Eli Michaelson, the winner of the Nobel Prize for chemistry is some piece of work! He seduces his female students; he has an ego the size of an elephant, and in addition, he is a nasty SOB. To make matters worse, he is being recognized for the work that might have been developed by another scientist. We meet this man as he is going to go to Sweden to accept the prize, at a time when his son Barkley is facing a crisis of his own.
Barkley, who is a student himself, has been at odds with his father for quite some time. He doesn't see eye to eye with the old man, who considers him unworthy of being his son. Barkley meets a young woman at a poetry venue, where most of the poems that are read are just plain weird. Her name is City Hall, a name that goes well with the odd ball she is. As their meeting progresses into a tumble in the hay, Barkley ends up missing the flight to Stockholm to accompany his parents for the ceremony.
To make matters worse, Barkley is kidnapped by a young guy, Thaddeus, who is intent in seeking revenge for something the older Michaelson has caused in his life. The kidnapper and his victim suddenly discover they have a lot more in common than anyone of them suspected. Thaddeus wants to get two million dollars from the old man he holds responsible for ruining his life.
Randall Miller, the creator of "Nobel Son" is a man that has a knack for bringing interesting stories to the screen, as he proved with "Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School", which is a small gem that was not appreciated as it should have been. Together with his frequent collaborator, Jody Savin, they deliver a movie that never seems to surprise the viewer.
Alan Rickman, a great Englis actor, is perfect as the egotistical Eli, a man who is so nasty, vulgar, and just plain hateful. Mr. Rickman is one of the pleasures in watching the film. Equally excellent are Bryan Greenberg and Shawn Hatosy, two of our interesting young actors that keep getting better and better all the time. Mary Steenburgen was another surprise as the long suffering wife of Eli. Bill Pullman has a small role, as well as Danny DeVito. We also enjoyed Eliza Dushku, who is seen as the crazy poet, City Hall.
Highly recommended for fans of Randall Miller.
Barkley, who is a student himself, has been at odds with his father for quite some time. He doesn't see eye to eye with the old man, who considers him unworthy of being his son. Barkley meets a young woman at a poetry venue, where most of the poems that are read are just plain weird. Her name is City Hall, a name that goes well with the odd ball she is. As their meeting progresses into a tumble in the hay, Barkley ends up missing the flight to Stockholm to accompany his parents for the ceremony.
To make matters worse, Barkley is kidnapped by a young guy, Thaddeus, who is intent in seeking revenge for something the older Michaelson has caused in his life. The kidnapper and his victim suddenly discover they have a lot more in common than anyone of them suspected. Thaddeus wants to get two million dollars from the old man he holds responsible for ruining his life.
Randall Miller, the creator of "Nobel Son" is a man that has a knack for bringing interesting stories to the screen, as he proved with "Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School", which is a small gem that was not appreciated as it should have been. Together with his frequent collaborator, Jody Savin, they deliver a movie that never seems to surprise the viewer.
Alan Rickman, a great Englis actor, is perfect as the egotistical Eli, a man who is so nasty, vulgar, and just plain hateful. Mr. Rickman is one of the pleasures in watching the film. Equally excellent are Bryan Greenberg and Shawn Hatosy, two of our interesting young actors that keep getting better and better all the time. Mary Steenburgen was another surprise as the long suffering wife of Eli. Bill Pullman has a small role, as well as Danny DeVito. We also enjoyed Eliza Dushku, who is seen as the crazy poet, City Hall.
Highly recommended for fans of Randall Miller.