American Heart (1992) on Netflix
Jack Kelson leaves a Seattle prison after five years for robbing a jewelry store. His fourteen-year-old son Nick, whose mother died years ago, comes to meet him, but Jack turns him away.
- Netflix3.4/5
- IMDb6.7/103,906 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes86%
Trailer
Plot summary
Jack Kelson is finishing a five-year sentence in Seattle for a jewelry store robbery when his fourteen-year-old son arrives at the prison to meet him. Nick has no mother; she died years ago. Jack turns the boy away, but Nick tags along anyway, and the two take a room in a cheap hotel where father and son pull at each other. Nick is not in school and sells newspapers for money. Jack turns down his former partner Randy, who wants him in on another robbery, and takes a job washing windows downtown. His drinking makes him behave badly toward Nick, and a police detective keeps watch on him because of his parole. Jack speaks of moving to Alaska and is unsure whether to bring Nick.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about American Heart (1992)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Elements of the American Heart screenplay were based on material from Martin Bell's documentary Streetwise, including the relationship between one of that film's young subjects and his father.
- To prepare for the role, Jeff Bridges worked closely with Edward Bunker, an ex-convict and author of the novel No Beast So Fierce, which inspired the 1978 film Straight Time. Bridges also worked out with ex-cons to get his body in similar shape to a prisoner's.
- Edward Furlong was cast before his debut film Terminator 2 was even released, after photographer Mary Ellen Mark did a photo essay on kid actors. He prepared by visiting the Covenant House in Los Angeles, where his aunt had formerly worked.
