Product Details

• Actors: Woody Harrelson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lauren Bacall, Ned Beatty, William Hope
• Directors: Paul Schrader
• Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Enhanced, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: THINKFILM
• DVD Release Date: May 27, 2008
• Run Time: 108 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0011B9W7E
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #86,983 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Walker" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

With The Walker, Paul Schrader completes the "lonely man" trilogy he began with American Gigolo (1980) and Light Sleeper (1992). If his third entry lacks the cheap thrills of its predecessors--the airbrushed glamour of the former and noir atmospherics of the latter--it's still a compelling character study. Cast against type, but rising above it, Woody Harrelson plays openly gay Carter Page III. Like Richard Gere's Armani-clad escort, Carter is always dressed to the nines--and ready with a cutting quip. Instead of servicing female clients, the Southern senator’s son serves as a "walker," a chaperone for Washington DC's political wives (Schrader was inspired by Nancy Reagan associate Jerry Zipkin). Carter’s coterie includes Lynn (Kristin Scott Thomas), Natalie (Lauren Bacall), and Abigail (Lily Tomlin). When Lynn's lobbyist lover turns up dead, Carter's carefully constructed world comes crashing down. Out of loyalty, he reports the murder (though Lynn found the body), but because Carter also has ties to the victim, the authorities make him their prime suspect. With the help of sometime lover Emek (Run Lola Run's Moritz Bleibtreu), he sets out to restore his reputation. Though the literate dialogue is up to Schrader's high standards, the director slackens the pace just when he should be ratcheting up the tension. Still, few filmmakers know how to make the truism "To thine own self be true" seem less trite. Unfortunately for Carter, he has to learn that lesson the hard way. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Product Description

Set in Washington D.C., The Walker follows Carter Page (Harrelson), a popular socialite who serves as confidant, companion and card partner to the wives of the most powerful men in America. When Carter's dearest friend (Scott Thomas) finds herself on the brink of a scandal, he covers for her. Suddenly he finds himself the chief suspect in a criminal investigation and this well-connected man-about-town becomes an outcast, hounded by the police and forced to hunt down the true culprit in order to clear his name.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Tour de Force for a Fine Cast of Seasoned Actors, June 1, 2008

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Walker (DVD)

THE WALKER (defined as a man who escorts rich ladies around town in their leisure) is both a pungent political comment and a fine mystery from Paul Schrader who both wrote and directed this smart film and had the good fortune to surround his tale with a fine cast of actors. It may not be a film for everyone, but it will satisfy viewers who tire of superficial fluff films, allowing time to ponder the way we live and converse today.

Carter Page III (Woody Harelson in one of his finest performances) is an openly gay, well-heeled, dapper man about town who devotes his life to pleasing the wealthy wives of men in high government levels in Washington, DC. Together with Abby (Lily Tomlin), Natalie (Lauren Bacall), Chrissy (Mary Beth Hurt), and Lynn (Kristin Scott Thomas) the group gossips, plays canasta in an expensive hotel parlor, and confides secrets that are surefire rumor fodder. Lynn is escorted by Carter to her lover's home for a tryst only to find the lover murdered. Carter attempts to protect Lynn from scandal only to become implicated himself. Carter discovers secrets about his own insecurities, and while he is solidly supported by his lover Emek (the excellent Moritz Bleibtreu), an artist of strange works that prove subtle background connotations of the mystery that is unwinding, he must face the realities of his decision when confronting husbands, lawyers, police, and intelligence agents (portrayed by such fine actors as Ned Beatty, Willem Defoe, William Hope and Geff Francis). The story is, in many ways, an examination of the corruption in Washington, DC - a fact that may explain why it did not enjoy a long theater run.

For viewers who appreciate fine dialogue and a smart story with well-delineated characters portrayed by superb actors, this is a film that should not be neglected. Grady Harp, June 08

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "I Do Need A Dirt Fix", June 13, 2008

By 

H. F. Corbin "Foster Corbin" (ATLANTA, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Walker (DVD)

Written and directed by Paul Schrader ("The Comfort of Strangers," "American Gigolo") "The Walker" stars Woody Harrelson as an openly gay man Carter Page III, the son of a Virginia senator, in contemporary Washington, D. C. who escorts rich, idle women-- Lily Tomlin as Abigail, Kristin Scott Thomas as Lynn and Lauren Bacall as Nathalie-- around the city and plays canasta with them every Wednesday. Mary Beth Hurt, Ned Beatty and Willem Defoe are cast as well.

As we would expect from Mr. Schrader, "The Walker" is a dark film about power and political corruption in the highest levels of government. Reminiscent of Truman Capote, Page, dressed in high fashion double-breasted suits and a toupee, keeps the women laughing with his gossip and campy one-liners ("I need a dirt fix") until a lobbyist is murdered and he suddenly finds himself the chief suspect. His brittle women friends are suddenly not available and he is left with his cat Lancelot, that he confiscated from the dead man,and his boyfriend.

Kristin Scott Thomas gives a fine performance as a senator's wife. Lauren Bacall plays Lauren Bacall, but, hey, she looks great for whatever her age is. Lily Tomlin, although she has a small role, is good as always. Woody Harrelson may have been wonderful on "Cheers" but he is miscast here. For starters, he has a strange Southern accent that at times sounds like he is Marlon Brando in "The Godfather" and at other times like the gay soldier Brando plays in "Reflections in a Golden Eye."

Mr. Schrader has certainly made better movies; but if you are one of his fans, you should see this one too. I'd give it a very low B.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, March 16, 2008

By 

Stone Cold Nuts (Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Walker (DVD)

I found this compelling to watch as the performances of Bacall, Harrelson, and others successfully pulled me into what was a deliberately slow-paced film. Harrelson is impressive as he appears in virtually every scene and does a great job as the gay "Walker" caught up in a murder. It's been some time since I saw a movie that had to be carried more on plot and acting and less on car chases and special effects. But keep the pause button handy as you will need to stop the action and ask others in the room for clarification on what is being said and done - I say that in a good way in that the viewer will second-guess the anticipated outcome.