Story of movie Kalifornia :
Kalifornia is a 1993 American road thriller film directed by Dominic Sena and starring Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis, David Duchovny, and Michelle Forbes. The film focuses on a graduate student (Duchovny) and his photographer girlfriend (Forbes) traveling cross-country to research serial killings, who unwittingly carpool with a serial killer (Pitt) and his childlike girlfriend (Lewis).
| Kalifornia | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Dominic Sena |
| Produced by | Steve Golin Aristides McGarry Sigurjón Sighvatsson |
| Screenplay by | Tim Metcalfe |
| Story by | Stephen Levy Tim Metcalfe |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Carter Burwell |
| Cinematography | Bojan Bazelli |
| Edited by | Martin Hunter |
Production company | PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Propaganda Films Viacom Pictures |
| Distributed by | Gramercy Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 117 minutes 118 minutes (Unrated cut) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8.5 million |
| Box office | $2,395,231 |
The film was released in September 1993 in the United States, and received mixed to positive reviews from critics.
Screenplay
Brian Kessler (David Duchovny), a graduate student in psychology, is also a journalist whose article about serial killers has gotten him an offer for a book deal from a publisher. After the advance payment is spent, Brian realizes that he needs to start working on finishing his book. His girlfriend Carrie Laughlin (Michelle Forbes), a photographer, persuades him to move to California, and they decide to take a road trip from Louisville, Kentucky to California and visit infamous murder sites along the way. Short on funds, Brian posts a ride-share ad.
Meanwhile, psychopathic parolee Early Grayce (Brad Pitt) has just lost his job. His parole officer (Judson Vaughn) learns of this and comes to the trailer park where Early lives with his young girlfriend Adele Corners (Juliette Lewis). Early refuses the officer's offer of a job as a janitor at Brian's college, saying he wants to leave the state, but the officer pressures him into keeping his appointment for the job interview. However, when Early is on his way out, he is confronted by his landlord over non-payment of rent. Early becomes violent and spins out in his car, chasing the man all over the park.
Early sees the ride-share ad and calls Brian, who agrees to meet him the following day. Early sends Adele ahead, then murders his landlord before joining her to wait for Brian and Carrie. Carrie's first response to seeing the rough-hewn couple is to suggest Brian keep driving, but reluctantly agrees when Brian asks to give them a chance. On the road, unbeknown to his companions, Early murders a man in a gas station bathroom and steals his money. When they arrive at their first hotel, Early cuts Adele's long hair shorter to try to match Carrie's.
At another hotel, Early invites Brian out to play pool, leaving Adele and Carrie alone together. Adele explains that her mother did not approve of her relationship, because Early had just been released from prison. Adele reveals to Carrie that she is a rape victim and that she views Early as her protector, even though he has beaten her. While Carrie and Adele are drinking beer, Adele also admits to Carrie that Early forbids her to smoke or drink. Meanwhile, at a local bar, Early assaults a man who confronts Brian. Later on in the road-trip, Early introduces Brian to pistol shooting in a remote, unnamed location.
Carrie is alarmed by Brian's growing fascination with Early, and by Brian's nonchalant response to the news that Early has been in prison. After catching Early and Adele having sex in the car, she gives Brian an ultimatum: either they rid themselves of the pair, or she will leave. At the next gas station, Carrie glimpses a news report about Early being a suspected murderer. Early kills the gas station attendant in front of Carrie and continues the trip with the couple as hostages. The party encounter two police officers, whom Early shoots and kills. They next come to the home of an elderly couple. Early beats the man to death, but Adele allows the woman to flee.
As Early rushes to find the woman, Adele confronts him and says she wants nothing more to do with him. Early kills Adele, strikes Brian on the head, and kidnaps Carrie. Brian regains consciousness, and the elderly woman gives him the keys to her truck. Brian arrives at an abandoned nuclear testing site and surprises Early, hitting him in the face with a shovel. Brian finds Carrie handcuffed to a bed, having been sexually assaulted. Early, who was only stunned, attacks Brian and they struggle until Early is hit over the head by Carrie. When Early continues the attack, Brian shoots and kills him.
Some time later, Brian and Carrie are living in a California beach house. Carrie tells Brian that a gallery is interested in her art, and he suggests they go out to celebrate. The pair leave, although Brian's tape recorder continues running to reveal a "thank you" from Adele.
- Brad Pitt as Early Grayce
- Juliette Lewis as Adele Corners
- David Duchovny as Brian Kessler
- Michelle Forbes as Carrie Laughlin
- Brett Rice as Police Officer
- Loanne Bishop as Female Officer
Originally titled California, the script was written by Tim Metcalfe with Stephen Levy in 1987. Metcalfe later commented their intentions were "to scare an audience, to comment on our national obsession with 'true crime' stories, and to punish myself for my morbid preoccupation with the subject of murder and murderers." The script was optioned in November 1990 by Propaganda Films, by request of director Dominic Sena. Sena would go on to mention his positive impression on the script was mainly based on the premise and the character of Early Grayce.
Between November 1990 and March 1991, Metcalfe completed two rewrites of the script to implement changes requested by Sena and Propaganda Films. The characters of Brian and Carrie were given professions as a writer and a photographer, respectively, while retaining the original premise to share a ride with a serial killer. Metcalfe disagreed on the direction the script was being developed, while Sena and the producers found his rewrites "uninspiring". In March 1991, Metcalfe was fired from the project.
Without the budget to hire another writer, Sena, along with his two producers, spent another year writing ten subsequent drafts of the script. Their contributions included the voice-over narration of the character of Brian, along with a change of tone from a black comedy to a more violent thriller. Sena maintained the rewrites helped them to secure the cast, as well as an increase to the originally proposed budget of $4.5 million.
Some of the early scenes were filmed in an old industrial area west of downtown Atlanta.
| Kalifornia - Original Soundtrack | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various | |
| Released | August 3, 1993 |
| Genre | Various |
| Length | 55:42 |
| Label | Polydor |
| Producer | Various |
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
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