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| Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate | |
|---|---|
| Name | Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate |
| Director | Malcolm D. Lee |
| Producer | Christina Lurie, Malcolm D. Lee, ... |
| Writer | Malcolm D. Lee |
| Starring | Robert De Niro, Lesley Manville, Julianne Nicholson, Lolita Davidovich |
| Music | Terence Blanchard |
| Cinematography | Greg Gardiner |
| Editing | Paul Millspaugh |
| Studio | Universal Pictures, Participant Media |
| Distributor | Universal Pictures |
| Released | 2013 |
| Runtime | 102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate is a 2013 American comedy film directed and written by Malcolm D. Lee. The film follows a feud between two aging brothers that escalates into public spectacle involving family, institutions, and small-town dynamics. It blends elements of dark comedy, Southern Gothic sensibility, and ensemble performance.
The project was developed by Malcolm D. Lee after his work on The Best Man and Undercover Brother, with production overseen by Christina Lurie and companies tied to Universal Pictures and Participant Media. Principal photography took place in locations that evoked the Deep South, including shoots near Atlanta, Georgia, and on sets assembled with crews who had previously worked on The Hunger Games and The Walking Dead. The score was composed by Terence Blanchard, known for collaborations with Spike Lee and contributions to films such as Malcolm X and BlacKkKlansman. Cinematographer Greg Gardiner brought experience from projects like Hitch and Cruel Intentions, while editor Paul Millspaugh applied techniques reminiscent of pacing in Bridesmaids and Little Miss Sunshine.
Casting combined veterans from Hollywood institutions—Robert De Niro brought a legacy linked to Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and the Academy Awards—with British stage actors such as Lesley Manville, who carried connections to the Royal Shakespeare Company and collaborations with Mike Leigh. Supporting roles featured actors whose credits included Downton Abbey, Law & Order, and The Sopranos, aligning production with talent pools from BBC and HBO series.
The narrative centers on two estranged brothers in a Southern town whose antagonism becomes a local spectacle. One brother's campaign to erase a family legacy collides with the other's attempts to preserve tradition through legal maneuvers involving county offices reminiscent of disputes litigated at the level of Supreme Court of the United States precedent. Their feud entangles local institutions, small businesses similar to those featured in Steel Magnolias and Fried Green Tomatoes, and sparks media attention drawing parallels to tabloid coverage in outlets like The New York Times and The Washington Post. As antics escalate, the story incorporates interventions by friends and relatives with arcs evoking character studies seen in American Beauty and Moonstruck, culminating in a resolution that addresses reconciliation and the costs of pride.
The ensemble cast places established figures in pivotal roles: Robert De Niro portrays an obstinate patriarchal figure with echoes of roles in Cape Fear and Heat; Lesley Manville appears as a matriarch whose performance recalls work in Phantom Thread and Vera Drake; Julianne Nicholson and Lolita Davidovich round out principal family members with credits linking to Boardwalk Empire and Clear and Present Danger, respectively. Supporting players include character actors known from The Sopranos, Grey's Anatomy, and The Wire, and cameo appearances mirror traditions of ensemble comedies such as The Big Chill and Magnolia.
The film interrogates pride, legacy, and familial rivalry through motifs familiar from Southern literature and cinema, drawing comparisons to themes in William Faulkner's settings, Flannery O'Connor's grotesque, and films like To Kill a Mockingbird and A Streetcar Named Desire. Its satirical treatment of local politics and public spectacle resonates with examinations in All the King's Men and the media critiques present in Network. Performance styles reference the Method techniques associated with Lee Strasberg and the ensemble traditions of John Cassavetes. The cinematography and score evoke the tonal contrasts used by directors like Wes Anderson and Coen brothers while the script's tonal shifts recall works by Woody Allen and Alexander Payne.
Critical response was mixed, with reviewers situating the film between affectionate pastiche and uneven tonal control. Critics from publications such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Guardian compared performances to earlier milestones in the leads' careers—invoking De Niro's dramatic pedigree and Manville's stage background—while also drawing parallels to ensemble comedies like The Royal Tenenbaums. Scholarly commentary in journals addressing film studies referenced theories from Stanley Cavell and Laura Mulvey to debate whether the film's comic register undercut its moral themes. Audience reactions on platforms that aggregate viewership data, akin to Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, showed divergence between critical scores and viewer ratings.
Released by Universal Pictures in limited markets before a wider rollout, the film's box office run occurred alongside releases from studios such as Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and Paramount Pictures during the 2013 calendar. Its financial performance was modest relative to tentpole films like those in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and franchise entries from The Hobbit or Star Wars; distribution strategies incorporated festival screenings at events comparable to Sundance Film Festival and regional showings that mirrored programming at Telluride Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival markets.
While not a major commercial phenomenon, the film contributed to ongoing discussions about portrayals of the American South in cinema alongside titles like Fried Green Tomatoes, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and Get On Up. It influenced casting considerations that paired veteran film actors with theatrical performers, a trend visible in subsequent productions involving Netflix and Amazon Studios. Retrospectives on Malcolm D. Lee's career have situated the film within a trajectory that includes The Best Man Holiday and collaborations with performers connected to SAG-AFTRA and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences events.
Category:2013 films Category:American comedy films