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Gabe Nevins, Taylor Momsen, Jake Miller, Dan Liu, Lauren McKinney ... see more see more... , Scott Green

A teenage skateboarder has a run-in with a security guard that results in the man's death. Confused, fearful, and evasive, the teen wanders the streets of Portland as his life takes a turn for the wor... read more read more...se in director Gus Van Sant's screen adaptation of author Blake Nelson's grim coming-of-age tome. Alex (Gabe Nevins) is a withdrawn 16-year-old boy who has recently discovered Paranoid Park -- a massive skate park in Portland, OR. The Portland skate punks built Paranoid Park so they could have a place to cruise the concrete without being hassled by the cops. One day, after befriending a local skater and anarchist at the park, Alex decides that a little adventure might be just the thing to help him forget about his problems back home. When Alex and his new friend attempt to hop a train and a security guard gives chase, tragedy strikes so quickly that the two teens are barely able to comprehend what has just happened. In the aftermath of the fatal accident, one man is robbed of life and two teens are left to ponder the consequences of their youthful recklessness. Alex doesn't think that anyone will believe him if he explains how events really unfolded that night, but why would anyone have cause to think he wasn't telling the truth in the first place? As the police launch an investigation into the death and Alex begins to express himself in a deeply personal diary, the audience is able to experience the pain and confusion of adolescence from the perspective of a young boy who was only seeking to escape from reality when suddenly confronted by the concept of mortality. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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65% liked it

20,887 ratings

Critics

77% liked it

115 critics

R, 1 hr. 24 min.

Directed by: Gus Van Sant

Release Date: May 21, 2007

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DVD Release Date: October 7, 2008

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Stats: 2,600 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,600)

  • c0up
    April 3, 2012
    c0up
    'Paranoid Park'. Loved the look and non-linear, slowly unravelling scenes, but felt very detached from the main protagonist; maybe that's what Van Sant was going for.
  • fb619846742
    September 3, 2011
    fb619846742
    A slow-burn exercise in guilt and the always troubled teenage lifestyle, especially one 16-year old (Gabe Nevins) who gets himself involved in a case concerning a dead security guard after it appears he may have been at the scene of the crime. The art of skateboarding has never b... read moreeen viewed through more adoring lenses than by director Gus Van Sant here, as he never misses an opportunity to use slow-motion shots to capture the beauty some particular skaters possess when it comes to their sport. However, sometimes he comes close to Zach Snyder super-duper slow-motion territory, in which it threatens to overpower the rest of his movie. However, Van Sant is a more skilled and polished auteur than Snyder will ever be, and as a result 'Park' works in a quiet, haunting way as it effectively captures what this particular character is going through. The film could be a little longer and some supporting characters could have used a little more meat, but that still does not take away from the almost inexplicably riveting tale Van Sant puts on screen here, despite the film possessing a lot of dead air and looks of detachment from its lead star.
  • blkbomb
    June 22, 2011
    blkbomb
    I must admit the first time I watched Paranoid Park about a year ago I hated absolutely everything about it. From the long, slow motioned skating scenes to the acting( which I now see is actually very good because of how realistic it is). However, after watching it a second time,... read more I think the film is brilliant. Although I still believe the some of the slow motion scenes could be taken out of cut. Like I said before, the acting is very realistic and I think that can turn a lot of people off. It seems, to some, that the actors are doing a horrible job because of just how realistic their performances are. Gabe Nevins is spectacular in the lead role as Alex. Alex is a 16 year old skater who is a self conscious and quiet person. The movie revolves around him and him only. He spends time with a couple of friends Jared(Jake Miller) and Macy(Lauren McKinney). He also has a girlfriend Jennifer(Taylor Momsen). The way Nevins carries himself in this role is great. He's like a lot of kids, when he's around others he's very uptight. He answers questions with few words and doesn't show any emotion. But when alone he changes. I love the car scene where a rap song is playing and he is moving to the music. If someone else was in the car, there is no way he'd do that. He tells us his story through a writing of a letter. I'm not going to say what the letter is about or who it is to. Alex is a deeper than normal teenager and we see that through his relationships. His best friend Jared is the typical teenager. All he cares about is having a good time and trying to get laid. Alex's girlfriend is pretty but that doesn't seem to matter to Alex. She wants to have sex, but he seems to just go along for the ride. The most important relationship is Macy though. This is someone who Alex actually connects with and likes, but she isn't pretty, so he, in my opinion has to hide his true feelings about her. Ultimately Paranoid Park is a great character study that was brilliantly directed by Gus Van Sant and acted by Gabe Nevins. If you don't like it the first time; do yourself a favor and give it another chance.
  • DrBenway
    March 20, 2011
    DrBenway
    Van Sant's been edging toward abstraction over the past decade, and while he has many detractors, who see nothing more than hampered Euro art-film aesthetics, there's been no denying that he's carved out a singular niche for himself in American cinema, making films more reliant o... read moren the audience's intellectual engagement with tone, mood, and setting than on narrative.

    Ultimately, the core to Paranoid Park is the moral dilemma Alex finds himself in. He has done something disastrously wrong, and without ever taking sides, Van Sant simply lets us decide for ourselves what will become of him. Not a terribly great film, but cinematographer Christopher Doyle's work here is super.

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  • 76Majikat
    September 23, 2010
    76Majikat
    As with many of Gus Van Sant?s work, I don?t know whether this borders on slight genius or boring drawn out film making,, either way it does make you consider the possibilities.

