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General: Minor Films   no photo.
TitleLawn Dogs (1997)
Alternative/Original Title
DisabilityGeneral Heart transplant
CountryUSA
Length100
GenreDrama
Rating4
DirectorJohn Duigan
CastSam Rockwell Mischa Barton
NotesTrent is a 21 year old who cuts lawns for a living and lives in an old trailer/caravan set in the woods. His philosophy of life is the there are "people that own lawns and people that mow them." Devon is a ten year old girl who lives with her parents in the gated community of Camelot Gardens. They are new arrivals and put on a façade of being the perfect family. They are also protective towards Devon who has had a heart transplant. But she doesn't like the place or the kids around there. Devon meets Trent when he is cutting the lawns at Camelot Gardens, a place he would otherwise not be allowed into. They immediately take to each other and Devon starts visiting Trent at his trailer. For obvious reasons he tries to discourage her but their relationship flourishes. They are both loners and it is possible that Devon's heart transplant has caused a change in her outlook. This relationship is a delicate subject and even though there is a sexual undercurrent (Devon possibly has a crush on Trent) the film succeeds in portraying a genuine friendship. Part of this success comes from the sympathetic performances of Sam Rockwell as Trent and Mischa Barton as Devon. Mischa Barton is a revelation and a natural actor similar to Mary Badham in To Kill a Mockingbird. Regretfully I believe Mz Badham never made another film. Though the film is partly a satire on the community in which Trent works and Devon lives their friendship rises above this. But we know it can't last. http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/l/lawn.html

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