Going to Kansas City

Going to Kansas City (DVD) (*)

Out of Stock

Screened, competed or awarded at:
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Finnish ( Subtitles )
Swedish ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
Finland ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
95 min

Aspect Ratio:
Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1)

Special Features:
Anamorphic Widescreen
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1998 and produced in:
Canada ( USA, Canada )
Finland ( Scandinavia, Iceland )

Directed By:
Pekka Mandart

Written By:
Pekka Mandart
Tony MacNabb

Actors:
Michael Ironside ..... Mike Malone
Mikko Nousiainen ..... Mikko Vihavainen
Melissa Galianos ..... Carly Malone
Susan Almgren ..... Bonnie Bruckner
Daniel Pilon ..... Jack Bruckner
Kris Holden-Ried ..... Charlie Bruckner
Mark Camacho ..... Billy Ossining
Karine Dion ..... Karen Olsen
Shawn Potter ..... Tink
Adam MacDonald ..... Floyd Weaver
Lisa Bronwyn Moore ..... Roxie
Minor Mustain ..... Sheriff Creed
Neil Kroetsch ..... Crawford
Belinda Hum ..... Anarita
Chip Chuipka ..... Alex Taggert

Synopsis:

Dreaming of becoming a famous blues musician, a young Finn leaves Helsinki and heads for Kansas City only to learn that his host family resides in nearby Canaan, a rural town where xenophobic locals treat him with contempt and suspicion. At first the upbeat Mikko Vihavainen (Mikko Nousianen) pays the locals little mind. After all, his host mother Bonnie Bruckner (Susan Almgren) and her boys are friendly enough, as is cute waitress Carly Malone (Melissa Galianos), the overprotected daughter of the town police chief (Michael Ironside). Mikko's dreams also sustain him. During the first half of Finnish director Pekka Mandart's feature-film debut, the tone is lighthearted and even humorous. However, the story takes a much darker turn in the second half when Mikko gets caught up in a convenience-store robbery that leaves two young people dead. With no apparent suspects, the police chief and the rest of the town charge Mikko with the crime. Their rage bursts into violence shortly after Mikko and Carly flee town. Going to Kansas City played at the 1998 AFI Film Festival as part of their European Film Showcase.

Mikko, an exchange student from Finland, arrives in Kansas City. He is expecting to spend a year in the centre of the big city but the plans have already changed. He has a new host family, who live on a farm far outside the city. The life in the countryside becomes much more exciting when he gets to know the sheriff's daughter and falls in love. Too bad that the father doesn't allow it. When the harmless trip to the out-of-town bar goes terribly wrong, Mikko has to face a very serious reality. The concealed hatred between certain characters doesn't make the situation any easier.

This product was added to our catalog on Monday 02 January, 2012.