The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (2008)

Director:

Rawson Marshall Thurber

Writers (WGA):

Rawson Marshall Thurber (screenplay)
Michael Chabon (novel)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Sometimes life leads you to the most mysterious places.

Plot:

Based on Michael Chabon's novel, the film chronicles the defining summer of a recent college graduate who crosses his gangster father and explores love, sexuality, and the enigmas surrounding his life and his city.

Plot Keywords:

Summer | Gangster | City Name In Title | Female Nudity | Doggystyle Sex

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Jon Foster	...	Art Bechstein
Peter Sarsgaard	...	Cleveland Arning
Sienna Miller	...	Jane Bellwether
Nick Nolte	...	Joe Bechstein
Mena Suvari	...	Phlox Lombardi
Omid Abtahi	...	Mohammed
Keith Michael Gregory	...	Keith
Don Wadsworth	...	Class Instructor
Christian Hand	...	Punk Rock Bathroom Patron
Jarid Faubel	...	Mohawk Man
Tim Hartman	...	Restaurant Manager
Seth Adams	...	Feldman
Jocelyn Wrzosek	...	Townie
Patrick Jordan	...	Phlox's New Boyfriend
Stephen Liska	...	Jimmy Breezy

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | Canada:18A (Manitoba/Ontario) | Singapore:R21 (cut)

Filming Locations:

Mount Washington, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Arclight Films

Trivia:

Max Minghella was originally attached to play Art but dropped out due to school commitments.

Movie Connections:

Edited into "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Miss March/Race to Witch Mountain/Sunshine Cleaning (#1.3)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

The Rescue Blues

"Coming of Age with humor and pathos...."

MYSTERIES OF PITTSBURGH is a truly 2009 "coming of age" story of three young people who meet in Pittsburgh and take a journey which will change their lives forever. The cast is superb; and I found Jon Foster's voice and performance refreshing inside a seasoned cast of Nick Nolte, Sienna Miller, "American Beauty's" Mena Suvari and the incredibly talented Peter Sarsgaard. Reviews have been mixed on the film, but I thought it took off in the second act, with humor of the challenges facing the characters, and the pathos of how "love" can take a turn when you least expect it. The dialog, at times witty and with a cynical barb to it, and the location of Pittsburgh, with its hills and older homes, adds to the story. I really liked this film, and once again, the cast is delicious to look at, and watch.