Don McKay

"Some secrets are better left buried."

2009 1h 27m EN

💀

4.9

SKIP

🥫

38%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

5.8

IMDB

★4.9TMDB · 57🥫38%Rotten Tomatoes●50Metacritic★5.8IMDB · 2,495

CrimeMysteryThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Everything appears off-kilter when a man returns to his hometown after 25 years to visit his former lover.

“Some secrets are better left buried.”

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Cast

Thomas Haden Church
Don McKay
Elisabeth Shue
Sonny
Melissa Leo
Marie
M. Emmet Walsh
Samuel
Keith David
Otis Kent
James Rebhorn
Dr. Lance Pryce
Pruitt Taylor Vince
Mel
Stephen Benson
Principal Edwards

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jake Goldberger
Writers: Jake Goldberger
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

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 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 17 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Jake Goldberger, shot by Phil Parmet. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Steven Bramson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Andrew Dickler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Thomas Haden Church and Elisabeth Shue and Melissa Leo carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Some secrets are better left buried.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jake Goldberger directs. Phil Parmet behind the camera. Steven Bramson scores. Andrew Dickler cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 17 years ago.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Jake Goldberger, shot by Phil Parmet. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Steven Bramson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Andrew Dickler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Thomas Haden Church and Elisabeth Shue and Melissa Leo carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Some secrets are better left buried.".
9IMDB entry: tt1281374 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 57 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Phil Parmet
Original score: Steven Bramson
Editing: Andrew Dickler
Production design: Aleta Shaffer
Costume design: Andrew Poleszak
Makeup / hair: Mark Schmidt
Runtime: 87 min · 1h 27m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Don McKay (2009)
Rotten Tomatoes: 38% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 50/100
IMDB rating: 5.8/10 · 2,495 votes
MPAA: R
US box office: $13,722

Also by

Jake Goldberger

Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2026-02-26
★ 5/10
Quirky drama/crime thriller is also a black comedy This comes in the spirit of dark comedies like “Nurse Betty.” Thomas Haden Church is likable as the lonely everyman who’s not the brightest bulb and Elisabeth Shue was still beautiful, although it’s not accentuated. Keith David has a peripheral role, as does Neil Young as a taxi driver, um, I mean M. Emmet Walsh. I was amused while watching, but there’s nothing in it that would make me want to return some day. It’s throwaway amusement. It runs 1h 30m and was shot in the Andover area northwest of Boston. GRADE: C

Production companies