Broken Vessels
Encyclopedia
Broken Vessels is a 1998 medical drama
film directed by Scott Ziehl and written by Ziehl along with David Baer and John McMahon
. The film debuted at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival and marked Ziehl's directorial debut. It stars Todd Field
, Jason London
, Roxana Zal
, Susan Traylor, and James Hong
. The film follows a rookie paramedic and his hardened drug-addicted partner as they take calls and cruise L.A. in their ambulance. Although it shares the same name as the book, it has nothing to do with the Andre Dubus
essay collection of the same name.
effects of the job by heavy use of drugs and avoiding commitments. Before long Tom finds himself pulled into the same world and has to come to a decision about what direction he wants to take in his life.
of the Chicago Sun-Times
who gave it three stars out of four, saying "What makes the movie special is the way both lead actors find the right quiet notes for their performances."
director Scott Ziehl was nominated for the Grand Prix Asturias award in the category of Best Feature. Ziehl and co-producer Roxana Zal won the Audience Award in the category of Best Feature Film at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1998.
Medical drama
A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.In the United States, most medical episodes are one hour long and, more often than not, are set in a hospital. Most current medical Dramatic programming go beyond the...
film directed by Scott Ziehl and written by Ziehl along with David Baer and John McMahon
John McMahon
Colonel Sir John McMahon, 1st Baronet was a Irish-born politician and Private Secretary to the Sovereign 1811–1817.- Biography :...
. The film debuted at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival and marked Ziehl's directorial debut. It stars Todd Field
Todd Field
William Todd Field, known professionally as Todd Field is an American actor and writer/director. He has received three Academy Award nominations.-Background and personal life:...
, Jason London
Jason London
Jason Paul London is an American actor, best known for his role as Randall "Pink" Floyd in director Richard Linklater's film Dazed and Confused.-Personal life:...
, Roxana Zal
Roxana Zal
Roxana Zal is an American actress.Zal was born and raised in Malibu, California, the daughter of Maureen and Hossein Zal, a Los Angeles investor. She was on her High School tennis team. Her first acting role was a guest spot on Hart to Hart at age 12. She has had several other guest roles since...
, Susan Traylor, and James Hong
James Hong
James Hong is an American actor and former president of the Association of Asian/Pacific American Artists . A prolific acting veteran, Hong's career spans over 50 years and includes more than 350 roles in film, television, and video games.-Early life:Hong was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His...
. The film follows a rookie paramedic and his hardened drug-addicted partner as they take calls and cruise L.A. in their ambulance. Although it shares the same name as the book, it has nothing to do with the Andre Dubus
Andre Dubus
Andre Dubus, II was an American short story writer, essayist, and autobiographer. Dubus is recognized as one of the most prolific American short-story writers in the 20th century.-Early life and education:...
essay collection of the same name.
Plot
The film tells the story of Tom, a young man from Pennsylvania who travels to Los Angeles to start working for an ambulance company. There, he is paired with an utterly self-assured veteran named Jimmy who has apparently gone through many partners in his time. In the beginning, Tom is overwhelmed by Jimmy's competence to deal with the high-pressure job, but slowly but surely he discovers that Jimmy is not the cool and collected man he thought he was. While Jimmy seems to have everything under control on the surface, he gets through the traumaticPsychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
effects of the job by heavy use of drugs and avoiding commitments. Before long Tom finds himself pulled into the same world and has to come to a decision about what direction he wants to take in his life.
Cast
- Todd FieldTodd FieldWilliam Todd Field, known professionally as Todd Field is an American actor and writer/director. He has received three Academy Award nominations.-Background and personal life:...
as Jimmy Warzniak - Jason LondonJason LondonJason Paul London is an American actor, best known for his role as Randall "Pink" Floyd in director Richard Linklater's film Dazed and Confused.-Personal life:...
as Tom Meyer - Roxana ZalRoxana ZalRoxana Zal is an American actress.Zal was born and raised in Malibu, California, the daughter of Maureen and Hossein Zal, a Los Angeles investor. She was on her High School tennis team. Her first acting role was a guest spot on Hart to Hart at age 12. She has had several other guest roles since...
as Elizabeth Capalino - Susan Traylor as Susy
- James HongJames HongJames Hong is an American actor and former president of the Association of Asian/Pacific American Artists . A prolific acting veteran, Hong's career spans over 50 years and includes more than 350 roles in film, television, and video games.-Early life:Hong was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His...
as Mr. Chen - Patrick CranshawPatrick CranshawJoseph Patrick Cranshaw was an American film and television actor known for his distinctive look and deadpan humor. He is best known for one of his last roles, that of Joseph "Blue" Pulaski, a fraternity brother in the 2003 hit comedy Old School...
as Gramps - Brent David FraserBrent David FraserBrent David Fraser is an American actor and musician. He was born in Bremerton, Washington.-Film:*The Chocolate War .... Emile Janza*Book of Love .... Meatball...
as Jed - Stephanie Feury as Jill
Box office
Made on a non-union shoestring budget of $600,000, it was nominated for several awards when it was shown at film festivals in 1998., Though it failed to find a legitimate theatrical distributor, eventually, the film was self-released in just two theaters over the holiday weekend of July 4, 1999 and brought in $3,722.Critical reception
The film received no small amount of notice from major critics including Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
who gave it three stars out of four, saying "What makes the movie special is the way both lead actors find the right quiet notes for their performances."
Awards and nominations
At the British Independent Film Awards, the film was nominated for Best Foreign Independent Film - English Language, at the Gijón International Film FestivalGijón International Film Festival
Gijón International Film Festival was created in 1963. It was born as an initiative of the local authority and it was sponsored mainly by Gijón City Council and the then Caja de Ahorros de Asturias ; both institutions are still the main organisers of the festival, along with funding from the...
director Scott Ziehl was nominated for the Grand Prix Asturias award in the category of Best Feature. Ziehl and co-producer Roxana Zal won the Audience Award in the category of Best Feature Film at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1998.