"The United States of Leland" is one of those films whose main theme centers on how one horrendous tragic event that happens on a beautiful sunny day effects the lives of many and how these people respond to the tragedy.  This is also a movie that wants to make the audience think as well as feel the pain and emotions that all the characters are going through themselves.

      The story is told with lots of flashbacks to give the audience some insight to many of the characters.  Sometimes you don't even know right away that what you are watching is a flashback scene because many of them are so seamlessly intertwined with the current happenings.  One day, quiet and very distant Leland meets cute Becky in a store and they soon become boyfriend and girlfriend.  However, we soon find out that both of these young people have troubling pasts which may be the catalyst that brings them together as a couple.  Then one day, Leland inexplicably and seemingly without reason stabs and kills Becky's retarded brother Ryan.  Leland is quickly sent to juvenile detention where he forms a bond with teacher Pearl Madison (played magnificently by Don Cheadle.)  Madison does everything he can do to get time to spend and talk with Leland.  There are several reasons why Madison wants to get close to Leland.  One reason is that Madison is a writer but hasn't been able to write anything for years and hopes that by figuring Leland out, he will have that bestseller book that he has always wanted to write.  But Madison also deeply cares about Leland and wants to help him try to understand his tragic actions.  Mixed into the story is Becky's and Ryan's revengeful father, Leland's distant and uncaring father, and others who are closely tied to the grieving family.

      In some ways, this film comes across as more of a dramatic play rather than as a movie film.  There are long scenes of dialogue as the film tries to show us the motivations and emotions of all these characters.  The acting here in this movie is very good as well as the dialogue that is written by Director Matthew Hoge.  I was surprised to see Kevin Spacey play a small but pivotal part in the movie.  The two key actors are Ryan Gosling as Leland and the forementioned Don Cheadle who as Pearl Madison is having his own personal problems in addition to trying to write a book.  Jena Malone who I last saw in Donnie Darko is also very effective in playing Leland's drug addictive girlfriend Becky.

      I liked this film but I did find it to be a little too slow in parts.  The film tries a bit too hard to make the audience think and feel rather than let the powerful story just do it's part. However, it has a very intriguing storyline in having Leland, Madison and the audience all try to figure out what compelled Leland to murder this innocent retarded kid.  We care about all these people and the story makes us want to find out how each one ends up at the end.  Additionally, there are several intersecting side stories which take place along with the main story of the murder which make the movie as a whole that much engrossing.

      So, I recommend this film mostly for the incredible cast and superb acting that all of them give to the story.  It is a thought provoking film which just might make you think about certain choices that you have made in your own life.