| Genre: | Thriller drama |
| Director: | Guy Ferland |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Editor: | Jill Savitt |
| Cinematography: | Robert Aschmann |
| Runtime: | 93 minutes |
| Network: | Showtime |
Bang Bang You're Dead is a 2002 American thriller drama television film directed by Guy Ferland and written by William Mastrosimone. It stars Tom Cavanagh, Ben Foster, Randy Harrison, and Janel Moloney. Based on Mastrosimone's 1999 play of the same name, the film is not a direct adaptation; it follows a troubled high school student played by Foster who participates in his school's production of the play while attempting to avoid going down the same path as the play's lead character.
The film premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on June 7, 2002, and aired on Showtime on October 13, 2002.
16-year-old Trevor Adams attends an American high school where he is one of the outcasts harassed and humiliated by the school's jocks. He made a false threat to bomb the school a few months ago, narrowly escaping expulsion. Since then, Trevor has been trying to fit back in to normal high school life. He joined a theater group and has been chosen to star in a school play about school shootings called Bang Bang You're Dead as the main character, Josh. After parents and the community hear of the play and its lead actor, they call for it to be canceled.
But Trevor's theater activity, alone, is not sufficient to let off the steam of his boiling resentment. Using his video camera, he has been documenting bullying at school, creating a "diary of violence".
Trevor and his friends Sean, Mark and Kurt, make plans to storm the school with guns and kill as many of the hated athletes as possible. Trevor meets Jenny, also 16, who stays by him and stands up for him. Through her, Trevor begins to doubt whether the act he plans is right.
In the end, he is the only one to realize that bloodshed only fuels more violence and hatred, and evacuates the school with his art teacher, Mr. Duncan. At the last minute, Trevor prevents bloodshed by overwhelming Kurt, Sean and Mark.
The film ends with the play premiering successfully, despite the initial protests of the students' parents.
The song "Runaway Train" by post-grunge band Oleander was featured in the film. A music video for the song was then shot and incorporated footage from the film. On November 19, 2002 the band released their Runaway Train EP. The film was released on DVD on January 27, 2004 without any special features.[1]
| Year | Award | Title | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Nantucket Film Festival Audience Award | Best Feature | Guy Ferland William Mastrosimone | Won |
| 2003 | Peabody Award[2] | Area of Excellence | Showtime Networks Inc., in association with Viacom Productions Inc., and A Jersey Guys Production | |
| Directors Guild of America Award | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs | Guy Ferland | ||
| Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Children's Special | William Mastrosimone Norman Stephens Paul Hellerman Deboragh Gabler | ||
| Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special | Guy Ferland | |||
| Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special | Ben Foster | |||
| Outstanding Writing in a Children's Special | William Mastrosimone | |||
| Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special | Tom Cavanagh | Nominated | ||