Clay Pigeons (1998)

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The acting in this movie is really good.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

This 'lil' film noir has been done over the years many times & it is one of those chestnuts I can & will see many times.Innocent man trapped,Evil woman killed. Our hero is innocent, That is the basic plot.As in other reincarnations the film is saved by the actors in it. Once again good acting makes a routine film seem much better than it should be,This is a 1998 film & the 2 stars are now big name players, Both Joachim Phoenix & Vince Vaughn had only made a few films before this. & you can definitely see why they became big time players in a few years.Joachim is our young, not so innocent hero, & Vince portrays of all things a serial killer (this was made before he did Norman Bates in the redo of Psycho. Both turn in first rate performancesAlso Janeane Garafalo plays a winning FBI agent She is always good.Scott Wilson is a quiet sheriff. This is a film noir & for comic relief we have an overly sleepy deputy sheriff named Barney.I don't think his last name was Fife or is it now,Even though this movie is a wee bit too long at 104 minutes, It held my interest from exciting beginning to satisfactory conclusion . It was filmed in beautiful MontanaRatings *** (out of 4) 83 points (out of 100) IMDb 7 (out of 100

Clay Pigeons has all the ingredients of a first rate film; Outstanding acting by Joaquin Phoenix (before he became a superstar) and Janeane Garafaolo (before she became a left wing stooge); Vince Vaughan in one of the great performances of his or any career; a leitmotif of outstanding country music that perfectly sets the mood throughout the picture; laugh out loud dialog; and, last but not least, gorgeous half-naked women.Alas, the movie's shortcomings, from start to finish, are too great to overlook. The incident upon which the whole plot depends is a suicide that the victim has made to look like a murder by Clay (Phoenix), who had been having an affair with the dead man's wife. Never mind that the victim's fingerprints are all over the gun - Clay panics and pushes the victim and his truck over a cliff rather than admit to the affair and report the truth. What makes this decision all the more ludicrous is that we later learn that the sheriff and Clay are old buds. When evidence from two murders that happen consequential to the initial incident point definitively to Clay as the killer, the sheriff still refuses to believe that he is guilty.Everything else about the story is pretty ridiculous, too. How did the murder weapon get into Clay's fireplace? And, wouldn't the murderer have placed it in a more obvious location, since his whole point was to set up Clay? How does Clay know where to find the murderer when he escapes from jail? How does Agent Shelby (Garafaolo) know where to go, and why would she go alone after a serial killer who's about twice her size? Why does Clay misdirect Shelby when she gets there? Why is the last bit of trickery, when Lester(Vaughan) thinks he's taking a ride to New Mexico with "Robert" necessary? And on and on.If you're looking for a night's worth of entertainment, you can do a lot worse than Clay Pigeons. The problem is, Clay Pigeons is a lot worse than it should have been.

Vince Vaughn is extraordinary in this hilarious dark comedy. The role of Lester was made for Vaughn. He looks so young in this roller-coaster of friendship and murder. His performance in this film makes the movie. Although I don't recall when this film came out in 1998, I was amazed at the A list cast that takes you on a journey that rotates around small town living. Very hilarious performances by all. I only wish that I had seen it earlier. I always enjoy older films that actors have made when they were less than famous. This movie definitely is worthy of the remarkable performances by all involved. If you have ever lived in a small town then you would definitely appreciate this film. Of course maybe without all the murder and deceit (or maybe so!).

"Clay Pigeons" was a pleasant surprise to discover. Director David Dobkin, working with Matt Healye's screen play, has created a film with a western flavor in which a young man has the bad fortune of being around when different dead bodies are found; it doesn't take too long when Clay will be implicated in them.Clay is an auto mechanic who made the mistake of having an affair with one of his buddies' wife. Earl reminds Clay at the beginning of the film when he decides to kill himself. He is convinced his death will have "Clay" written all over it. What's more, his widow, Amanda, the young and sexy woman who had the affair with Clay wants to continue the relationship now that her old man is gone. Clay, who has been scared out of his mind with what he had witnessed wants to be millions of miles apart from Amanda, who keeps pressuring the young man for sex.One night at the local tavern, Lester Long, a stranger to the town, witnesses how Clay slaps Amanda in front of everyone because he has had it with her. Lester, who appears to be a friendly guy, strikes a conversation with Clay and invites him to go fishing in a nearby lake. That same lake is the place where Clay had taken the corpse of Gloria, who was killed while having sex with him by the deranged Amanda. Little does Clay know who his new friend really is.When the FBI is called to investigate Amanda's own death, things begin to spiral for Clay. Everything is out of control. Agent Shelby thinks Clay is the one responsible for Amanda's killing and a string of others like it in the area. Clay puts two and two together and he realizes who is the killer and puts a plan into action. The last thing we see is Clay leaving town and driving in the opposite direction.Joaquin Phoenix makes Clay come alive in a great reading of this character. Mr. Phoenix is at times the confused man who is perplexed and wonders how anyone can be accusing him of the crimes he supposedly committed. Vince Vaughn is perfect as the reptilian Lester Long. He adds a layer to his character with the nervous laugh he doesn't seem to control. Janeane Garofalo plays FBI agent Shelby with good results. Scott Wilson is seen as Sheriff Mooney who believes in Clay's innocence.The excellent music score provided by John Lurie serves the movie well as does the cinematography of Eric Edwards. David Dobkin directed with assurance, making this film become a good way to spend some time.