44-490: Ned Rifle is a 2014 American drama film written and directed by Hal Hartley . It is the third and final film in a trilogy following characters introduced in Hartley's 1997 film Henry Fool and 2006 sequel Fay Grim . Ned Rifle stars Liam Aiken as the title character, reprising his role from the other two films, as well as Aubrey Plaza , Parker Posey , James Urbaniak , and Thomas Jay Ryan . The film premiered at
88-689: A Ford Motor Company commercial by Ford Aerostar. He made his stage debut in the Broadway play A Doll's House at the age of seven, and his film debut in Henry Fool (1997). His first major film role came when he starred in Stepmom (1998). He appeared in Road to Perdition (2002) and the family film Good Boy! (2003). He was considered to play Cole Sear in The Sixth Sense (1999), but
132-462: A better understanding of the film. According to the taxonomy, combining the type with the genre does not create a separate genre. For instance, the "Horror Drama" is simply a dramatic horror film (as opposed to a comedic horror film). "Horror Drama" is not a genre separate from the horror genre or the drama type. Crime dramas explore themes of truth, justice, and freedom, and contain the fundamental dichotomy of "criminal vs. lawman". Crime films make
176-423: A broader range of moods . To these ends, a primary element in a drama is the occurrence of conflict —emotional, social, or otherwise—and its resolution in the course of the storyline. All forms of cinema or television that involve fictional stories are forms of drama in the broader sense if their storytelling is achieved by means of actors who represent ( mimesis ) characters . In this broader sense, drama
220-580: A live performance, it has also been used to describe the more high-brow and serious end of the dramatic output of radio . The Screenwriters Taxonomy contends that film genres are fundamentally based upon a film's atmosphere, character and story, and therefore the labels "drama" and "comedy" are too broad to be considered a genre. Instead, the taxonomy contends that film dramas are a "Type" of film; listing at least ten different sub-types of film and television drama. Docudramas are dramatized adaptations of real-life events. While not always completely accurate,
264-685: A more central component of the story, along with serious content. Examples include Three Colours: White (1994), The Truman Show (1998), The Man Without a Past (2002), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), and Silver Linings Playbook (2012). Coined by film professor Ken Dancyger , these stories exaggerate characters and situations to the point of becoming fable, legend or fairy tale. Examples: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and Maleficent (2014). Light dramas are light-hearted stories that are, nevertheless, serious in nature. Examples: The Help (2011) and The Terminal (2004). Psychological dramas are dramas that focus on
308-633: A person's life and raises their level of importance. The "small things in life" feel as important to the protagonist (and the audience) as the climactic battle in an action film, or the final shootout in a western. Often, the protagonists deal with multiple, overlapping issues in the course of the film – just as we do in life. Films of this type/genre combination include: The Wrestler (2008), Fruitvale Station (2013), and Locke (2013). Romantic dramas are films with central themes that reinforce our beliefs about love (e.g.: themes such as "love at first sight", "love conquers all", or "there
352-464: A specific approach to drama but, rather, consider drama as a lack of comedic techniques. Examples: Ghost World (2001) and Wuthering Heights (2011). According to the Screenwriters' Taxonomy, all film descriptions should contain their type (comedy or drama) combined with one (or more) of the eleven super-genres. This combination does not create a separate genre, but rather, provides
396-544: A total of $ 384,000 and offering various incentives to those who donated $ 1 or more. The main cast, as well as some crew members, appeared in several videos promoting the campaign. On November 25, Hartley added a $ 9,000 reward tier offering the film's distribution rights for seven years in the United States and other countries, notably the first Kickstarter to propose offering film distribution rights. Subsequently, Kickstarter notified Hartley that selling distribution rights
440-412: Is a mode distinct from novels, short stories , and narrative poetry or songs . In the modern era, before the birth of cinema or television, "drama" within theatre was a type of play that was neither a comedy nor a tragedy . It is this narrower sense that the film and television industries, along with film studies , adopted. " Radio drama " has been used in both senses—originally transmitted in
484-526: Is a final fight to the death; the idea of the protagonists facing death is a central expectation in a war drama film. In a war film even though the enemy may out-number, or out-power, the hero, we assume that the enemy can be defeated if only the hero can figure out how. Examples include: Apocalypse Now (1979), Come and See (1985), Braveheart (1995), Life Is Beautiful (1997), Black Book (2006), The Hurt Locker (2008), 1944 (2015), Wildeye (2015), and 1917 (2019). Films in
