Road to Perdition (2002) on Netflix
Michael Sullivan is an enforcer for mob boss John Rooney in Rock Island, Illinois, in 1931. When his son Michael Jr. witnesses a killing, Sullivan takes the boy on the run.
- Netflix3.7/5
- IMDb7.6/10303,035 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes81%
Trailer
Plot summary
Michael Sullivan Sr. was orphaned as a boy and raised by John Rooney, an Irish-American crime boss in Rock Island, Illinois. In 1931 Sullivan works as Rooney's enforcer; his wife Annie knows what he does, while his sons, twelve-year-old Michael Jr. and Peter, do not. At the wake of Finn McGovern's brother, McGovern hints that Rooney was involved in the death. Rooney's son Connor and Sullivan are sent to speak with him, and Michael Jr., following his father, watches the meeting from hiding as it turns violent. The men find the boy and swear him to silence, but Connor, unwilling to leave a witness, moves against the Sullivan family. Sullivan and his eldest son flee Rock Island together.
Cast
- Rob Maxeyas Drugstore Owner
- Craig Spidleas Rooney's Henchman
- Stephen P. Dunnas Finn McGovern's Henchman (as Stephen Dunn)
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Road to Perdition (2002)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Anthony LaPaglia was cast as Al Capone and filmed a single scene, which was omitted from the final cut and can be found among the DVD's deleted scenes, because Sam Mendes believed that Capone was more menacing as an unseen presence. Alfred Molina had been approached to portray Capone but turned the role down because of scheduling conflicts with Frida.
- Paul Newman was unanimously the first choice for the role of John Rooney, and the actor prepared by requesting that Frank McCourt, the Irish-American author of Angela's Ashes, record a tape of his voice.
- To capture the "seedy countenance" of his character, Jude Law was given a sallow skin tone that reflected the wear from working in a darkroom, teeth with a lower gumline and a rotted look, and a weak, thinning hairline.
- A seamless 40-second driving scene, in which Michael Sullivan and his son travel into Chicago from the countryside, was aided by visual effects: the live-action part was filmed at LaSalle Street and, because part of the drive lacked scenery, the background of Balbo Drive was included.
- Some names were changed from the graphic novel: the surname of the real-life gangsters John Looney and his son Connor was changed to Rooney, and the surname of Tom Hanks' character and his family was streamlined from the original O'Sullivan to simply Sullivan.
- Tyler Hoechlin was chosen from over 2,000 candidates to portray Michael Sullivan's son and was 13 years old while filming; for the scenes in which his character assists his father as a getaway driver, Hoechlin was trained by a driving instructor.
- General Jones Armory, which houses units of the Illinois National Guard, was provided to the studio by the Illinois State Film Commission, and sets were built inside the armory, including the interiors of the Sullivan family's home and the Rooney mansion.
SPOILER
Max Allan Collins, who wrote the graphic novel, contested the path of Sullivan's son in the film: in the graphic novel the son kills once, while in the film Michael does not kill anyone.
