Right at Your Door
Encyclopedia
Right at Your Door is a 2006 American thriller film about a couple and follows the events surrounding them when multiple dirty bomb
s detonate in Los Angeles
.
Chris Gorak
both wrote the screenplay
and directed
the film in his writing and directorial debuts. It was first screened at the Sundance Film Festival
in January 2006 where it was nominated for Cinematography
Award and the Grand Jury Prize, winning the Cinematography award. Consequently the world-wide rights for the film were acquired by Lions Gate for nearly $3 million.
), an out of work musician, making a cup of latté
for his wife Lexi (Mary McCormack
) who is still in bed. She soon leaves for work and Brad is left at home alone. Over the radio he hears that several suspected dirty bombs have been detonated across Los Angeles. He exits his house and sees large amounts of smoke rising from the city center and gets into his car to drive towards the city center in order to find her. Brad tries to contact her through her cell phone, but only receives a busy signal. He soon finds that most roads now have police blockades
.
An ash covered car is stopped by the police. One policeman notices Brad watching from inside his car and goes over to him to tell him to go back home. The police officers aim their weapons at the driver as he gets out and demand that he get back into his car. He ignores their warning and is shot down by the police. Brad decides to leave and go back home when he encounters a small boy called Timmy (Scotty Noyd Jr.) who is watching the rising smoke from the city center. Brad tells him to run home to his parents as fast as he can as it is not safe where he is.
Once home Alvaro (Tony Perez
)enters the house and asks Brad if he can stay with him as there is no one at the neighbor's house where he was working. They hear that survivors of the blasts are being quarantined
as the weapons were dirty bombs and the authorities advise people to seal up their homes before the contaminated dust cloud reaches them. Brad and Alvaro then proceed to seal up the house with duct tape
and plastic. As it becomes increasingly more obvious that Lexi might not come home, he takes some of Lexi's clothes and leaves them outside the back door with some food and water. Brad and Alvaro then proceed to seal off the front door. Radio newscasts claim that the bombs contained several toxins and an unknown viral strain.
Lexi has been involved in a car crash but is still alive. She walks home still covered in the dust and Brad realizes she could infect both himself and Alvaro so does not let her in. Lexi becomes desperate believing that Brad had planned to lock her out of the house. She loses her temper and throws her cell phone at one of the door panes, breaking it. Brad and Alvaro both rush to cover up the breakage and seal it off. Together they manage to calm down Lexi.
Brad then seals off the main bedroom from the rest of the house so that Lexi can get into it. Lexi receives a call from her mother, who realizes that she was near the explosion and is probably infected. Her pleas for Lexi to go to a hospital fall on deaf ears, as Lexi tells her that the rest of the country is seeing news that is not reflecting the reality of the situation. A car alarm goes off revealing Timmy standing next to it. Lexi calls him over and Brad seals off another part of the house in order for Lexi and Timmy to clean off the ash up in the bathroom. Alvaro soon decides to leave the house as he "needs to be with his wife". Brad tries to convince him to stay but the last we see of Alvaro is him walking down the road slowly getting covered by the ash.
Lexi hears a noise from the back and alerts Brad. A masked man appears who reveals himself to be Rick (Jon Huertas
). He tells Lexi that there is a ship on the coast that has medical supplies and is helping people. Lexi, Rick and Timmy leave for help and Brad hears newscasts on the radio saying that the bombs contained a hybrid viral strain that attacks the respiratory system. That same night Brad is visited by a Corporal Marshall (Max Kasch
) and his men. He asks Brad several questions, such as how well his house has been sealed, who else is there/has been there, and if there had been any contact between him and anyone on the outside. Brad mentions the cell-phone which Lexi had thrown through the window and the marshall demands a sample of the dust off the phone. Marshall tells Brad that he will soon be back with the results and that his wife should under no circumstances be let into the house. As the marshall leaves we hear him recite the home's address and say "Red Tag".
Lexi returns home the next day without Timmy or Rick and sees the red tag placed outside the house. Lexi tells Brad that Timmy was treated with all the other children and that she saw five men get shot. Lexi rings her brother Jason (Will McCormack
) so that she can have someone to talk to about simple things to pass the time, after she could not cope with talking to her mother who is frantic with worry about her.
The next couple of hours are spent with Brad and Lexi on either side of their back door talking to each other about what they will do, assuming that they survive this crisis. Brad imagines that after this they will both probably end up on one of those morning talk shows where everyone goes to reveal their woes. Troops appear from the side of the house and grab Lexi while preventing Brad from coming outside to interfere with them. The soldier manages to calm Brad down and explains to him that because Brad did such a good job sealing up the house there was no new air to circulate through. The virus multiplied to lethal levels and the air inside the house is now lethal. Brad doesn't understand what the soldier is saying and insists that they bring his wife back. The marshall tells him "Please don't struggle."