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#1732790339099528-520: Is a form of investment, which is forbidden by Kickstarter's terms and conditions, and Hartley removed the option. The Kickstarter campaign ended on December 4, with 1,789 donors raising $ 395,292. Liam Aiken , Parker Posey , James Urbaniak , and Thomas Jay Ryan reprise their roles from the first two films. In addition, Martin Donovan , Karen Sillas , Robert John Burke , and Bill Sage had worked with Hartley on his other previous films. Casting for
572-557: Is a writer in New York . Also anxious to see Simon is a penniless postgraduate named Susan, who wants to write about his work. Learning that his father was last heard of working in Seattle , Ned rushes off to the airport. Susan follows him, because she has her own reasons for wanting to find Henry, and Ned reluctantly teams up with her, though he keeps refusing a romance with her. In Seattle, he learns that his father has lost his mind and
616-405: Is being kept in a special clinic. In fact, Henry shams madness in order to enjoy a quiet life among good books (as Fay does too, though not by choice). Ned abducts his willing father, planning to shoot him in open country, but discovers that Susan has found his revolver and removed its ammunition. She then makes off with Ned's father, money, and gun. Reaching a motel near Spokane, she reveals that she
660-421: Is someone out there for everyone"); the story typically revolves around characters falling into (and out of, and back into) love. Annie Hall (1977), The Notebook (2004), Carol (2015), Her (2013) , and La La Land (2016) are examples of romance dramas. The science fiction drama film is often the story of a protagonist (and their allies) facing something "unknown" that has the potential to change
704-422: Is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-genre, macro-genre, or micro-genre, such as soap opera , police crime drama , political drama , legal drama , historical drama , domestic drama , teen drama , and comedy-drama (dramedy). These terms tend to indicate a particular setting or subject matter, or they combine a drama's otherwise serious tone with elements that encourage
748-474: The 2014 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2014. The film was released in select theaters and on demand beginning on April 1, 2015. Kept in a school run on devout Christian lines, at age 18 Ned is free to leave. His mission in life is to find and kill his rogue father Henry. On visiting his mother, Fay, who is serving a life sentence for terrorism , she cannot tell him her husband's whereabouts and suggests he contacts her brother Simon, who
792-711: The CBS series A Gifted Man . From 2012 to 2015, he narrated the audiobook versions of All the Wrong Questions , a prequel series to A Series of Unfortunate Events . In 2012, he portrayed a boy who returns home after being missing for years in Nor'easter , directed by Andrew Brotzman. In 2014, he played the title role in Ned Rifle , the third film in a trilogy that began with Henry Fool and continued with Fay Grim (2006). In 2020, he co-starred The Bloodhound ,
836-763: The western super-genre often take place in the American Southwest or Mexico, with a large number of scenes occurring outdoors so we can soak in scenic landscapes. Visceral expectations for the audience include fistfights, gunplay, and chase scenes. There is also the expectation of spectacular panoramic images of the countryside including sunsets, wide open landscapes, and endless deserts and sky. Examples of western dramas include: True Grit (1969) and its 2010 remake , Mad Max (1979), Unforgiven (1992), No Country for Old Men (2007), Django Unchained (2012), Hell or High Water (2016), and Logan (2017). Some film categories that use
880-493: The Apes (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Children of Men (2006), Interstellar (2014), and Arrival (2016). In the sports super-genre, characters will be playing sports. Thematically, the story is often one of "Our Team" versus "Their Team"; their team will always try to win, and our team will show the world that they deserve recognition or redemption;
924-407: The audience jump through a series of mental "hoops"; it is not uncommon for the crime drama to use verbal gymnastics to keep the audience and the protagonist on their toes. Examples of crime dramas include: The Godfather (1972), Chinatown (1974), Goodfellas (1990), The Usual Suspects (1995), The Big Short (2015), and Udta Punjab (2016). According to Eric R. Williams ,
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#1732790339099968-690: The character of Simon Grim I have to relearn how to be awkward and uptight". Posey shot her scenes in a day. Filming wrapped on April 26, after 22 days. A teaser for Ned Rifle was released on July 22, 2014. The film premiered on September 7, 2014 at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival . It was also screened in the Panorama section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival on February 6, 2015. The film's US debut premiered at SXSW in Austin, Texas on March 13, 2015 and
