1 / 8
RUNTIME
Did you know
90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Love Liza
"A Comic Tragedy"
2002 1h 30m EN
😐
6.4
MID
★6.4TMDB · 123
ComedyDrama
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
Following the unexplained suicide of his wife Liza, website designer Wilson Joel turns to huffing gasoline fumes and remote control gaming while avoiding an inevitable conflict with his mother-in-law.
“A Comic Tragedy”
Cast
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Wilson Joel
Jack Kehler
Denny
Sarah Koskoff
Maura
Stephen Tobolowsky
Tom Bailey
Erika Alexander
Brenda
Shannon Holt
Angela Ryan from Bailey Federated
Kevin Breznahan
Jim
Daniel Farber
Huffer Boy
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Todd Louiso
- Writers
- Gordy Hoffman
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America, France, Germany
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Shot for just $1.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
MONEY
Did you know
Earned back only 22% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Released 24 years ago.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
International production across 3 countries: United States of America, France, Germany.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Todd Louiso, shot by Lisa Rinzler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Jim O'Rourke. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Anne Stein shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Todd Louiso directs. Lisa Rinzler behind the camera. Jim O'Rourke scores. Anne Stein cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America, France, Germany. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
- 2Shot for just $1.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
- 3Earned back only 22% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
- 4Released 24 years ago.
- 5International production across 3 countries: United States of America, France, Germany.
- 6Directed by Todd Louiso, shot by Lisa Rinzler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 7Original score by Jim O'Rourke. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 8Editor Anne Stein shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 9Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jack Kehler and Sarah Koskoff carry the top of the cast.
- 10Marketing tagline: "A Comic Tragedy".
- 11IMDB entry: tt0282698 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 12Classified under 19 themes, including "suicide", "lovesickness", "drug abuse", "gas station".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Lisa Rinzler
- Original score
- Jim O'Rourke
- Editing
- Anne Stein
- Production design
- Stephen Beatrice
- Costume design
- Jill Newell
- Makeup / hair
- Delores Campbell
- Sound
- Charlie Essers
- Runtime
- 90 min · 1h 30m
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $1,000,000
- Box office
- $223,426
- Return
- 22% of budget
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- R
- IMDB
- Love Liza (2002)
Awards
- The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award
Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.
Also by
Todd Louiso
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Production companies
Who made it
Kinowelt Filmproduktion
DE
Wild Bunch
FR
StudioCanal
FR
Muse Productions
US
- BL
Blacklist Films
US
- RU
Ruth Charny Productions
- JE
Jeff Roda Productions
Key crew
- ProducerRuth Charny
- ProducerChris Hanley
- ProducerJeffrey Roda
- ProducerFernando Sulichin
- EditorAnne Stein
- CastingMark Bennett
- CastingLisa Mae Fincannon
- CastingMonika Mikkelsen
- CastingRita VanderWaal
- Production DesignStephen Beatrice
- Costume DesignJill Newell
- Set DecorationBrenna Griffin
- Art DirectionTim Cohn
- Unit Production ManagerD. Scott Lumpkin
- Associate ProducerRita Dagher
- Associate ProducerYvette Cobarrubias
- Associate ProducerTimothy Wayne Peternel
- Executive ProducerAlain de la Mata
- Executive ProducerVincent Maraval
- Executive ProducerDaniel Guckau
- Executive ProducerRainer Kölmel
- Executive ProducerJim Czarnecki
- Executive ProducerClark McCutchen
- EditorKatz
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- suicide
- lovesickness
- drug abuse
- gas station
- sadness
- mother-in-law
- grieving widower
- model airplane
- gasoline
- widower
- glue sniffing
- death of wife
- radio controlled
- degradation of lifestyle
- suicide letter
- falling apart
- tragicomedy
- rc cars
- huffing
Release history · US
When it landed
- Premiere2002-01-14· Sundance Film Festival
- Theatrical (limited)2002-12-30R
- Physical2003-05-27R· DVD
