Bullet On a Wire (1998)

Genres - Drama  |   Sub-Genres - Crime Drama  |   Run Time - 83 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Mark Deming

In this independent drama, Raymond Brody (Jeff Strong) is an insurance salesman deeply unhappy with his life. His career is not going well, he's gaining weight, and he has problems with women. One night, out of frustrated boredom, Raymond makes a prank phone call to the parents of a young woman named Tanya Stickland (Lara Phillips), whom he once saw in a medical clinic run by his sister Norma (Paula Killen). Even though he doesn't know Tanya or her parents, he leaves a message that Tanya is pregnant and has tested positive for HIV. Raymond's joke backfires horribly, leading to a terrible row between Tanya and her abusive father, which ends when she shoots him to death. Some time later, Raymond visits Tanya in prison, posing as a stranger who heard her story and was concerned, and a rapport develops between them. David Yow, former vocalist for The Jesus Lizard, and underground filmmaker Richard Kern appear in the supporting cast.

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Keywords

HIV, insurance-agent, killing, murder, overweight, prank, prison, salesperson, stepfather, telephone