A large heavy piece of plywood is put over the back door which completely covers it. A hole is drilled through the wood and a pipe appears through which a gas starts to be pumped in. More boards seal the windows and doors but Brad manages to break down the plywood covering his front door, only to discover that a fumigation tent has been erected over the whole house. He tries to tear through the tent and is knocked unconscious by the rifle butt of a soldier as Lexi screams Brad's name. The camera cuts to Brad as he takes his last few breaths.
Lexi is sitting on the edge of an ambulance being attended to by a female nurse who says "Say a prayer; you might just make it." The film closes with Lexi in too much shock to say anything, her cell phone ringing.
Dirty bomb
A dirty bomb is a speculative radiological weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. The purpose of the weapon is to contaminate the area around the explosion with radioactive material, hence the attribute "dirty"....
s detonate in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Chris Gorak
Chris Gorak
Chris Gorak is a film director who started as an art director and production designer. He has directed the 2006 film Right at Your Door and is directing the upcoming film The Darkest Hour....
both wrote the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
and directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
the film in his writing and directorial debuts. It was first screened at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in January 2006 where it was nominated for Cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
Award and the Grand Jury Prize, winning the Cinematography award. Consequently the world-wide rights for the film were acquired by Lions Gate for nearly $3 million.
Plot
The film opens with Brad (Rory CochraneRory Cochrane
Rory Cochrane is an American actor. He is known for playing Ron Slater in Dazed and Confused, Lucas in Empire Records, and Tim Speedle in CSI: Miami.-Early life:...
), an out of work musician, making a cup of latté
Latte
A latte is a coffee drink made with espresso and steamed milk. Variants include replacing the coffee with another drink base such as masala chai, mate or matcha...
for his wife Lexi (Mary McCormack
Mary McCormack
Mary Catherine McCormack is an American actress. Best known for her work in television, she has had leading roles as Justine Appleton in the series Murder One , as Deputy National Security Adviser Kate Harper in The West Wing and as Mary Shannon in In Plain Sight .Her film roles include Private...
) who is still in bed. She soon leaves for work and Brad is left at home alone. Over the radio he hears that several suspected dirty bombs have been detonated across Los Angeles. He exits his house and sees large amounts of smoke rising from the city center and gets into his car to drive towards the city center in order to find her. Brad tries to contact her through her cell phone, but only receives a busy signal. He soon finds that most roads now have police blockades
Blockade
A blockade is an effort to cut off food, supplies, war material or communications from a particular area by force, either in part or totally. A blockade should not be confused with an embargo or sanctions, which are legal barriers to trade, and is distinct from a siege in that a blockade is usually...
.
An ash covered car is stopped by the police. One policeman notices Brad watching from inside his car and goes over to him to tell him to go back home. The police officers aim their weapons at the driver as he gets out and demand that he get back into his car. He ignores their warning and is shot down by the police. Brad decides to leave and go back home when he encounters a small boy called Timmy (Scotty Noyd Jr.) who is watching the rising smoke from the city center. Brad tells him to run home to his parents as fast as he can as it is not safe where he is.
Once home Alvaro (Tony Perez
Tony Pérez
Atanasio Pérez Rigal , more commonly known as Tony Pérez, is a former Major League Baseball player. He was also known by the nickname "Big Dog," "Big Doggie," and "Doggie."...
)enters the house and asks Brad if he can stay with him as there is no one at the neighbor's house where he was working. They hear that survivors of the blasts are being quarantined
Quarantine
Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....
as the weapons were dirty bombs and the authorities advise people to seal up their homes before the contaminated dust cloud reaches them. Brad and Alvaro then proceed to seal up the house with duct tape
Duct tape
Duct tape, or duck tape, is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed with polyethylene. It is very similar to gaffer tape but differs in that gaffer tape was designed to be cleanly removed, while duct tape was not. It has a standard width of and is generally silver or black...
and plastic. As it becomes increasingly more obvious that Lexi might not come home, he takes some of Lexi's clothes and leaves them outside the back door with some food and water. Brad and Alvaro then proceed to seal off the front door. Radio newscasts claim that the bombs contained several toxins and an unknown viral strain.
Lexi has been involved in a car crash but is still alive. She walks home still covered in the dust and Brad realizes she could infect both himself and Alvaro so does not let her in. Lexi becomes desperate believing that Brad had planned to lock her out of the house. She loses her temper and throws her cell phone at one of the door panes, breaking it. Brad and Alvaro both rush to cover up the breakage and seal it off. Together they manage to calm down Lexi.
Brad then seals off the main bedroom from the rest of the house so that Lexi can get into it. Lexi receives a call from her mother, who realizes that she was near the explosion and is probably infected. Her pleas for Lexi to go to a hospital fall on deaf ears, as Lexi tells her that the rest of the country is seeing news that is not reflecting the reality of the situation. A car alarm goes off revealing Timmy standing next to it. Lexi calls him over and Brad seals off another part of the house in order for Lexi and Timmy to clean off the ash up in the bathroom. Alvaro soon decides to leave the house as he "needs to be with his wife". Brad tries to convince him to stay but the last we see of Alvaro is him walking down the road slowly getting covered by the ash.
