We Need to Talk About Kevin (film)
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We Need to Talk About Kevin is a 2011 British-American drama thriller film adapted and directed by Lynne Ramsay from American author Lionel Shriver's 2003 novel of the same name. A long process of development and financing began in 2005 and filming eventually commenced in April 2010, with Tilda Swinton starring as Eva Khatchadourian, Kevin's mother. The film premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and was released in the United Kingdom on 21 October 2011.
Plot
Teenager Kevin Katchadourian (Ezra Miller) is in prison after committing a massacre at his High School and killing his father and little sister using a high tech bow and arrow set. His mother, Eva (Tilda Swinton), a once-succesful travel agent, lives alone in a run-down house and works in a mall travel agency in a town near the prison where she visits Kevin. She looks back at her memories of him growing up as she tries to cope with the anger and hostility of her neighbors, who know her to be Kevin's mother. Her memories are shown in flashbacks.
Throughout Kevin's life he has been detached and difficult. He does not bond with his mother; as a baby he cries incessantly, resists toilet training, rebuffs her attempts at affection, and shows no interest in anything. While he is still small, Eva's frustration with his intractability drives her to throw Kevin against the wall, breaking his arm. When Eva tries to talk to her husband, Frank (John C. Reilly), about her increasing concern about Kevin's problems, he dismisses her concerns and makes excuses for Kevin's strange behaviour. Their second child, Celia, is lively and cheerful. Kevin finally shows interest in something when Frank gives Kevin a bow and arrow set and teaches him archery. Kevin becomes an excellent marksman. When Celia's pet is killed, and she is blinded in one eye by an incident with a caustic cleaning fluid, Eva is convinced Kevin has hurt her and her pet on purpose, while Frank insists these events were accidents and that Kevin is blameless. This pattern of suspicion on Eva's part and excuse-making on Frank's intensifies Eva's fear of her son, as she sees growing evidence of Kevin's pleasure in hurting others. This culminates with his plotting and carrying out the multiple killings of his father, Celia, his teachers, and fellow students, and his imprisonment for the crimes.
The film concludes on the second anniversary of the massacre, when Eva visits Kevin in prison. Kevin is anxious because his 18th birthday and transfer to an adult prison are imminent. Eva asks him why he committed the murders and he responds that he no longer knows why. Eva gives Kevin a hug and says her goodbyes while he is taken away.
Cast
- Tilda Swinton as Eva Khatchadourian
- John C. Reilly as Franklin
- Ezra Miller as Kevin Khatchadourian
- Jasper Newell as 6-8-year-old Kevin
- Rocky Duer as infant Kevin
- Ashley Gerasimovich as Celia
