Bradford "Brad" Whitewood, Sr. is the main antagonist of the 1986 crime drama film At Close Range, based on the real-life rural Pennsylvania crime family led by Bruce Johnston, Sr. which operated during the 1960s and 1970s.
He was portrayed by Christopher Walken, who also played Max Zorin in A View to a Kill, Frank White in King of New York, Max Shreck in Batman Returns, Vincenzo Coccotti in True Romance, Gabriel in The Prophecy series, Mr. Smith in Nick of Time, Colonel Cutter in Antz, the Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow, Reed Thimple in The Country Bears, Salvatore Maggio in Kangaroo Jack, Cornelius Hatcher in The Rundown, King Louie in the 2016 The Jungle Book live-action remake and Shaddam IV in Dune: Part Two.
Biography[]
Brad Sr. is into organized crime, leading a gang that included Patch and Dickie, his brothers, as well as Tony Pine and Boyd. He was once married to a woman named Julie, and has two sons: Brad Jr. and Tommy. He has not seen his sons in a long time. He and his gang rob farms, stealing tractors and selling them off for profit and other thievery.
In 1978 in Pennsylvania, Brad Sr. goes to visit his sons. He gives his ex-wife some money and takes Brad Jr. for a ride to get to know him again. Brad Sr. takes Brad Jr. to his house and introduces him to his uncles and Mary Sue, Brad Sr.'s girlfriend. Brad Jr. learns from his dad how he and his family are making money. Brad Jr. sees an easy way of making money and wants to join in, but Brad Sr. wants his son to prove himself. At a bar, Brad Sr. meets Brad Jr.'s girlfriend Terry, who tries to convince Brad Sr. to let Brad Jr. in. Brad Sr. detests Terry's interference, but later on lets Brad Jr. prove himself with the help of Tommy as well as Brad Jr.'s friends Tim, Lucas, and Aggie. They all rob a local farm.
Later on, Brad Sr. and his sons are having dinner with the gang, and Brad Sr. expresses his pride in his son. They see Lester Poralski, a former member of their gang who is now an informant for the police, talking to a detective who is investigating Brad Sr.'s activities. After dinner, they go talk to Lester and convince him to come along for a job. Brad Sr. and his gang get Lester drunk and take him to the lake, where Dickie drowns Lester with Brad Jr. watching in horror.
Brad Jr. tells his dad that he does want out, but Brad Sr. irately tells his son he will not have the money to make it on his own. Brad Jr. warns Tommy to stay away from their dad. At a cockfight later on, Brad Sr. meets a cop who tells him about a grand jury being set up. Later on, Brad Jr. is arrested along with Aggie, Tim, Lucas, and Tommy for trying to rob a tractor store. The others are bailed out, except for Brad Jr. Brad Sr. takes Terry to a motel room to rape her to keep her silent about the gang's activities. This makes Brad Jr. talk to the cops and FBI.
Furious and vengeful, Brad Sr. and his men eliminate some of Brad Jr.'s friends, and Brad Sr. himself kills Tommy. Brad Jr. and Terry plan to leave for Montana, but Brad Sr. shoots them outside Terry's house in Brad Jr.'s car. Terry dies, but Brad Jr. survives. He goes to his dad's house, and they talk. Brad Jr. finds his dad's handgun in the bathroom cabinet, then confronts his father in a tense face-off. Brad Sr. taunts his son, and Brad Jr. fires off a shot, scaring his father. However, Brad Jr. decides to not kill his father, instead allowing him to be arrested. As the film ends, Brad Jr. testifies in court.
