Stone is a 2010 U.S. crime thriller film directed by John Curran and starring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton and Milla Jovovich. Most of the filming was done in Washtenaw County, Michigan. It was the final film to be released by Overture Films.
Stone | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | John Curran |
Produced by | Holly Wiersma David Mimran Jordan Schur |
Written by | Angus MacLachlan |
Starring | Robert De Niro Edward Norton Milla Jovovich Frances Conroy |
Cinematography | Maryse Alberti |
Edited by | Alexandre de Franceschi |
Production company | Mimran Schur Pictures |
Distributed by | Overture Films Relativity Media |
Release date |
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Running time | 105 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $22 million |
Box office | $9,479,718 |
Screenplay
Parole officer Jack Mabry (Robert De Niro) has only a few weeks left before retirement and wishes to finish out the cases he's been assigned. One such case is that of Gerald "Stone" Creeson (Edward Norton), a convicted arsonist who is up for parole. Jack is initially reluctant to indulge Stone in the coarse banter he wishes to pursue and feels little sympathy for the prisoner's pleas for an early release. Seeing little hope in convincing Jack by himself, Stone arranges for his wife, Lucetta (Milla Jovovich), to seduce the officer, but motives and intentions steadily blur amidst the passions and buried secrets of the corrupted players in this deadly game of deception.
- Robert De Niro as Jack Mabry, a parole officer who is only weeks from retirement.
- Edward Norton as Gerald "Stone" Creeson, a convicted arsonist trying to assure parole, by any means.
- Milla Jovovich as Lucetta, Stone's wife
- Frances Conroy as Madylyn, Jack's wife.
Enver Gjokaj and Pepper Binkley appear as younger versions of Jack and Madylyn Mabry, respectively. Many Ypsilanti residents appear as extras.
The film was directed by John Curran, from a screenplay by Angus MacLachlan. Originally written by MacLachlan in 2000 as a play, it has been performed once, in 2003 as a staged reading. In 2005, MacLachlan turned it into a screenplay aiming for a 2010 release. The film was overseen by Mimran Schur Pictures, with the aid of producer Holly Wiersma. Stone is the debut of Mimran Schur Pictures, formed in 2010 by private investor David Mimran and long-time music business executive and former Geffen Records President Jordan Schur. Stone Productions, the film's production company, also aided in the production of the film.
Filming began on May 18, 2009, in Michigan. Prison scenes were filmed at the Southern Michigan Correctional Facility in Blackman Township. The Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Ypsilanti hosted filming for two days. The funeral service and a few outside scenes were filmed at the Church, with locals as extras. Mast Road, in Dexter, was closed for several weeks while the farmhouse scenes were shot at the historic Mast Farm house; and, at the end of the shoot, it was burned down.
Filming was interrupted on June 5, 2009, when an intoxicated woman got past security and accosted Robert De Niro. She was arrested and admitted to a local hospital.
Following a screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, Stone premiered in the United States at the Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas on September 24, 2010.
The main theme for the film was composed by musician Jon Brion.
Stone has received generally mixed reviews. Review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes reports that 51% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 95 reviews, with an average score of 5.7/10. Metacritic gave the film an average score of 57/100 based 22 reviews.
Roger Ebert, in a positive review of the film, writes: "Stone has Robert De Niro and Edward Norton playing against type and at the top of their forms in a psychological duel between a parole officer and a tricky prisoner who has his number."
The film was a box office bomb; as of November 11, 2010, the film had grossed US$8,463,124, which is approximately one-third of its production budget.
Milla Jovovich received the Hollywood Spotlight Award for her work in Stone at the 14th Annual Hollywood Awards Gala at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills.