Pups (film)

Pups is a 1999 American independent crime drama film written and directed by Ash, and stars Mischa Barton, Burt Reynolds and Cameron Van Hoy. The film centres on two young adolescents that embark on a bank robbery on their way to school. The film premiered at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival onApril 1999. The film, although well received critically received a limited release that has been attributed as sensitivity to the Columbine High School massacre that occurred two days after the premiere.

The film is set in an unnamed American suburb and was shot in Chatsworth, Los Angeles. It was financed by Japanbased Team Okuyama in October 1998, with the condition that filming would be complete by December of the same year. The film was shot in two weeks in December 1998. The director, Ash noted that the film was timely within the context of reallife crimes during this period, alluding to the Jonesboro shootings The film was a reflection of what was going on in Jonesboro and around the world,. As well as the controversy of the Columbine killings, the release of the film was complicated by the arrest of one of its costars, Adam Farrar. Farrar had been arrested in March 1999 on suspicion of attempted murder and making terrorist threats against his girlfriend.The film was well received by critics, it currently holds a 90 fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Robert Koehler of Variety praised the execution of the film Applying all the assets of seatofyourpants indie filmmaking with few of its deficits, Ash has delivered a sinewy, disturbing sophomore work.. Pups gives off the energy of a movie shot on the run with few of the rough edges that typically dog such rapidfire filmmaking. Koehler continued to single out the picture as a perceptive spin on the teen pic. Koehler also praised the casting Van Hoy leads the way, with a startling, haunting film debut that matches pics sense of impulse, rage and humanism. Barton quietly suggests a smart girl who knows shes in trouble but might find a way out. Besieged on all sides, Reynolds works against his characters cliches and indicates that Boogie Nights was no fluke. ........

Source: Wikipedia