A pair of working-class brothers flee their Reno Motel after getting involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident.A pair of working-class brothers flee their Reno Motel after getting involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident.A pair of working-class brothers flee their Reno Motel after getting involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident.
- Awards
- 3 wins & 3 nominations
- Directors
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe cast and crew of The Motel Life lived in a casino during the shoot.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Jerry Lee 16 years: Can you tell me a story, Frankie? Tell me something good. Make me the hero. Maybe I can get the girl.
Frank - 14: I got one. A long time ago, you and me were fighter pilots in the war. The Flannigan brothers. We were famous. One morning we were heading over to Germany when we got ambushed. You and me versus 20 German fighters. It was a mess. Real dog fight. It was touch-and-go, but we were winning until a Nazi came out of the fog and started firing away at you. Luckily I came down and blew the son of a bitch up. "Thanks Tiger-5", you said over the radio. Problem was, your plane was hit and your controls were stuck. You were heading towards Iceland, and there was nothing you could do. You disappeared into the clouds.
- ConnectionsFeatures Bonanza: Dark Star (1960)
- SoundtracksMr. Mudd and Mr. Gold
Written by Townes van Zandt
Performed by Townes van Zandt
Courtesy of Fat Possum Records. All rights administered by Wixen Music Publishing, Inc.
Frank Lee (Emile Hirsch) helps wit-challenged brother, Jerry (Stephen Dorff), after the latter kills a boy on a bike and leaves the scene. Together they light out for motels with some imaginative cartoons representing stories Frank tells Jerry Lee throughout their lives. Some critics find the animations distracting; I find them imaginative and boredom reducing.
The confusing mash up of past and present (the boys are not much different from what they were) is relieved by Annie (Dakota Fanning), who is serene even in her conflicts. Fanning has grown into an intelligent actress and shows it here. In fact, Frank is fortunate to have such a dear girl improbably waiting for him. Another relief from motel boredom is cops looking for the driver of the lethal car. Add an enjoyable cameo by Kris Kristofferson as Earl Hurley, a car dealer, and the film is momentarily relieved from oblivion. Otherwise, the boys are on the lam and reminiscing while going deeper in debt and guilt.
One high point is their winning several thousand dollars betting on Buster Douglas over Mike Tyson. You can guess how wisely they use it. But the money allows them to go to another motel, by now a motif of squalor and loneliness, no surprise to those with limited income and without Marriott points. Changing motels and buying carry out food reinforce the rootless melancholy of these not-too-bright boys. It's tough to care about such nitwits.
On a more positive note, cinematographer Roman Vas'yanov captures the bleak winter landscape using film, not digits. It's possible to see how much more imposing the winter can be with old-fashioned celluloid. Just consider what Hitchcock achieves with that old Bates Motel. Now that's not dull.
- JohnDeSando
- Nov 12, 2013
- How long is The Motel Life?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 25 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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