1012-479: The character of Susan took months, with 60 to 70 women auditioning for the part, some of whom would later get other roles in the film. Gemma Arterton was reportedly attached at one point. In March 2014, it was announced that Aubrey Plaza joined the cast, playing the role of Susan. Hartley cast Plaza after seeing her prior acting performances, including Parks and Recreation . Her part in the 2012 film Safety Not Guaranteed convinced him that she would be right for
1056-533: The characters' inner life and psychological problems. Examples: Requiem for a Dream (2000), Oldboy (2003), Babel (2006), Whiplash (2014), and Anomalisa (2015) Satire can involve humor, but the result is typically sharp social commentary that is anything but funny. Satire often uses irony or exaggeration to expose faults in society or individuals that influence social ideology. Examples: Thank You for Smoking (2005) and Idiocracy (2006). Straight drama applies to those that do not attempt
1100-473: The course of the film. Thematically, horror films often serve as morality tales, with the killer serving up violent penance for the victims' past sins. Metaphorically, these become battles of Good vs. Evil or Purity vs. Sin. Psycho (1960), Halloween (1978), The Shining (1980), The Conjuring (2013), It (2017), mother! (2017), and Hereditary (2018) are examples of horror drama films. Day-in-the-life films takes small events in
1144-481: The family as a whole reacts to a central challenge. There are four micro-genres for the family drama: Family Bond , Family Feud , Family Loss , and Family Rift . A sub-type of drama films that uses plots that appeal to the heightened emotions of the audience. Melodramatic plots often deal with "crises of human emotion, failed romance or friendship, strained familial situations, tragedy, illness, neuroses, or emotional and physical hardship". Film critics sometimes use
1188-416: The future of humanity; this unknown may be represented by a villain with incomprehensible powers, a creature we do not understand, or a scientific scenario that threatens to change the world; the science fiction story forces the audience to consider the nature of human beings, the confines of time or space or the concepts of human existence in general. Examples include: Metropolis (1927), Planet of
1232-717: The general facts are more-or-less true. The difference between a docudrama and a documentary is that in a documentary it uses real people to describe history or current events; in a docudrama it uses professionally trained actors to play the roles in the current event, that is "dramatized" a bit. Examples: Black Mass (2015) and Zodiac (2007). Unlike docudramas, docu-fictional films combine documentary and fiction, where actual footage or real events are intermingled with recreated scenes. Examples: Interior. Leather Bar (2013) and Your Name Here (2015). Many otherwise serious productions have humorous scenes and characters intended to provide comic relief . A comedy drama has humor as
1276-416: The hallmark of fantasy drama films is "a sense of wonderment, typically played out in a visually intense world inhabited by mythic creatures, magic or superhuman characters. Props and costumes within these films often belie a sense of mythology and folklore – whether ancient, futuristic, or other-worldly. The costumes, as well as the exotic world, reflect the personal, inner struggles that the hero faces in
1320-641: The legal system. Films that focus on dramatic events in history. Focuses on doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and ambulance saving victims and the interactions of their daily lives. Focuses on teenage characters, especially where a secondary school setting plays a role. Liam Aiken Liam Pádraic Aiken (born January 7, 1990) is an American actor. He has starred in films such as Stepmom (1998), Road to Perdition (2002), and Good Boy! (2003), and played Klaus Baudelaire in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), based on
1364-673: The role of Susan. Plaza sought advice from Posey and Donovan to prepare for the role. In March 2014, Hartley scouted locations in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, as well as locations that could double for parts of Washington state. Principal photography began in early April 2014, and took place entirely in New York. Filming locations included Brooklyn, Long Island City , and the SUNY Purchase campus. Urbaniak said, "Every time I revisit
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1408-660: The role went to Haley Joel Osment . The following year, he was also considered for the role of Harry Potter due to his Irish heritage and Scottish ancestry, as well as his previous work with director Chris Columbus on Stepmom , but Daniel Radcliffe ultimately won the role, due to J. K. Rowling 's insistence that the part should go to a British actor. Aiken went on to play intelligent 12-year-old orphan Klaus Baudelaire in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004). He also appeared in The Killer Inside Me (2010). In September 2011, he appeared in
1452-785: The series of books. He also starred in the films Nor'easter (2012), Ned Rifle (2014), The Bloodhound (2020), and Bashira (2021). Aiken was the only child of Moya Aiken, an Irish-born artist; and Bill Aiken, an MTV producer, who is of Scots-Irish descent. Bill died of esophageal cancer in September 1992, at age 34, when Liam was two years old. Aiken grew up in New Jersey and attended Dwight-Englewood School , graduating in 2008. He then went on to major in film at New York University . As of 2017 , Aiken resides in Los Angeles. Aiken made his professional acting debut in
