''Niagara, Niagara'' is a 1997 film directed by

Bob Gosse Bob Gosse (born January 9, 1963) is an American film producer, film director and actor. Background Gosse was born on Long Island, New York (state), New York. Gosse attended State University of New York at Purchase, SUNY Purchase where he woul ...

, and starring

Henry Thomas Henry Jackson Thomas Jr. (born September 9, 1971) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor and had a lead role in the film ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (1982), for which he won a Young Artist Award and received Golden Globe ...

Robin Tunney Robin Tunney (born June 19, 1972) is an American actress. Tunney made her film debut in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992) and rose to prominence with leading roles in the cult films ''Empire Records'' (1995) and '' The Craft'' (1996). Her performa ...

, as well as

Michael Parks Michael Parks (born Harry Samuel Parks; April 24, 1940 – May 9, 2017) was an American singer and actor. He appeared in many films and made frequent television appearances, notably starring in the 1969–1970 series '' Then Came Bronson'', but ...

John Ventimiglia John Ventimiglia (, ) is an American actor. He portrayed Artie Bucco in the HBO television series ''The Sopranos'' and had a recurring role as Dino Arbogast, an Organized Crime Control Bureau Chief for the NYPD, on the American police procedu ...

and

Stephen Lang Stephen Lang (born July 11, 1952) is an American actor. He is known for roles in films including '' Manhunter'' (1986), '' Gettysburg'', '' Tombstone'' (both 1993), '' Gods and Generals'' (2003), '' Public Enemies'' (2009), ''Conan the Barbaria ...

. A dark and tragic romantic tale about young love, drugs, a cross country trip and

Tourette syndrome Tourette syndrome or Tourette's syndrome (abbreviated as TS or Tourette's) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood or adolescence. It is characterized by multiple movement (motor) tics and at least one vocal (phonic) ...

. Filmed locations were

New Paltz New Paltz () is an incorporated U.S. town in Ulster County, New York. The population was 14,003 at the 2010 U.S. Census. The town is located in the southeastern part of the county and is south of Kingston. New Paltz contains a village, also wit ...

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...

and

Poughkeepsie Poughkeepsie ( ), officially the City of Poughkeepsie, separate from the Town of Poughkeepsie around it) is a city in the U.S. state of New York. It is the county seat of Dutchess County, with a 2020 census population of 31,577. Poughkeepsie ...

upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...

, as well as Niagara Falls and Canada. The film was produced by the New York City based Shooting Gallery. The film was praised internationally, particularly in the UK, but American critics were mixed. Robin Tunney's performance garnered her the Volpi Cup Award for Best Actress at the 1997 Venice International Film Festival. The film has fallen into a cult status, due to underground popularity.

Plot

The film begins with Seth and Marcie shoplifting items from a dollar type store. The two crooks crash into each other and soon a friendship ensues. After giving Marcie a ride to her weekend job, Seth goes home to his abusive and somewhat mentally unstable father. The next day Seth is at a different store where he runs into Marcie. After driving over to her home and picking up some of Marcie’s personal items, they begin a drive north to Canada in pursuit of a black Barbie styling head for Marcie. On their drive north, Marcie is unable to hide her

tic A tic is a sudden, repetitive, nonrhythmic motor movement or vocalization involving discrete muscle groups.American Psychiatric Association (2000)DSM-IV-TR: Tourette's Disorder.''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'', 4th ed., ...

s. At one point, she has an outburst in a parking lot and attacks a guy who was shouting insults to Seth. From this point on, the only things that keep her tics and behaviors at bay are sex and alcohol. In desperation to get her hands on an antipsychotic, they attempt to rob a pharmacy. The pharmacist catches them and shoots Seth in the leg with a shot gun. The two get away, but one of the car tires is hit in the process and eventually Marcie crashes the car. An old man named Walter tows their truck to his place and helps take care of Seth’s wound. Over the course of a week, he teaches the two how to shoot and catch fish. After a local deputy comes by asking Walter if he’d seen the pair, Marcie has a severe outburst and beats Walter. Seth and Marcie take off in Walter’s truck. The pair make it to Canada and find the Barbie head. The only available black Barbie head is a display model that the store manager refuses to sell. Marcie again has a violent outburst and the cops are called. When the police arrive, she grabs the gun from one police officer and the other surprises her from a side aisle and shoots her dead. Seth is arrested. Later, we see Walter reading an apologies letter with $20 from Seth. Seth narrates the happy ending that did not happen, as Walter reads his letter.

Cast

as Seth *

as Marcy *

as Walter *

as Claude * Candy Clark as Sally *

as Doug (Drug Store Owner) *

Clea DuVall Clea Helen D'Etienne DuVall (born September 25, 1977) is an American actress, writer, producer, and director. She is known for her appearances in the films ''The Faculty'' (1998), '' She's All That''; '' But I'm a Cheerleader''; ''Girl, Interrup ...

as Convenience Store Hostage *

Shawn Hatosy Shawn Wayne Hatosy is an American film and television actor and director. He is best known for his roles in the films '' In & Out'', ''The Faculty'', '' Outside Providence'', '' Anywhere but Here'', ''The Cooler'', and ''Alpha Dog''. He is also w ...

as Parking Lot Teen * Justin Salsberg as Parking Lot Teen (cameo) *

Jonathan Wong Jonathan Wong Chee-Hynn ( 王梓軒), born June 3, 1986, is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Biography Born in the United States, Jonathan picked up the piano and violin at the age of 6 and began taking a serious interest in d ...

as Onlooker, Crowd Member

External links

* * {{Bob Gosse 1997 films 1990s drama road movies American drama road movies Films directed by Bob Gosse 1990s English-language films 1997 drama films 1990s American films Films about Tourette syndrome