    On the up side of things the acting for such youngs guys is totally natural and really impressive,... read more, intense throughout, the storyline interesting with a very realistic feel, the downside to that of course is that it is very drawn out and like most realistic things, it has an unusual ending.
  • ythelastman89
    August 16, 2010
    ythelastman89
    I think with this and a lot of Gus Van Sant's other latest movies, you either love it or you hate it. I happened to really love it and thought it was a great way to tell a story. Instead of adding needless dialogue and subplots, the movie tells exactly what was necessary to tells... read more Alex's story. I also think the acting was great, maybe because it was so believable. Alex walks, talks and responds like a 16 year old skater.
  • TheMachinist
    May 19, 2009
    TheMachinist
    'Paranoid Park' is another minimalistic film, with mostly amateus actors, from the critically acclaimed director Gus Van Sant. With a filmography consisting such films as 'Good Will Hunting', which is absolutely one of my favourites, and 'Drugstore Cowboy' and now with his latest... read more work 'Milk', Gus Van Sant has proved us all that he can make movies that will for sure be worth a look. But then again, he has made a remake of 'Psycho' so....

    'Elephant', which he made in 2003, was a succesful film. 'Paranoid Park' resembles it a lot in the way of filmmaking. Amateur actors, authentic look and so on. This film has its positive sides, mainly the cinematography by Christopher Doyle, but when everything else doesn't give you anything particularly special, it can't really be that great.

    Nothing much really happens here. Skater, high school kids just hanging around at Paranoid Park, watching other skaters do their thing. Then there's of course the everyday problems of dating and losing your virginity and listening to the annoying girlfriend. Oh yeah, and someone gets killed.

    Although 'Paranoid Park' only lasts for less then 90 minutes, it may at times feel a bit draging and boring. I had troubles to identify myself with the main characters. I'm just a 30 year old man who was born in yokel surroundings. When I see skaters, once again, do their thing, I'm not that interested of it.

    Even if the acting is solid, which is a great thing considering the amateur cast, when you skip everything else and leave just the murder, this could have worked better as a short film but not as a full length feature. But 'Paranoid Park' is in no way a bad work by Van Sant. I just don't see it as that special.
  • ceWEBrity
    May 17, 2009
    ceWEBrity
    A stirring, subtle, visually remarkable piece by Gus Van Sant. If you saw flaws in Elephant, this rectifies them and expands on its companion piece's richness. Though the awful acting still remains, the situations Van Sant creates house them well - these kids aren't navigating pa... read morerticularly challenging or out-there roles, but instead are living the lives of a few ordinary teenagers who are in or around trouble. The awkwardness and lack of grandstanding (or presence of grandstanding, where appropriate) are a perfect fit for the teen experience. The only one who doesn't fit here is Taylor Momsen, who just feels far too accustomed to acting and movies and all that glossy desouled business. Gabe Nevins works as a good, solid blank slate, a perfect fit for a protagonist who isn't particularly bright or charismatic. He is stentorian and hard to read, almost enigmatic.

    I was surprised to see that Christopher Doyle filmed this movie, but upon actually watching it, the work is clearly his. Colorful and sharply framed, he always knows what to keep in the viewer's sight and what to keep away from them. Paranoid Park, against all odds, is bizarrely suspenseful for an otherwise quiet movie. The viewer knows within the first ten minutes that Alex killed the security guard, but it doesn't make the buildup to the act any less horrifying. Watching the event unfurl, by the way, is one of the most powerful scenes of 2008; the less you know about it, the better.

    Paranoid Park does ramble a little bit, and it feels as if Van Sant filmed 50 minutes of film and then just edited it all together really fancily to add another half hour. Even so, at 80 minutes, it's far more trim and meaningful than most of what you're likely to see.
  • romy861
    October 6, 2008
    romy861
    Liked this one a lot. Beautifully filmed and acted, especially considering the cast are unknowns - they were all really good. I couldn't actually believe the bad reviews this one got. My only, (small), gripe would be that it could have been a little longer and a little less abru... read morept at the end, but with this type of movie, it is like life and shouldn't really expect all to tie up neatly at the end!
  • LitelBluHli
    August 1, 2008
    LitelBluHli
    My kind of interesting film. A bit slow, but, still good.

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Critic Reviews

V.A. Musetto
July 16, 2008
V.A. Musetto, New York Post

[An] intriguing, mind-altering skateboard elegy. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
March 21, 2008
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Regarding Paranoid Park as an elongated short rather than a feature helps a bit, because it's a miniature in spirit -- a small-format portrait of psychic malaise that just happens to last 84 minutes. Full Review

Tom Long
March 21, 2008
Tom Long, Detroit News

Paranoid Park becomes a portrait of the skate punk as repressed personality. The movie doesn't really go anywhere as a story, it simply unfolds. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
March 21, 2008
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

Intriguing and obliquely involving. Full Review

Peter Schilling
March 20, 2008
Peter Schilling, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Alex goes to school, has a girlfriend, eats junk food ... and is almost as much of a zombie as anything George A. Romero has ever conjured up. Only less appealing. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
March 20, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Elephant said much more about teenagers and said it better. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
March 20, 2008
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

Even something as modest as Paranoid Park manages to reflect Van Sant's greatest strengths as an artist: his seemingly limitless fluency with his chosen medium and his willingness to tell even the old... Full Review

James Berardinelli
March 20, 2008
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Paranoid Park, while still off the beaten path, is less self-absorbed and pretentious than anything Van Sant has crafted since Finding Forrester. Full Review

Richard Roeper
March 17, 2008
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

Yet another movie about misunderstood teenage skateboarders.

David Wiegand
March 14, 2008
David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle

For some of the way, it seems like a kind of skateboard whodunit. Soon enough, we understand it's much more than that. And by then, we know we're in for a ride to remember. Full Review

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  • This director has made films about High School shootings, the death of Kurt Cobain, Portland's Paranoid Park, and an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henry IV".  Answer »
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