Skateland
Skateland is a 2010 American drama film written and directed by Anthony Burns. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2010. The film was released in the United States on May 13, 2011, with distribution by Freestyle Releasing. The film stars Shiloh Fernandez, Ashley Greene, Brett Cullen, James LeGros, Taylor Handley, and Haley Ramm.
| Skateland | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Anthony Burns |
| Written by | Anthony Burns Brandon Freeman Heath Freeman |
| Produced by | Anthony Burns Brandon Freeman Heath Freeman Justin Gilley Nicholas Jayanty Victor Moyers |
| Starring | Shiloh Fernandez Ashley Greene Heath Freeman Brett Cullen Melinda McGraw Taylor Handley |
| Cinematography | Peter Simonite |
| Edited by | Robert Hoffman |
| Music by | Michael Penn |
Production companies | Freeman Film Reversal Films Skateland Productions |
| Distributed by | Freestyle Releasing |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $19,411[1] |
The film is dedicated to the memory of John Hughes, who directed teen films throughout the 1980s.
Plot
The story takes place in a small town in Texas in 1983. The film follows a 19-year-old boy named Ritchie Wheeler (Shiloh Fernandez) who spends most of his time at the local roller rink where he works and hangs out with his friends, Brent Burkham (Heath Freeman), Brent's sister Michelle (Ashley Greene) and Kenny Crawford (Taylor Handley). Ritchie is struggling trying to figure out his future, what he wants to do with his life and if he wants to go to college. When a tragedy occurs in Ritchie's life he is forced to make these decisions earlier than he expected.
Cast
- Shiloh Fernandez as Ritchie Wheeler
- Ashley Greene as Michelle Burkham
- Brett Cullen as David Wheeler
- James LeGros as Clive Burkham
- Taylor Handley as Kenny Crawford
- Haley Ramm as Mary Wheeler
- A. J. Buckley as Teddy
- Melinda McGraw as Debbie Wheeler
- D. W. Moffett as Jimmy Houston
- Heath Freeman as Brent Burkham
- Ellen Hollman as Deana Trammel
- David Sullivan as Luther
- Casey LaBow as Candy Boyce
Reception
Based on an unknown, but presumably small budget, Skateland only grossed $19,411 in the North American box office.[1]
Upon its release, the film received mixed reviews. It holds a 47% approval rating on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 30 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10.[2]
Soundtrack
The soundtrack of the film is composed of numerous songs that defined the late 70s and 80s.
| Songs Heard in the Film |
|---|
| "Funky Town" by Lipps, Inc. |
| "Shake It Up" by The Cars |
| "Something's Gone Wrong Again" by The Buzzcocks |
| "Puttin' on the Ritz" by Taco |
| "Pink Fuzzi" by The Protagonist! |
| "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant |
| "Der Kommissar" by After the Fire |
| "City Surf" by Blair Booth and Douglas Boyle |
| "Pancho and Lefty" by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard |
| "Limbo Rock" by Chubby Checker |
| "Take It on the Run" by REO Speedwagon |
| "Rock of Ages" by Def Leppard |
| "The Tide is High" by Blondie |
| "Love Plus One" by Haircut 100 |
| "Heart of Glass" by Blondie |
| "Texas Nexus" by Tim Renwick |
| "I Ran (So Far Away)" by A Flock of Seagulls |
| "Urgent" by Foreigner |
| "Pump Action" by Matt Backer |
| "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen |
| "Space Age Love Song" by A Flock of Seagulls |
| "I Melt With You" by Modern English |
| "Age of Consent" by New Order |