Lean on Pete

Lean on Pete is a 2017 British drama film written and directed by Andrew Haigh, based on the novel of the same name by Willy Vlautin. It stars Charlie Plummer, Chloë Sevigny, Travis Fimmel and Steve Buscemi, and follows a 15-year-old boy who begins to work at a stable and befriends an ailing racehorse.

Lean on Pete
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAndrew Haigh
Produced byTristan Goligher
Screenplay byAndrew Haigh
Based onLean on Pete
by Willy Vlautin
Starring
Music byJames Edward Barker
CinematographyMagnus Joenck
Edited byJonathan Alberts
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • 1 September 2017 (2017-09-01) (Venice)
  • 4 May 2018 (2018-05-04) (United Kingdom)
Running time
121 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8 million[1]
Box office$2.5 million[2]

It was screened in the main competition section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress by Charlie Plummer. It was released in the United States on 6 April 2018, by A24, before opening in the United Kingdom on 4 May 2018, by Curzon Artificial Eye.

Plot

Charley, a 15-year-old living with his single father, finds casual work caring for an aging racehorse named Lean On Pete. When his father dies, making him likely to go into care, and he learns Pete is bound for slaughter, Charley and the racehorse embark on an odyssey across the new American frontier in search of a long lost aunt.

Cast

Production

In May 2015, it was announced Andrew Haigh would write and direct the film, based upon the novel of the same name with Tristan Goligher to produce the film under his The Bureau banner, alongside Film4 Productions.[3] In July 2016, Steve Buscemi joined the cast of the film.[4] That same month, Charlie Plummer, Chloë Sevigny, and Travis Fimmel joined the cast of the film.[5][6] In September 2016, Steve Zahn, Amy Seimetz and Thomas Mann joined the cast of the film.[7][8]

James Edward Barker composed the film's score.[9]

Filming

Principal photography began on 13 August 2016, and took place in Portland[10][11] and Burns, Oregon.[12][13] Filming concluded on 10 September 2016.[14] Among the locations was Portland Meadows racetrack,[13] named Portland Downs in the film.[15]

Post-production

During post-production on the film, Thomas Mann's role was removed from the final cut.[16]

Release

In May 2016, A24 and Curzon Artificial Eye acquired U.S and U.K distribution rights, respectively.[17] The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on 1 September 2017.[18] It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2017[19] and the BFI London Film Festival on 5 October 2017.[20]

The film was initially scheduled to be released in the United States on 30 March 2018, however it was pushed back a week to 6 April, and was released in the United Kingdom on 4 May 2018.[21]

Critical reception

As of June 2020, the film holds a 91% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 185 reviews with an average rating of 7.88 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Lean on Pete avoids mawkish melodrama, offering an empathetic yet clear-eyed portrayal of a young man at a crossroads that confirms Charlie Plummer as a major talent."[22] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[23]

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the film 3 1/2 stars, saying "I marveled at the humanist depth of the world Haigh creates, one that can only be rendered by a truly great writer and director, working near the top of his game."[24] Austin Dale of INTO named the film the best of 2018 while grieving its modest box office returns, calling it "both the most American film of the year and the year’s toughest sell."[25]

References
  1. Grater, Tom (9 September 2017). "The story behind Andrew Haigh's 'Lean On Pete'". Screen Daily. Screen International. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  2. "Lean on Pete (2018)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  3. Mitchell, Wendy (21 May 2015). "Andrew Haigh's next film to be 'Lean on Pete'". Screen Daily. Screen International. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  4. Jafaar, Ali (7 July 2016). "Steve Buscemi Set To Star In Andrew Haigh's 'Lean On Pete'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  5. Jafaar, Ali (11 July 2016). "Charlie Plummer Lands Lead Role in Andrew Haigh's 'Lean On Pete'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  6. Jafaar, Ali (19 July 2016). "Chloe Sevigny And Travis Fimmel Join Cast Of Andrew Haigh's 'Lean On Pete'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  7. Grater, Tom (10 September 2016). "First look: 'Lean On Pete'". Screen Daily. Screen International. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  8. N'Duka, Amanda (13 September 2016). "Tommy Flanagan Sings Along With 'The Ballad Of Lefty Brown'; Thomas Mann Joins 'Lean On Pete'". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  9. filmmusicreporter (15 March 2017). "James Edward Barker to Score Andrew Haigh's 'Lean On Pete'". Film Music Reporter. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  10. Fox 12 Staff (20 July 2016). "'Lean on Pete' filming in Portland". Fox 12 Oregon. KPTV. Archived from the original on 23 July 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  11. Haigh, Andrew (15 August 2016). "Day 3..." Instagram. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  12. Burns Times-Herald (24 August 2016). "Film Crew Seeks Movie Extras". Burns Times-Herald. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  13. Baker, Jeff (10 April 2018). "'Lean on Pete' gets its setting and its soul from Portland Meadows". The Oregonian. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  14. Sevigny, Chloë (10 September 2016). "Middle of #nowhere last day on #leanonpete🐴 thank you @andrewhaigh1973 #whenlovetakesyoutofaroffplaces". Instagram. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  15. Turan, Kenneth (5 April 2018). "Review: A lonely teen finds the horse he needs in 'Lean on Pete'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 30 April 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  16. Turner, Kyle (19 March 2018). "A Place To Always Go Back To: Andrew Haigh and Charlie Plummer Talk Lean on Pete". Paste. Paste Media Group. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  17. Goodfellow, Melanie (13 May 2016). "A24 picks up Andrew Haigh's 'Lean On Pete' for North America". Screen Daily. Screen International. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  18. Anderson, Ariston (27 July 2017). "Venice Competition Includes Films From George Clooney, Guillermo del Toro, Darren Aronofsky". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  19. "Lean on Pete". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  20. "Lean on Pete". BFI London Film Festival. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  21. "Lean on Pete". Launching Films. Film Distributors' Association. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  22. "Lean on Pete (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  23. "Lean on Pete Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  24. Tallerico, Brian (6 April 2018). "Lean on Pete". RogerEbert.com. Ebert Digital LLC. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  25. "25 Great Films — and 5 Disappointments". www.intomore.com. Retrieved 2019-02-09.
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