Domestic Disturbance
John Travolta stars in this thriller as divorced husband and father Frank Morrison, a boat builder concerned about his son Danny (Matthew O'Leary), a troubled 11-year-old who has shown a tendency to lie since his parents broke up. When his ex-wife Susan (Teri Polo) announces that she's getting remarried to Rick Barnes (Vince Vaughn), a recent arrival in town and a popular, wealthy philanthropist, Frank struggles with jealousy but feels that Rick might be a stabilizing influence for his son. When Danny begins relating unsettling stories about Rick, Frank at first chalks it up to youthful rebellion, but when Danny stridently claims to have witnessed his new stepfather committing murder, Frank's instincts tell him the story is true. As he investigates the new man in his family's life, Frank uncovers alarming facts about Rick, who's not the man he appears to be. Domestic Disturbance (2001) made headlines six months before its release when co-star Steve Buscemi, accompanied by Vaughn and screenwriter Scott Rosenberg, was stabbed and seriously injured in an after-hours bar brawl with locals near the film's North Carolina set. more..
Director: Harold Becker
Starring: John Travolta, Vince Vaughn, Matthew O'Leary, Teri Polo,Steve Buscemi
Every signifier in this quintessentially American domestic thriller is in satisfying running order.
A thriller that presses all the buttons: parental love, childhood terror, fear of Vince Vaughn.
Doesn't make nearly the ripple it could have made.
Does a masterful job of building menace until about halfway through.
The movie is a paid holiday for its director, Harold Becker. I say this because I know what Becker is capable of.
Worst Actor of the Decade
Razzie Awards (2010)
Steve Buscemi
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards (2001)
Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actor
Young Artist Awards (2002)
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