7.7/10
202,150
566 user 195 critic

21 Grams (2003)

A freak accident brings together a critically ill mathematician, a grieving mother, and a born-again ex-con.

Director:

(as Alejandro González Iñárritu)
Reviews
Popularity
2,438 ( 375)
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 30 wins & 76 nominations. See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Carly Nahon ...
Claire Pakis ...
Laura
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Nick Nichols ...
Boy
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Gynecologist
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Loyd Keith Salter ...
Fat Man
Antef A. Harris ...
Basketball Guy
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Freddy (as Marc Thomas Musso)
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Storyline

This is the story of three well-meaning but flawed people: Paul Rivers, an ailing mathematician lovelessly married to an English émigré; Christina Peck, an upper-middle-class suburban housewife, happily married homemaker with two young daughters, with hiding a secret past; and Jack Jordan, an ex-convict who has found in his Christian faith the strength to live a law-abiding life and raise a family. They will be brought together by a terrible accident that will change their lives. By the final frame, none of them will be the same as they will have learnt harsh truths about love, faith, courage, desire and guilt, and how chance can change our worlds irretrievably, forever. Written by Miguel Cane ([email protected])

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

How much does love weigh? See more »

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexuality, some violence and drug use | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

26 February 2004 (Israel)  »

Also Known As:

21 gram  »

Filming Locations:

 »

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Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$274,454, 23 November 2003, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$16,248,701, 21 March 2004
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

When Paul finds the photos of Cristina and her husband in a book, the book he is looking at is "Cruising Paradise", a collection of 40 stories about solitude and loss by playwright-actor Sam Shepard. See more »

Goofs

When Cristina is getting her car and tells the valet, "I don't need a fuckin' taxi," her lips do not move. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Michael: Check, please.
Cathy: Look Daddy, a volcano.
[Cathy blows bubbles into her soft drink]
Michael: It's very pretty. Drink up your volcano. All right. We're going. Mommy's waiting.
Cathy: Daddy, please. Just one more minute.
See more »

Crazy Credits

Thanks to ÁLos amo! See more »

Connections

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) See more »

Soundtracks

Can We Get Together
(2003)
Written by Renee Funderburgh, Anson Funderburgh and John Street
Performed by Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets (as Anson Funderburgh and Rockets)
Licensed courtesy of Bullseye Blues & Jazz, a Rounder Records Group label
By Arrangement with Ocean Park Music Group
See more »

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User Reviews

Iñárritu delivers a film that may well live up to its hype and then some.
19 January 2004 | by See all my reviews

21 Grams features performances by Sean Penn, Benecio Del Torro and Naomi Watts that are remarkable not only for their believability, but also for the range of gut wrenching emotion they bring to bear. Telling his story almost violently out of sequence, Iñárritu makes no apology for presenting information in a manner that is often abrupt and/or confusing. His choice to juxtapose a myriad of images to reveal the complexities and subtleties of the characters challenges the viewer even as it elevates the story.

Each of the three main characters faces a series of crises that unfold in the fullness of Iñárritu's version of time. By so carefully painting characters' surroundings along with their reactions to the events that change their lives, lead characters are stripped to the bone. The supporting cast is nothing short of miraculous (notably Clea Duvall, Charlotte Gainsborg and Melissa Leo) and completes a wonderfully complex series of portraits of the three main characters.

Like few films in recent memory, 21 Grams fully reveals what it is to be human in the clutches of life's most challenging moments.


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