Alkali, Iowa

1995 0h 17m EN

😐

5.5

MID

★5.5TMDB · 16

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

On his family's farm in rural Iowa, young Jack Gudmanson is wrestling with his sexual identity, not an easy thing to do in the macho world of the Midwest. But things become clearer for him when he discovers via a rusty old lunch box filled with gay magazines that his father, killed in Vietnam, led a double life down on the farm. But as liberating as the discovery is for Jack, it is painful for his grandfather and mother, who have tried for years to keep it a family secret. Now Jack must decide whether to share this new information with his younger sister or allow it to remain buried a while longer.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

J.D. Cerna
Jack Gudmanson
Mary Beth Hurt
June
Edward Seamon
Bill
Ellen Hamilton Latzen
Carol
Kent Broadhurst
Roger ('Blondie')
Greg Villepique
Jacko

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mark Christopher
Writers: Mark Christopher
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

Tight 17-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

31 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mark Christopher, shot by Jamie Silverstein. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

J.D. Cerna and Mary Beth Hurt and Edward Seamon carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0112321 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 16 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mark Christopher directs. Jamie Silverstein behind the camera. Gloria Whittemore cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 17-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
231 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Mark Christopher, shot by Jamie Silverstein. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Gloria Whittemore shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6J.D. Cerna and Mary Beth Hurt and Edward Seamon carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0112321 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 16 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 10 themes, including "iowa", "farm life", "secret life", "farmer".