Sundance walkouts for The Son of No One as I Melt With You also gets divisive reactions

Reports emerged this morning that The Son of No One, starring Al Pacino, Channing Tatum and Katie Holmes, was the subject of a mass walkout at a Monday screening at the Sundance Film Festival. Film industry insiders and regular filmgoers alike allegedly streamed though the exit before the film had even finished. This comes with The Son of No One already scheduled as the closing film of the festival.

The Sundance website details the plot:

'Two men in post-9/11 New York are forced to relive two murders they committed as young boys. Their lives start to unravel by the threat of the revelation of these shocking and personal secrets.'

Cassian Elwes, one of the film's producers (and brother of Cary Elwes), has jumped to the film's defence, asserting that a technical error had led to the walkouts and that the film was already garnering interest from several studios: "We've already received three offers on the film. We're 100 percent behind her and the entire cast's performances in this film."

One source stated that a lone audience member attempted to start a round of applause at the film's end but was met with a wall of silence from those that remained. Whether or not this lonesome clapper was Cassian Elwes has not been confirmed.

Meanwhile director Mark Pellington (Arlington Road, The Mothman Prophecies) fielded questions in the aftermath of the first showing of his latest film I Melt With You. Pellington took to the stage afterwards and congratulated the remaining audience for sticking it out; "My hats off to you for staying for this," the director said. "Fifty people didn't walk out."

Jeremy Piven, Thomas Jane, Rob Lowe and Christian McKay star as four college friends who meet every year to get loaded and remember the good times. The film takes a darker route when the four friends indulge in a drug-frenzy, reveal their darker selves to each other and one of them ends up dead. Pornographic actress Sasha Grey also features. The film has been picked up by magnolia with a statement reading:

“Mark Pellington has made a maverick, stylish and powerful film that resonates for days after viewing,” said Magnolia SVP Tom Quinn. “Thomas Jane, Rob Lowe, Jeremy Piven and Christian McKay give some of the best performances of their entire careers and attention must be paid.”

Alex Williams