Region Zero Miramax DVD (2006)
Director: Patrick Stettner
Cast: Robin Williams, Toni Collette, Joe Morton, Bobby Cannavale, Sandra Oh, Rory Culkin
Gabriel Noone is a celebrated, late night talk show host. He has won awards and garnered recognition from audiences. Noone is now burnt out, and he has a hard time with the material the studio wants him to promote. He receives a manuscript from his editor friend, Ashe (Joe Morton (Speed, Terminator 2). The manuscript depicts the first-person experience of a young boy who was sexually abused by his parents for profit. Gabriel (Robin Williams (Good Will Hunting, Aladdin) contacts the author, Pete (Rory Culkin (Signs)) and the two instantly develop a great rapport.
Pete is dying from AIDS; a point that tugs at Gabriel’s heart. Gabriel’s younger lover recently left him and he is missing the opportunity to nurture someone. Gabriel’s former boyfriend, Jess (Bobby Cannavale (Snakes on a Plane, Fast Food Nation), points out that the talk show host has become so lost in the situation that he’s not seeing things for what they really are. Gabriel winds up caught between Jess’ pessimism about Pete’s story, and Ashe’s blind faith that the story is true.
Gabriel, and the viewers, are left completely in the dark as he struggles to find out if Pete and Donna are who they claim to be. In a desperate move, he finds their address and decides to fly to Wisconsin and meet them in person. The trip initially frustrates the hell out of him, but before it’s all over, a clue from Pete leads him to at least some of the answers he seeks (all the while being masterfully punctuated by Peter Nashel’s original score.)
When Gabriel finally gets the resolution he seeks, it comes in a very unlikely fashion. He emerges with the ability to better understand his own life; both his on-air persona and the reality he can’t escape through work or storytelling.
Williams and Collette are both very good in this psychological story that unwinds and reveals at a good pace. Williams is fantastically desperate. Collette is properly obsessed. Director Patrick Stettner (The Business of Strangers) captures the cold, bleak climate of a lonely Wisconsin town.
Extras include a deleted scene that was rightfully removed. It’s simply too extreme for the rest of the film and really throws off the pacing. Also included is a short piece revealing a lot of the plot twists and devices used in the film. The short explores how differing minds deal with loneliness.
The Night Listener is inspired by the real experience of Armistead Maupin, who lived many of the things that occur to Gabriel. Maupin and his partner, Terry Anderson, contributed to the writing and production of the film. Maupin and Anderson wrote most of the screenplay; a tricky challenge since the on-screen breakup between Gabriel and Jess was identical to the real-life breakup of the writers. The Night Listener is based on Maupin’s novel of the same name.
The edited run time is 81 minutes. The film is presented in 1.85:1 (widescreen) format, with subtitles in French and Spanish.