The Laramie Project (2001)

92% of critics liked it
(13 reviews)
77% of users liked it
(6,831 ratings)

Laramie, WY, is a small town which became infamous overnight in the fall of 1998, when Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, was found tied to a fence after being brutally beaten and left to die, setting off a nationwide debate about hate crimes and homophobia. A month after the crime, Moises… More Laramie, WY, is a small town which became infamous overnight in the fall of 1998, when Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, was found tied to a fence after being brutally beaten and left to die, setting off a nationwide debate about hate crimes and homophobia. A month after the crime, Moises Kaufman, a writer and director with the New York City theater troupe the Tectonic Theater Project, traveled to Laramie with a handful of actors to interview people who lived in and around Laramie in preparation for an upcoming production; Kaufman's goal was to create a play that focused not on the assault on Matthew Shepard, but on the community where such an attack could happen, and how many of the citizens reacted to the crime. The result was The Laramie Project, which was first performed in early 2000, and was performed in Laramie in the fall of that year, two years after Kaufman and his associates first arrived in the city. The Laramie Project is a film adaptation of Kaufman's play, in which the thoughts and opinions of Laramie residents from all points of the political spectrum are presented alongside re-enacted excerpts from the trials of the two men who attacked Matthew Shepard. Produced for the premium cable network HBO, The Laramie Project was adapted for the screen by Moises Kaufman, who served as both writer and director. The distinguished cast includes Dylan Baker, Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda, Janeane Garofolo, Laura Linney, Amy Madigan, Camryn Manheim, Christina Ricci, and Frances Sternhagen. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Moises Kaufman
Written By: Moises Kaufman
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Jan 1, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Jun 25, 2002
Studio: HBO Films

Critic Reviews

Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
The bottom line is the piece works brilliantly.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
The Laramie Project is not really about Matthew Shepard but about this question of identification with Matthew, and of identification with the larger community of Laramie that admitted, sustained, eliminated, grieved, and civilly avenged Matthew.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
A fascinating chorus of outrage and sadness, hatred and hope.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Though well-intentioned, dealing with the relevant issues of hate crimes and gay bashing, artisticaly speaking, Moises Kaufman's film, the opening night of 2001 Sundance Fest, is quite disappointing.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
a potent, thought-provoking drama that offers insight not only into Shepard's case, but into the changing attitudes of Americans in general.
John A. Nesbit, ToxicUniverse.com
questions our basic humanity, and gives an accurate picture of the current state of affairs of tolerance in America's schizoid version of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
Tim Merrill, Film Threat
It's a compelling and horrifying story, and The Laramie Project is worthwhile for reminding us that this sort of thing does, in fact, still happen in America.
Annlee Ellingson, Boxoffice Magazine
Kaufman creates an eerie sense of not only being there at the time of these events but the very night Matthew was killed.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
Utter mush... conceited pap.
Robert Roten, Laramie Movie Scope
The film does give a pretty good overall picture of the situation in Laramie following the murder of Matthew Shepard.
Arthur Lazere, culturevulture.net
... a workmanlike film and important in that it will reach a large audience with a story that needs to be told.

Read all 11 critic reviews

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

familiar s

The story is sad & tragic since it happened for real, but it doesn't work too well as a docudrama. I mean, it's just about okay. I thought that it was a documentary before I went for it, but later realized (after seeing Christina Ricci) that it's a docudrama.… More
The story is sad & tragic since it happened for real, but it doesn't work too well as a docudrama. I mean, it's just about okay. I thought that it was a documentary before I went for it, but later realized (after seeing Christina Ricci) that it's a docudrama. Don't have high expectations & you might be able to sit through it.
Cynthia S

I am not a huge fan of documentaries. I have nothing against them, but I guess there are other things that I would rather watch. Like a movie...and this is a movie made in documentary style with real actors playing the parts. A very interesting concept. Mostly, though, the fact that… More
I am not a huge fan of documentaries. I have nothing against them, but I guess there are other things that I would rather watch. Like a movie...and this is a movie made in documentary style with real actors playing the parts. A very interesting concept. Mostly, though, the fact that this movie is about a real crime made it even more interesting. The horrible, horrific, and appalling story of the murder of this poor young man needed to be told
Anthony L

It?s an interesting story and it has a great cast but it?s just so wooden. By the time you?re Half way through you just don't care!
Chris W

Very moving and compelling experimental project (an acted documentary based on a play that is both about something and about it's own creation) concerning the aftermath of the murder of Matthew Shepard. Besides the sensitive way in which the material is handled, the highlights of… More
Very moving and compelling experimental project (an acted documentary based on a play that is both about something and about it's own creation) concerning the aftermath of the murder of Matthew Shepard. Besides the sensitive way in which the material is handled, the highlights of everything are the large ensemble cast and the great performances they give. I highly recommend this.
_kelly .

If this is the one that was produced for HBO, it's a great movie as I recall.
Alice S

Some unbelievably beautiful acting and words. I found myself sympathizing with every character, regardless of their ideologies. This project is the penultimate representation of each person's own "universal truths," not matter how flawed or different from my own. As… More
Some unbelievably beautiful acting and words. I found myself sympathizing with every character, regardless of their ideologies. This project is the penultimate representation of each person's own "universal truths," not matter how flawed or different from my own. As a film, the cinematography at the beginning was a bit cloying, with the extreme close-ups and camera angles for optimal emotional impact. The "frame story" which I don't believe was in the stage play seemed forced and unnecessary. Most natural performances by Fonda, Madigan, Linney, Davies, Baker, Irwin, and Kinney.
Keysha H

I wasn't sure if this play would translate well on to film. But it was extremely good and touching.
Sunil J

Pretty emotional and one of HBO's first films.

Read all 8 featured audience ratings

Cast
            
            Christina Ricci
            
            Peter Fonda
            
            Janeane Garofalo
            
            Steve Buscemi
            
            Dylan Baker
            
            Amy Madigan
            
            Joshua Jackson
            
            Jeremy Davies
            
            Clea DuVall
            
            Michael Emerson
            
            Clancy Brown
            
            Nestor Carbonell
            
            Noah Fleiss
            
            Ben Foster
            
            Amanda Gronich
            
            Mercedes Herrero
            
            Bill Irwin
            
            Terry Kinney
            
            Laura Linney
            
            Camryn Manheim
            
            Margo Martindale
            
            John McAdams
            
            James Murtaugh
            
            Andrew Paris
            
            Summer Phoenix
            
            Greg Pierotti
            
            Barbara Pitts
            
            Richard Riehle
            
            Kelli Simpkins
            
            Lois Smith
            
            Frances Sternhagen
            
            Mark Webber
            
            Tom Bower
            
            Kathleen Chalfant
            
            Stephen Belber
            
See full cast

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