True West (2002)

Written in 1982, Sam Shepard's darkly hilarious stage play True West was given its first important American staging at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater, with John Malkovich and Gary Sinise in the starring roles (a PBS version of this production has been made available on DVD). This Showtime cable-TV adaptation was taped at Bruce Willis' theater company in Hailey, ID, with Willis stepping into the old John Malkovich role as Lee, a tattered, battered petty crook and drifter. Showing up unannounced at his mother's home in the middle of the California desert, Lee is welcomed with more or less open arms by his mother (Danielle Kennedy), but is given a less than enthusiastic reception by his straitlaced brother Austin (Chad Smith), a screenwriter who is anxiously awaiting the arrival of a Hollywood producer (Andrew Allburger). The simmering sibling rivalry between Lee and Austin boils over when Lee suddenly steals all of Austin's creative thunder -- leading to a riotous "collaboration" which all but reduces the tiny house to a pile of rubble. True West debuted on August 12, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi