loading loading...

The Indian Runner Details

1991 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 811 members

Inspired by the song "Highway Patrolman" by rock legend Bruce Springsteen, this is a provocative story about two brothers in 1968. One is a cop with a family, the other lives his life breaking the laws. A story that enriches the senses and touches the heart. Read more

Starring David Morse, Viggo Mortensen, Charles Bronson, Dennis Hopper
Director Sean Penn
Genres Drama

Sign up The Indian Runner DVD

loading loading...

The Indian Runner cover art

The Indian Runner

Inspired by the song "Highway Patrolman" by rock legend Bruce Springsteen, this is a provocative story about two brothers in 1968. One is a cop with a family, the other lives his life breaking the laws. A story that enriches the senses and touches the heart.

Starring David Morse, Viggo Mortensen, Charles Bronson, Dennis Hopper, Patricia Arquette, Jordan Rhodes
Director Sean Penn
Studio SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 2 hrs 1 min
Certificate Certificate 15
Genres Drama
Language DVD: English
Subtitles DVD: Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
Released DVD: 25 Mar 2002
Production year: 1991
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (5) of The Indian Runner

    View all
  • 3 stars out of 5

    Sean Penn was once better known as the paparazzi-baiting husband of Madonna, but he took everyone by surprise with this, his writing and directorial debut. It's a remarkably assured, mature drama, inspired by the Bruce Springsteen song Highway Patrolman, and follows the troubled relationship between David Morse and his disturbed younger brother (an electrifying Viggo Mortensen). The story is slight, but Penn's passionate commitment to his tragic characters shines through and his direction is pleasingly unflashy, aside from sudden jolts of violence. Penn is rewarded with accomplished performances from Mortensen and Morse, while also noteworthy in a stellar supporting cast are Dennis Hopper, Valeria Golino, Patricia Arquette and Charles Bronson.

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006

  • "...Semi-improvised, soul-searching conversations, punctuated with atmospheric footage....Moments of haunting intimacy..."

    • Sight and Sound
    • Posted 11 Mar 2005

  • Most helpful member's review of The Indian Runner

    View all
  • 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars

    Sean Penn, what are you on about????

    Ok...so Sean Penn is supposed to be this amazing talent - right??? Ummm, didn't really see it in this movie.

    Having said that - there are a few 'good' things about it....Penn directs with a very heavy hand and some of the errie landscapes and freaky music work well in creating this harsh and isolated tale of two brothers finding out they have nothing but blood in common. Mortensen is an inspired choice - even though it's hard to understand what comes out of his mouth sometimes - his Frankie is truely unlikeable (even though Mortensen is extremely easy on the eye, especially naked) and it's really hard to warm to him when his mostly drunk and abusive to those around him.

    There are a more than a few things 'wrong' with the movie - the pace is as arduous as the wordy script. This makes it really hard going for the audience. It's also aged and even some of the camera work looks dated. The inclusion of Hopper does nothing really but add another layer of confussion to an already overflowing quota.

    See it if you really have a Mortensen addiction - or if you are a deep and thoughtful person who likes there dramas full of unpleasant and confussed people.

      • Melisa Tupou from Harrow, UK
      • Posted 07 Feb 2006 12:06

  • Most recent members' review of The Indian Runner

    View all
  • 4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars

    Sean Penn, what are you on about????

    Ok...so Sean Penn is supposed to be this amazing talent - right??? Ummm, didn't really see it in this movie.

    Having said that - there are a few 'good' things about it....Penn directs with a very heavy hand and some of the errie landscapes and freaky music work well in creating this harsh and isolated tale of two brothers finding out they have nothing but blood in common. Mortensen is an inspired choice - even though it's hard to understand what comes out of his mouth sometimes - his Frankie is truely unlikeable (even though Mortensen is extremely easy on the eye, especially naked) and it's really hard to warm to him when his mostly drunk and abusive to those around him.

    There are a more than a few things 'wrong' with the movie - the pace is as arduous as the wordy script. This makes it really hard going for the audience. It's also aged and even some of the camera work looks dated. The inclusion of Hopper does nothing really but add another layer of confussion to an already overflowing quota.

    See it if you really have a Mortensen addiction - or if you are a deep and thoughtful person who likes there dramas full of unpleasant and confussed people.

      • Melisa Tupou from Harrow, UK
      • Posted 07 Feb 2006 12:06

  • More like this

    View all
    Showing 1 to 4 of 20

    loading

Find cinemas


Rating breakdown

811 Member ratings
  • 100
51
  • 90
45
  • 80
118
  • 70
139
  • 60
159
  • 50
102
  • 40
79
  • 30
48
  • 20
47
  • 10
23

Related user collection

Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop

    • The Indian Runner

    • The Indian Runner
      Inspired by the song "Highway Patrolman" by rock legend Bruce Springsteen, this is a provocative story about two brothers in 1968. One is a cop with a family, the other lives his life breaking the laws. A story that enriches the senses and touches the heart....