Buffallo '66 (1998)
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A man recently released from prison kidnaps a tap dancer to pose as his wife while he seeks revenge for a lost football championship.
The story
After serving five years in prison due to a failed bet on a football game, Billy Brown returns to Buffalo, New York. To hide his criminal past from his parents, he kidnaps a tap dancer named Layla and forces her to pose as his wife, giving her the alias 'Wendy Balsam'. As they navigate his parents' dysfunctional household and a series of outings, the two begin to develop a complex connection. Meanwhile, Billy remains obsessed with a quest for revenge against the kicker responsible for the team's loss in the 1966 championship, a loss that defined his life and led to his incarceration.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Billy Brown, recently released from prison, returns to Buffalo and kidnaps a tap dancer named Layla, forcing her to pose as his wife to hide his past from his parents. During their time together, they visit his parents' home, where Layla observes their dysfunctional dynamic. They go bowling and visit a diner, where Billy encounters a woman from his past. They eventually share a moment of intimacy at a motel. In a delusional sequence, Billy imagines a scenario where he finds the kicker, Scott Wood, at a bar and kills him, only to realize it was a fantasy. He ultimately chooses to stay with Layla, realizing she is the one who truly loves him. He reconciles with his friend Goon and returns to the motel to share a celebratory treat with Layla.
- First release year
- 1998
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Vincent Gallo
- Writers
- Vincent Gallo · screenplay; Alison Bagnall · screenplay; Vincent Gallo · story
- Cast and characters
- Vincent Gallo · Billy Brown; Christina Ricci · Layla; Ben Gazzara; Mickey Rourke; Rosanna Arquette; Jan-Michael Vincent; Anjelica Huston
- Genres
- romantic comedy-drama; crime comedy; crime drama
- Themes
- obsession; identity; dysfunctional family
- Tone and mood
- dreamlike; quirky
- Premise and plot tags
- road movie; independent film; romance
- Reception
- The film was generally well-received, particularly for Christina Ricci's performance, and has gained a cult following in Japan.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 77% · scale: percentage · review count: 60; Metacritic · score: 68 · scale: 100 · review count: 19
- Production trivia
- The title refers to the Buffalo Bills' 1966 championship game.; Dialogue from the film is sampled in the song 'I'm Getting Closer' by M83.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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