Stepping Back

Stepping Back is a 2009 American Drama film written by Zak Penn and directed by Jonathen Dayton starring Chris Evans, Emma Stone, Chad Michael Murray, Antonio Banderas, Jonah Hill, Lena Heady, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jonathen Pryce, Richard Jenkins, Glenn Close, Michael Pitt, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Sissy Spacek.

The film was released theatrically on May 2nd, 2009 and was filmed in Vancouver from April 7th, 2008 to November 2nd, 2008.

The film first premiered at the Venice film festival as since gone to be critically well received by critics, secure many awards and even secure an Oscar Nomination for best original screenplay: Zak Penn.

The film was originally titled Stepping Back, Glancing Forward.

Plot

Luke O'Bonna (Chris Evans) is a damaged young man still coping with their mother Rose (Sissy Spacek) abandoning them, his suicidal unemployed father Ross (Richard Jenkins) and the constant attention he must provide for his autistic younger brother Davey (Chad Michael Murray).

His sister Claire (Emma Stone) must also deal all these problems on top of trying to balance her education at a prestigious, demanding art school.

Eventually Luke comes to fall in love with a beautiful tax accountant Gina Obeldart (Lena Heady) who possesses an autistic brother Clarence (Michael Pitt) whom she has to constantly care for.

They find their love restricted by the needs of their mentally disabled siblings and Claire O'Bonna is given an ultimatum by the Art University she is attending; either she places her brother in a special school and continue her education or keep constantly running out to suit his needs, fail her course and have to abandon her education.

Luke and Claire discuss over what the University has asked of her and ultimatley decide to place Davey in a specialist school and Luke's girlfriend Gina comes to place her brother Clarence who had come to make friends with Davey in the same special school.

At the special school Davey and Clarence seem to strongly dislike it at first then warm up to it and form a friendship trio with autistic Danville Kemper (Josh Dallas).

Luke and Claire then put their father into a self-harm rehabilition group led by renowned author Carver Edmon (Antonio Banderas) which Gina recommends as one of close friends became suicidal after a car accident she was involved in.

The rehab eventually gets through to their father and corrects his behaviour.

Then Luke, Davey and Claire's mother who had ran off on them because of Davey's autism breezes into town and gets re-acquianted with them.

She has with her Allan Burroughs (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) her new boyfriend who takes a job as a teacher at the special school Davey is attending.

He comes to in an argument with Davey when he won't do as instructed by him beat him horribly.

Davey comes home crying with his injuries and tells who was responsible to Claire, Luke and his father.

Luke then takes off in a rage and tracks down Allan at a local bar where he asks to meet him outside.

There Luke takes a drunken Allan by surprise and smacks him down with various punches.

Luke tells him to stay away from his brother and family and takes off to be found by Claire and his father driving around with Davey.

The following night after Luke is done talking to his bestfriend Sam Barter (Jonah Hill) he is attacked in that same alley by Allan and his friends who are armed with baseball bats and various other weapons.

Luke is ultimatley beaten to death and Claire receives a phone call from the police informing of the incident.

Luke's girlfriend Gina upon learning the identity of the person responsible plans to kill him but is talked out if by Claire who intervenes.

Father Ross then comes to the apartment of Rose and Allan and shoots Allan multiple times.

Rose struggles with him to pry the gun away and the two are knocked into the kitchen leaving a still alive, badly wounded Allan on an armchair gushing blood.

Claire then sneaks into the apartment and finishes him with multiple gun-shots but with a silencer.

She sneaks out and Ross storms out.

Rose calls the police and informs her ex-husband Ross O'Donna was the shooter that murdered her boyfriend.

Ross is arrested and she then discovers from him whilest visiting him at his holding cell he had killed their son Luke and been the one who bashed Davey.

She then revokes her testimony and has Ross released.

She comes to visit them the following day and bids them a farewell.

She hugs Davey and tells him how much she loves him.

She then takes off and the film closes with Claire, Gina, Ross, Davey and Clarence visiting the grave of Luke.

Cast

• Chris Evans as Luke O'Bonna
• Emma Stone as Claire O'Bonna
• Chad Michael Murray as Davey O'Bonna
• Antonio Banderas as Carver Edmon
• Jonah Hill as Sam Barter
• Lena Heady as Gina Obadart
• Bryce Dallas Howard as Vanessa Brewer
• Jonathen Pryce as Professor Ivan Brewer
• Glenn Close as Harmony Brewer
• Richard Jenkins as Ross O'Bonna
• Jeffrey De Munn as Special School Teacher Uncle Rick Brewer
• Michael Pitt as Clarence Obadart
• Josh Dallas as Danville Kemper
• Martha MacIsaac as Special School Teacher Mrs. Anna Marbelle
• Sissy Spacek as Rose O'Bonna
• Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Abusive Special School Teacher Mr. Allan Burroughs
• Robert MacNaughton as Allan's Friend Dale
• Dexter Fletcher as Allan's Friend Pete
• Peter DeLuise as Allan's Psychotic Bestfriend Jonas
• Marin Hinkle as Prostitute Meridia
• Andy Richter as Allan's Friend Chip
• Donal Logue as Officer Jest
• Emmanuelle Seigner as Officer Servian
• Greg Wise as Paramedic
• Michael Imperioli as Paramedic

Soundtrack

1. Lovelight- Robbie Williams
2. Sober- Pink
3. Love Lockdown- Kanye West
4. Let It Rock- Kevin Rudolph featuring Lil Wayne
5. Second Chance- Shinedown
6. You Found Me- The Fray
7. Waiting On The World To Change- John Mayer
8. Come Softly To Me- The Fleetwoods