I can’t help but find it somewhat odd that a review of my film [The United States of Leland] would include quotes from an individual leading a boycott against the picture [“Euthanasia Made Easy,” April 9]. Even more troubling is the fact that there was never any attempt to contact me to respond to the allegations being made. I would happily engage Mr. Ervin in a conversation about my own motivations for making the film, and I would certainly appreciate the opportunity to address charges that the film is out to promote some sort of “emotional euthanasia.”
On this subject, I’d like to remind Mr. Ervin to fact-check his articles. The synopsis described as “provided by Paramount Pictures,” in fact, did not come from Paramount. I’ve encountered those words on the Internet as well, and I have no idea who wrote them first or where they were posted/printed. Feel free to check the Web site for the official synopsis. Or feel free to contact me and ask me to describe the film. Implying that this is how I describe, or have ever described, the film is false. Another falsehood: the scene at the end of the film where Leland tells Ryan “everything will be all right” is, in fact, not the moment before he kills the boy. A second look at the film’s structure, paying attention to earlier flashbacks, will reveal this to be true.
Mr. Ervin, I regret that you have used your platform as a reviewer to discredit this film. Was this a review or an article about Ms. Sweeney? If you’re going to explore an issue, please explore both sides. Or, if nothing else, check your facts.
Matthew Ryan Hoge
Mike Ervin replies:
Because a flyer available at the theater and the entries for the film on multiple sites on the Web used identical language–calling the killing “sort of like an emotional euthanasia”–I assumed this was promotional boilerplate provided by Paramount. And I should have made clear that time does elapse between the final flashback and the murder. My apologies.