Frailty (2001)

A man confesses to an FBI agent his family's story of how his religious fanatic father's visions lead to a series of murders to destroy supposed "demons."

Director:

Bill Paxton

Writer:

Brent Hanley

Stars:

Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Boothe

6 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bill Paxton	...	Dad Meiks
Matthew McConaughey	...	Fenton Meiks
Powers Boothe	...	FBI Agent Wesley Doyle
Matt O'Leary	...	Young Fenton
Jeremy Sumpter	...	Young Adam
Luke Askew	...	Sheriff Smalls
Levi Kreis	...	Fenton Meiks
Derk Cheetwood	...	Agent Griffin Hull
Missy Crider	...	Becky Meiks (as Melissa Crider)
Alan Davidson	...	Brad White
Cynthia Ettinger	...	Cynthia Harbridge
Vincent Chase	...	Edward March
Gwen McGee	...	Operator
Edmond Scott Ratliff	...	The Angel
Rebecca Tilney	...	Teacher

Storyline

FBI agent Wesley Doyle is startled by the spontaneous declaration of youngster Fenton Meiks about how his father's delusions to have a divine mission as avenging angel required him and his brother Adam to become his 'demon-slaying' murder accomplices. And how hard an dangerously revolting proved. But when Doyle accepts to be shown concealed victim graves, the plot twists in the present just as gruesomely.

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Plot Keywords:

fbi | fbi agent | demon | murder | religious fanatic | 

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Taglines:

Like Father, Like Sons/Sins

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and some language

Details

Country:

USA Germany Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 April 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dämonisch

Filming Locations:

Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens - 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$36,288 (South Africa) (4 October 2002)

Gross:

$36,288 (South Africa) (4 October 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

David Kirschner Productions, American Entertainment, Cinerenta Medienbeteiligungs KG

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (FotoKem)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The demon-destroying axe is inscribed with the letters OTIS. The significance of this writing is never given. Fans have speculated that Otis Meiks is the true name of Bill Paxton's character "Dad." Others believe OTIS to be an acronym for Only The Innocent Survive.

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Goofs

At the beginning of the burial of Edward March ("Demon #2"), Dad puffs a cigarette that is burned down to the filter at 45:53. The following frames show the cigarette in his hand is much longer. There is not enough time in between the two frames to light another.

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Quotes

Adam Meiks: He was my father. I loved him even if he had gone crazy.

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Crazy Credits

Directors Sam Raimi, Ivan Reitman and James Cameron, among others, are thanked at the end of the credits.

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Connections

Featured in Anatomy of a Scene: Frailty (2002)

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Soundtracks

"(There Will Be) Peace In The Valley For Me"
Performed by Johnny Cash
Traditional Arrangement by Johnny Cash (as John R. Cash)
Written by Johnny Cash
Courtesy of Mercury Records
Published by Song of Cash, Inc. (ASCAP)
Administered by Bug Music, Inc.

User Reviews

A well worked and original little thriller!

It's true that there are more than enough thrillers about serial murder

• and so it's always great when a film comes along and plays with this

premise - and Frailty does that brilliantly! Bill Paxton is obviously best known for his acting work (which includes film-stealing performances in films like Aliens and Near Dark), and here he gets to work both in front of and behind the camera as we get a typical Paxton-style show stealing performance, and he directs also. Obviously, this isn't a film that will break any boundaries; but Paxton takes his plot and spins an entertaining and exciting thrill-ride around it. The film opens with a man named Fenton Meiks arriving at a police station. He tells the agent in charge of the 'Gods Hand' case that he knows the identity of the killer that has been terrorising the local community. The film then moves into flashbacks, as we find out that the man's father received a vision from God, in which he was told to destroy demons. The film focuses on the father's two young boys; one of whom believes his father's visions, and one that doesn't...

If you were to properly analyse the film's message, you would no doubt come to the conclusion that there are many holes and ideas that don't really make a lot of sense. But this isn't important, as Frailty does everything that you could ask of it. The religion theme is well done, and the film provides an interesting perspective where God is concerned. The acting is excellent, with Bill Paxton in a somewhat dumbed down, but no less intriguing role than usual. The support cast includes Matthew McConaughey and Powers Boothe, both of whom are well used. The real acting comes from child actors Matt O'Leary and Jeremy Sumpter; who both manage to star in the film without becoming annoying. The film has many themes outside of the central religious one, the most frightening of which is the corruption of youth. Paxton does a really good job of blending the boys' childhood story with some quite gruesome horror, and while the film does have some failings where some of the central ideas are concerned, it's not too important as Frailty is a well worked thriller that does what it says on the tin!