1496-534: The story does not always have to involve a team. The story could also be about an individual athlete or the story could focus on an individual playing on a team. Examples of this genre/type include: The Hustler (1961), Hoosiers (1986), Remember the Titans (2000), and Moneyball (2011). War films typically tells the story of a small group of isolated individuals who – one by one – get killed (literally or metaphorically) by an outside force until there
1540-525: The story." Examples of fantasy dramas include The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003), Pan's Labyrinth (2006), Where the Wild Things Are (2009), and Life of Pi (2012). Horror dramas often involve the central characters isolated from the rest of society. These characters are often teenagers or people in their early twenties (the genre's central audience) and are eventually killed off during
1584-471: The storyline to be simpler and more linear than Fay Grim . Hartley said the structure of Ned Rifle was heavily influenced by his 2011 short film Meanwhile , which chronicles a man "as he goes from one situation to the next". The character Susan and her relationship with Henry are briefly mentioned in Henry Fool . Re-watching the film over the years, Hartley regretted that the topic of this relationship
1628-423: The strongest late-period works from a distinguished filmography." On Metacritic , the film has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Drama (film and television) In film and television , drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction ) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind
1672-578: The term "pejoratively to connote an unrealistic, pathos-filled, camp tale of romance or domestic situations with stereotypical characters (often including a central female character) that would directly appeal to feminine audiences". Also called "women's movies", "weepies", tearjerkers, or "chick flicks". If they are targeted to a male audience, then they are called "guy cry" films. Often considered "soap-opera" drama. Focuses on religious characters, mystery play, beliefs, and respect. Character development based on themes involving criminals, law enforcement and
1716-498: The word "comedy" or "drama" are not recognized by the Screenwriters Taxonomy as either a film genre or a film type. For instance, "Melodrama" and "Screwball Comedy" are considered Pathways, while "romantic comedy" and "family drama" are macro-genres. A macro-genre in the Screenwriters Taxonomy. These films tell a story in which many of the central characters are related. The story revolves around how
1760-438: Was available for viewing on demand on Hartley's official website beginning on April 1, 2015. The film was released in a limited release on the same day. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , the film has an approval rating of 78% based on 32 reviews, and an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, " Ned Rifle serves as a satisfying conclusion to Hal Hartley's "Henry Fool" trilogy - and one of
1804-437: Was directed, written, co-produced and composed by Hal Hartley . While promoting Fay Grim in 2007, Hartley mentioned the possibility for a third film, hinting that Aiken's character Ned would be the story's focus. Hartley started writing Ned Rifle around 2012, and finished the script in two weeks. The film is titled after Hartley's pseudonym, Ned Rifle, the credited name that he typically uses as composer on his films. Ned Rifle
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1848-405: Was not expanded upon. While writing Ned Rifle , he felt that the story was lacking something. Upon watching Henry Fool again, he decided to incorporate Susan into the story. In May 2013, Fortissimo Films acquired the global sales rights for the film at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival . On November 6, 2013, Hartley launched a fundraising campaign to produce the film through Kickstarter , seeking
1892-409: Was originally a character that Hartley made up for college writing assignments. For the third film, he thought it sounded like a better title than Ned Fool or Ned Grim . The storyline is done on a smaller scale compared to Fay Grim , more in line with Henry Fool . This was done in part because of a small budget, and also because Hartley did not want to make another big-production project. He wanted
1936-554: Was the 13-year-old girl whose parents burst in just as she had lured Henry to her bed. For that, he got seven years. Now they can carry on legally and their night of passion disturbs the whole motel. Ned meanwhile has traced the pair and in the morning is waiting outside for them to emerge. Susan, having completed her unfinished business with Henry, shoots him dead. Ned bursts in, and in a struggle with Susan accidentally stabs her to death. Outside, armed police are waiting for him. Like Henry Fool (1997) and Fay Grim (2006), Ned Rifle
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