Lexi hears a noise from the back and alerts Brad. A masked man appears who reveals himself to be Rick (Jon Huertas
Jon Huertas
Jon Huertas, born Jon William "Scott" Hofstedt and sometimes credited as John Huertas, is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Sergeant Antonio 'Poke' Espera in HBO's Generation Kill the miniseries as well as Joe Negroni in the film Why Do Fools Fall in Love and homicide...
). He tells Lexi that there is a ship on the coast that has medical supplies and is helping people. Lexi, Rick and Timmy leave for help and Brad hears newscasts on the radio saying that the bombs contained a hybrid viral strain that attacks the respiratory system. That same night Brad is visited by a Corporal Marshall (Max Kasch
Max Kasch
Joseph Maxwell "Max" Kasch is an American film and television actor. He is the brother to fellow actors Cody Kasch and Dylan Kasch. Max appeared in the 2003 film, Holes as Zig-zag...
) and his men. He asks Brad several questions, such as how well his house has been sealed, who else is there/has been there, and if there had been any contact between him and anyone on the outside. Brad mentions the cell-phone which Lexi had thrown through the window and the marshall demands a sample of the dust off the phone. Marshall tells Brad that he will soon be back with the results and that his wife should under no circumstances be let into the house. As the marshall leaves we hear him recite the home's address and say "Red Tag".
Lexi returns home the next day without Timmy or Rick and sees the red tag placed outside the house. Lexi tells Brad that Timmy was treated with all the other children and that she saw five men get shot. Lexi rings her brother Jason (Will McCormack
Will McCormack
Will McCormack is an American television and film actor.McCormack, who graduated Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, is the younger brother of actress Mary McCormack, who stars in the hit USA TV series In Plain Sight....
) so that she can have someone to talk to about simple things to pass the time, after she could not cope with talking to her mother who is frantic with worry about her.
The next couple of hours are spent with Brad and Lexi on either side of their back door talking to each other about what they will do, assuming that they survive this crisis. Brad imagines that after this they will both probably end up on one of those morning talk shows where everyone goes to reveal their woes. Troops appear from the side of the house and grab Lexi while preventing Brad from coming outside to interfere with them. The soldier manages to calm Brad down and explains to him that because Brad did such a good job sealing up the house there was no new air to circulate through. The virus multiplied to lethal levels and the air inside the house is now lethal. Brad doesn't understand what the soldier is saying and insists that they bring his wife back. The marshall tells him "Please don't struggle."
A large heavy piece of plywood is put over the back door which completely covers it. A hole is drilled through the wood and a pipe appears through which a gas starts to be pumped in. More boards seal the windows and doors but Brad manages to break down the plywood covering his front door, only to discover that a fumigation tent has been erected over the whole house. He tries to tear through the tent and is knocked unconscious by the rifle butt of a soldier as Lexi screams Brad's name. The camera cuts to Brad as he takes his last few breaths.
Lexi is sitting on the edge of an ambulance being attended to by a female nurse who says "Say a prayer; you might just make it." The film closes with Lexi in too much shock to say anything, her cell phone ringing.
Cast
- Mary McCormackMary McCormackMary Catherine McCormack is an American actress. Best known for her work in television, she has had leading roles as Justine Appleton in the series Murder One , as Deputy National Security Adviser Kate Harper in The West Wing and as Mary Shannon in In Plain Sight .Her film roles include Private...
– Lexi - Rory CochraneRory CochraneRory Cochrane is an American actor. He is known for playing Ron Slater in Dazed and Confused, Lucas in Empire Records, and Tim Speedle in CSI: Miami.-Early life:...
– Brad - Will McCormackWill McCormackWill McCormack is an American television and film actor.McCormack, who graduated Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, is the younger brother of actress Mary McCormack, who stars in the hit USA TV series In Plain Sight....
– Jason - Jon HuertasJon HuertasJon Huertas, born Jon William "Scott" Hofstedt and sometimes credited as John Huertas, is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Sergeant Antonio 'Poke' Espera in HBO's Generation Kill the miniseries as well as Joe Negroni in the film Why Do Fools Fall in Love and homicide...
– Rick - Jenny O'Hara – Lexi's Mother
- Scotty Noyd Jr. – Timmy
- Max KaschMax KaschJoseph Maxwell "Max" Kasch is an American film and television actor. He is the brother to fellow actors Cody Kasch and Dylan Kasch. Max appeared in the 2003 film, Holes as Zig-zag...
– Corporal Marshall - Tony PerezTony PérezAtanasio Pérez Rigal , more commonly known as Tony Pérez, is a former Major League Baseball player. He was also known by the nickname "Big Dog," "Big Doggie," and "Doggie."...
– Alvaro - Hector Luis BustamanteHector Luis Bustamante-Early life:He was born Héctor Luis Bustamante Durango in Medellín, Colombia to Dagoberto Bustamante and Aracelly Durango. Bustamante and his family moved to the United States when he was 12. Bustamante was an allumni of the 1989 Governor's School of New Jersey as an art scholar...
– Shop Owner