Equinox (1992 film)
Equinox is a 1992 film written and directed by Alan Rudolph. It stars Matthew Modine in dual roles, along with Lara Flynn Boyle, Marisa Tomei and Fred Ward. The film was shot in Minnesota and Utah and is set in the fictional urban city of Empire. It was nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards.
| Equinox | |
|---|---|
 Movie Poster | |
| Directed by | Alan Rudolph |
| Produced by | David Blocker |
| Written by | Alan Rudolph |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Terje Rypdal |
| Cinematography | Elliot Davis |
| Edited by | Michael Ruscio |
Production company | RainCity Productions |
| Distributed by | IRS Media |
Release date | |
Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
Henry Petosa and Freddy Ace are identical twins living in the fictional city of Empire with no knowledge of each other, separated at birth and given up for adoption.
Henry is a shy garage mechanic. He lives in a slum and loves Beverly Franks, his best friend's sister. He also baby-sits for his neighbor Rosie, a prostitute.
Freddy is a driver for Mr. Paris, a gangster. He is slick and self-confident, married to a materialistic woman named Sharon.
One day, a young woman named Sonya Kirk who works in a morgue accidentally comes across a letter indicating that the twins are actually the offspring of European nobility and owed a large sum of inheritance money. Sonya decides to play amateur detective and track them down.
It all leads to a confrontation between the surprised twins in a restaurant, a shootout and a final scene high above the Grand Canyon.
Principal cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Matthew Modine | Henry Petosa / Freddy Ace |
| Lara Flynn Boyle | Beverly Franks |
| Fred Ward | Mr. Paris |
| Tyra Ferrell | Sonya Kirk |
| Marisa Tomei | Rosie Rivers |
| Kevin J. O'Connor | Russell Franks |
| Tate Donovan | Richie Nunn |
| Lori Singer | Sharon Ace |
| M. Emmet Walsh | Pete Petosa |
Twin child actors Jasen and Jereme Kane play the young version of Modine's characters, as well as appearing as the twin children in the restaurant at the end of the film.
Production
Parts of the film were shot in Crescent Junction and Moab, Utah as well as St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota.[1]
Critical reception
The New York Times movie reviewer Stephen Holden had praise for the actors, saying Modine "does a fine job of differentiating between the two without resorting to caricature. He is especially good at showing how the repressed qualities of each twin peek through their surfaces. As Henry's sweetheart, Ms. Boyle exudes the right mixture of warm-blooded ardor and strait-laced defensiveness."[2]
References
- D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874.
- Holden, Stephen (September 8, 1993). "Equinox: Reflections and Envy in Good Twin, Bad Twin". The New York Times. Retrieved September 15, 2010.