Love Liza

Love Liza
Movie poster
Directed by	Todd Louiso
Produced by	Ruth Charny Chris Hanley Corky O'Hara Jeffrey Roda Fernando Sulichin
Screenplay by	Gordy Hoffman
Starring	Philip Seymour Hoffman Kathy Bates
Music by	Jim O'Rourke
Cinematography	Lisa Rinzler
Edited by	Ann Stein
Distributed by	Columbia TriStar, Sony Pictures Classics
Release dates	January 14, 2002 (2002-01-14)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	France Germany United States
Language	English

Love Liza is a 2002 tragicomedy film directed by Todd Louiso and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Jack Kehler, Wayne Duvall, Sarah Koskoff and Stephen Tobolowsky.

Plot summary

Wilson Joel's (Philip Seymour Hoffman) wife Liza (Annie Morgan) has, for an unexplained reason, committed suicide. Wilson one night discovers a sealed letter from his wife, which he believes to be her suicide note. In his grief-stricken state and with the added stress of finding the letter, which he cannot bring himself to open and read, he forms an addiction to inhaling gasoline fumes (“huffing”).

In order to hide his addiction from a work colleague, he informs her that the petrol smell in his house is from his hobby of flying remote controlled planes. To try to engage an ever-distant Wilson, she asks her brother-in-law, Denny (Jack Kehler), a radio control (RC) hobbyist, to visit Wilson. With the knowledge of an impending visit from Denny, Wilson heads down to the local RC hobbyist shop to buy himself a plane. He also stocks up on some RC fuel to fill his plane and feed his addiction. Out of this lie, a very unusual friendship forms between Wilson and an energetic Denny.

His mother-in-law (Kathy Bates) tries her best to help Wilson and deal with her own loss at the same time. She becomes increasingly anxious to know the contents of the letter.

Cast

In Order Of Appearance

Actor	Character
Philip Seymour Hoffman	Wilson Joel
JD Walsh	Bern
Jimmy Raskin	Pad
Kathy Bates	Mary Ann Bankhead
Erika Alexander	Brenda
Sarah Koskoff	Maura
Mark Hannibal	Waiter with Drink
Jim Wise	Bland Man
Trace Turville	Bland Woman
Wayne Duvall	Gas Station
Stephen Tobolowsky	Tom Bailey
Kevin Breznahan	Jim
Jennifer Keddy	Lynne
David Lenthal	Hobbytown USA Clerk
Jack Kehler	Denny
Pauline Boyd	Zoo
Ernest Perry Jr	Trucker
Cullen Douglas	Cashier at Pancake House
Joanne Pankow	Grandma Clerk
Dan Klass (as Dan Klaas)	Officer Escort
Chris Ellis	Patriot Model Aeronautics Clerk
George Mills	Pickup Truck Driver
Julia Lashae	Breakfast Woman
Don Hood	Good Morning Man
John McConnell	High School Principal #1
Terry Loughlin	High School Principal #2
Maggie Valentine	Girl on Front Porch
Teegan Eley	Jenn
Morgan Jarrett	Stacy
Daniel Farber	Huffer Boy
Kelli Garner	Huffer Girl
Shannon Holt	Angela Ryan from Bailey Federation
Ann Morgan	Liza

Production

Much of the film was shot in Mobile, Alabama.

Reception

Jordan Hoffman of Vanity Fair noted the way the film "tackled depression and substance abuse in a dark-as-hell comedy that takes on an additional layer of sadness [after Hoffman's death]". Rex Reed of the New York Observer praised Hoffman's performance, believing that it could have the same kind of impact on his career as Leaving Las Vegas had for Nicolas Cage. However, A. O. Scott of The New York Times stated that Hoffman's "omnipresence is something of a mixed blessing", given that the protagonist is "more a state of feeling than a character".

Love Liza was released in a small number of movie theaters and earned $210,000.

External links

• Love Liza
• Love Liza at AllMovie
• Love Liza at IMDb