse, who becomes embedded in her windshield. In the darkness, she continues home without seeking any further assistance for him. "Stuck" gets off to a good start, detailing the soullessness of a self-involved society with an uncaring bureaucracy where the police seem more interested in harrassing the homeless than anything else. After the hit and run, the movie quickly goes downhill, especially in its attempts to milk any kind of humor out of the situation. That's not even including credibility being strained to the breaking point. Once you establish Brandi as somebody who goes above the call of duty in the care of individuals, you cannot just turn around and turn her into such a cruel and unfeeling person. I mean I know this is inspired by a true story but seeing it dramatized does not convince me that people could behave in such a way towards each other. -
Jacob P
Not what I expected, but still a pretty good flick. It had a great story and good acting. -
Mar j
Running at around 85 minutes, this is the perfect rental from the director of 'Re-Animator'. Stuck has an interesting plot and an impressive film to back it up. Mena, a young NA (hey, that's my job too!) decides to get high during a party. On the ride home, she hits a… More
Running at around 85 minutes, this is the perfect rental from the director of 'Re-Animator'. Stuck has an interesting plot and an impressive film to back it up. Mena, a young NA (hey, that's my job too!) decides to get high during a party. On the ride home, she hits a bum pushing his kart. He is stuck through the window, and she panics and decides to drive home. In her garage, she notices that he is still very much alive. The acting was a surprise considering I can't name any of these actors, who did I fine job giving a realistic feel to Stuck. The dark humor is plentiful but never feels forced, and trust me when I say this; you will look away at parts. Filmmakers of the horror genre should take note, the gore is there and it'll make you feel squeamish. It has the feel of an indie but the quality of a much larger film. This is a grade-A B-movie. Never in a million years did I think I would enjoy this movie as much as I did. It has many different genres in mind, but they all manage to blend together to create something special. -
Daniel P
<i>"What the fuck is wrong with you?!"</i> <p><i>Stuck</i> is an exceptional, genre-bending, powerful and absorbing film from cult favorite Stuart Gordon. I won't bother with a synopsis as the one here on Flixster is well written and to the… More
<i>"What the fuck is wrong with you?!"</i> <p><i>Stuck</i> is an exceptional, genre-bending, powerful and absorbing film from cult favorite Stuart Gordon. I won't bother with a synopsis as the one here on Flixster is well written and to the point. Suffice it to say that has become a new favourite of mine. The simple structure of the film, shifting point of view from Brandi to Tom, to Brandi & Tom, very effectively ratchets up the tension and grotesqueness, and every sequence has something going for it. At only 85 minutes running time, the pace doesn't drag, and despite the deliberate hysteria of the situation, <i>Stuck</i> never gets tiresome and more surprisingly, doesn't approach a "now, hang on a minute" moment. I personally think a huge amount of credit should go to Meena Suvari and Stephen Rea, two terrific, underrated actors. As Brandi, Suvari continues to make horrible decisions, but key is despite the inherent unlikeability of what she continues to do, it's impossible not to lose hope that she'll turn her situation around and do the right thing. Hers is a fearless performance. There's something about her physicality here, and oddly, her braided hairstyle angles her face in such a way that her emotions and thought processes are easy to read; thus even towards the end there's still, somehow, the ability to 'root' for her. There's a brilliant, disturbing and horribly funny moment early on, where Tom is still stuck in the windshield of Brandi's car in the garage, whilst in the house she is fucking her drug-dealer boyfriend. She has a flashback to the impact of the crash, whilst having sex, and Tom's face appears and she screams in horror - her boyfriend mistakes it for a powerful orgasm and proceeds to speed up his thrusts. In this moment, Suvari's whole body language changes, and for an instance, post-coital and wracked with anxiety, she looks like a child in the womb, almost alien-like. Stephen Rhea is equally good as Tom; he has little to say except "please, help me" and variations there on, but the things he has to go through! Whenever Tom manages to move another foot out of the windshield, or blast the horn, or (shudder) remove a foreign object from his body, the amount of effort it visibly takes on him feels like massive progress. I can't say more about Rhea without giving away too much, but his is continually excellent. Aside from the acting, the story is frequently clever, the writing is fresh and witty (sometimes stupid-funny, other times dark-funny), the direction assured. Props too to the sound effects. A very memorable film. -
William G
Plays out like a lesser Misery, but is no less gripping for it. -
ken j
Stuck follows the story of a retirement home nurse played by Mena Suvarii who seems to have everything going right she is up for a promotion at work that is of course untill she is driving home one night and accidentally hits a homeless man crossing the street from then things go… More
Stuck follows the story of a retirement home nurse played by Mena Suvarii who seems to have everything going right she is up for a promotion at work that is of course untill she is driving home one night and accidentally hits a homeless man crossing the street from then things go from bad to much worse has she doesnt stop to help the man but instead takes him home with her stuck in her windshield now she must figure out what to do to cover up this mess. Suppose to be based on a true story im gonna guess loosely overall just ok B style movie. -
Adam M
Slightly disturbing psychological thriller. Brandi works hard as a nursing assistant in a retirement home and is looking for a promotion and on the weekends enjoys getting drunk and taking drugs. After one eventful night out it seems Brandi has more than her dodgy hair style to worry… More
Slightly disturbing psychological thriller. Brandi works hard as a nursing assistant in a retirement home and is looking for a promotion and on the weekends enjoys getting drunk and taking drugs. After one eventful night out it seems Brandi has more than her dodgy hair style to worry about as she runs over a man who has recently been evicted from his home. But instead of calling for help from the police or ambulance she keeps driving and leaves him trapped in her car windsheild! Unsure of what to do when she gets home she just leaves him there. But the poor man isn't going to go away or die easily. The fact that this is based on a true story makes it even more shocking and proves you don't have to be a nutcase to do this kind of thing, Brandi seemed pretty normal until the accident! Although the ending is somewhat different to what actually happened, the film makers have pushed the story to its limit and have made an entertaining, clever, if occassionally gory and disturbing, thriller with a hint of black comedy and horror about it. -
Chosen 7
Entertaining film, good ending. -
Chris M
Credit can only be given for its originality. -
Juny L
Not the typical gory horror film that Stuart Gordon is known for.A interesting thriller that is intense,graphic & funny.One of those films that i couldn't wait to see what's next & how things will turn out tours the end.One of the best films from Stuart Gordon in my… More
Not the typical gory horror film that Stuart Gordon is known for.A interesting thriller that is intense,graphic & funny.One of those films that i couldn't wait to see what's next & how things will turn out tours the end.One of the best films from Stuart Gordon in my opinion.Original & enjoyable film,inspired by a true horrific story that took place in Fort Worth,Texas in 2001. <div style="width:300px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com/movie/stuck2007-photos/mena-suvari-as-brandi-boski--stephen-rea-as-thomas-bardo-in-stuck-2007-11734388"><img src="http://content6.flixster.com/photo/11/73/43/11734388_gal.jpg" border="0"/></a><div style="text-align:center;font-size:10px;"><a href="http://www.flixster.com">Flixster</a> - Share Movies</div></div>
Cast
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Mena Suvarias Brandi -
Stephen Reaas Hapless Tom -
Russell Hornsbyas Rashid
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Rukiya Bernardas Tanya -
Carolyn Purdy-Gordonas Peterson -
John Dunsworth


