MacArthur Park
MacArthur Park
| 21 January 2001 (USA)
MacArthur Park Trailers

A portrait of a homeless park community bonded by crack cocaine addiction. In the park's drug-fixated shantytown, Cody is a kind of crackhead father figure who helps his friends when they are in trouble or in desperate need of a "blast." His girlfriend, Alicia, is a romantic who's losing her soul to the drug, and E-Max is a street hustling pimp who is trying to scoop young Linda into his motley legion of harlots. Hoover Blue, earth mother to all the addicts, attempts to pound some knowledge into the starry-eyed Linda while Cody tries to help young P-Air get his hustle on to record a hip hop track and make it big. But when Cody's real son, Terry, tracks him down to tell him his wife has passed away, Cody doesn't even recognize him at first and then can't help him with postmortem affairs. After five years of crack addiction, Cody wants to get straight and do right by Terry, but the harder he struggles to escape the park, the more it closes in on him.

Reviews
George Parker

"MacArthur Park" attempts to build a story around a motley bunch of street people who frequent and/or live in the big downtown Los Angeles park. Once the pride of L.A., the park, named after WWII General Douglas MacArthur, is now a marginally maintained place where street people hang out under the watchful eye of the everpresent LAPD. The film attempts to capture and dramatize some of the goings on in the park but only manages a feeble story at best which focuses mostly on crack users, assorted druggies, and other low-lifes. As the film wears on and eventually wears out it becomes increasingly apparent there's nothing new to be found between the credits. Just another "street" flick with nothing special going for it, this budget conscious indie and apparent pet project of first-time director Wirth is one to pass on. (C)

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vague52

I was pulled into the story immediately. The camera work and pace are crisp, the editing precise. The story flows with strong characterizations that are not stereotypical. This is a population I work with and MP does not glorify the lifestyle but does give a perspective from the inside.

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dcutrell

I saw the movie at the Seattle International Film Festival. I thought it was great. I was worried that it would be depressing, but I came away from it with a feeling of hope. It was very exciting, true to life, lots of suspense and even a few laughs.

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wyattlevi

I saw this film at Sundance and was very impressed. I met Billy Wirth at Sundance 2 years ago and have stayed in moderate contact with him, all the time asking how progress was on this project. An associate of mine bought tickets, not knowing anything about the film, and brought me to see it. I was thrilled to see Billy there and his film was poetic, elegant and real. It was inspiring to see someone, a contemporary, actually accomplish such a dynamic film. Thomas Jefferson Byrd was incredible and obviously put his heart into the role, a role that had to be extraordinarily demanding. Balthazar Getty also impressed me with the intensity he was able to convey with his character. The film had a flow, continuity, and takes you on a roll of emotions, from apathy to empathy, from fear to triumph.

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