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TRAIN GANG ''The Yards''' Phoenix and Wahlberg let off steam
Eric Liebowitz
In this thriller about the grimy New York City subway system, a shady family sells its members out with the subterranean nonchalance of business rivals. Caan plays a corrupt boss whose company fixes the train cars; Dunaway is his chilly wife; Wahlberg and Phoenix play cousins battling it out when one is framed for a crime he didn't commit. Phoenix, who was originally slated to play Wahlberg's role until Gray pulled a last minute switch, committed to the project a year and a half before production began, and has waited another two to see the film make it to theaters.

''I held on to it,'' admits Gray, who spent months reediting, going so far as to pay for a day of reshoots himself -- just to include more visual details in the opening scene. ''I knew people would think it was on the shelf, but I didn't give a shit.... This kind of movie -- a dark social drama -- is difficult to make. It doesn't have a lot of superheroes running around in latex.'' GOOD SIGN With these actors, what more could an audience want? THEN AGAIN Maybe the film could use some superheroes running around in latex, since it received a less than enthusiastic reception at Cannes.


Posted Aug 11, 2000 | Order Article Reprints