Quotes[]
| “ | Brad Sr.: How old are you now anyway? Brad, Jr.: Old enough. Brad Sr.: Damn! |
„ |
| ~ Brad Sr. and Brad Jr. |
| “ | Well, to some folks, I'm just the devil in blue suede shoes. | „ |
| ~ To Brad Jr. |
| “ | Kid, you look a thousand miles any direction, from Tennessee to Toronto, I go backroads just about anyplace. Never touch any of the state, never see one goddamn cop. | „ |
| ~ To Brad Jr. |
| “ | Just one thing here—you don't say nothing against the family. | „ |
| ~ To Patch after he badmouths Tommy |
| “ | Brad Sr.: Kid, you like pussy? Brad Jr.: Yeah. Brad Sr.: Smart boy! |
„ |
| ~ Father and son conversation |
| “ | You see, most people that drive through here, they see farms and houses and fields and shit. Everywhere I go, I see money, I see things that can move. Anything that can move got my name writ' on it. "Brad Whitewood—please hold for delivery!" | „ |
| ~ Brad Sr., to Brad Jr. and Tommy |
| “ | The boy ain't got the life expectancy of a housefly. | „ |
| ~ Brad Sr. |
| “ | Brad Sr.: Try this—stay clear of my brother. Brad Jr.: Which one? Brad Sr.: You know damn well, boy. |
„ |
| ~ Brad Sr. and Brad Jr. |
| “ | You two jackasses, you'll both end up in jail. | „ |
| ~ Brad Sr., to Brad Jr. |
| “ | Except for the a**holes and the f*****s, I'm the richest son of a bitch in the country. | „ |
| ~ Brad Sr. |
| “ | That's not right. You wanna talk to me, you talk to me in private. I'll tell you something—that girl is trouble. She's nice, she's young, big mouth. You stick with us, you stick by me, you can see this is a group. You know, you don't violate that. | „ |
| ~ Brad Sr. to Brad Jr. after Terry urges Brad Sr. to let Brad Jr. prove himself |
| “ | It's blood; don't break it. | „ |
| ~ Brad Sr., to Brad Jr. |
| “ | He's really got class. Havin' hamburger steak! | „ |
| ~ On a detective eating in the restaurant where the gang also is eating |
| “ | Where you gonna go? What you gonna do when you get where you go? | „ |
| ~ To Brad Jr. after he announces his plan to move away with Terry |
| “ | Brad Sr.: How you gonna pay? Apartment, food, clothes—all that?! Brad Jr.: I'll find something. Brad Sr.: You'll find shit! All you know is how to steal! You're too fuckin' dumb to do that by yourself! Brad Jr.: Oh, you think so? Brad Sr.: I know so! You'll come back, crawling back to me, "Daddy, Daddy, give me somethin'"! |
„ |
| ~ Brad Sr. opposing Brad Jr.'s plans to get out |
| “ | Only one in the whole kiddie gang knows his ass from a pitchfork. | „ |
| ~ Brad Sr., on Lucas |
| “ | It's over, that's it! You know too much, you think too much, you talk too much. That's it! | „ |
| ~ To Terry, prior to raping her |
| “ | Ever been out west, Tommy? [...] Ever heard a coyote? [...] They make this sound like, "Whoo, whoo, whoo." Coyote bitch gets in heat. First thing she does—she'd take care of the males. Then she heads toward town. All the neighborhood dogs—they smell her, they go crazy, follow her. She lures them out into the desert. She get the dog out there...alone. All the other coyotes come along. They circle around. They kill that dog, eat it. | „ |
| ~ Brad Sr. about to murder Tommy |
| “ | LIAR! | „ |
| ~ Before shooting Tommy dead |
| “ | That's a nice-looking gun. | „ |
| ~ Brad Sr. as Brad Jr. holds him at gunpoint |
| “ | Brad Sr.: You got the guts...to kill me? I'm your blood! I'm your family! Brad Jr.: You're not my family, not anymore. Brad Sr.: Yeah, you're crazy. Crazy! Gone crazy! |
„ |
| ~ Brad Sr. taunting Brad Jr. |
| “ | Brad Sr.: Listen! Listen! [...] I know how it is. Cops got ya in here, get your head all fucked up. I know how that is. [...] Before they got you twisted, you must've known somethin', you must've felt it. I gave you money, I gave you a car, I took you in. Don't that mean somethin'? Brad Jr.: Means what?! Means what?! Brad Sr.: It means...I got feelin' for ya! Brad Jr.: What fuckin' feeling?! Brad Sr.: I care! What do ya—I love you! What, is that what you wanna hear? I love ya! |
„ |
| ~ Confrontation between father and son |
| “ | Motherfucker! | „ |
| ~ After Brad Jr. shoots at him |
| “ | Brad Jr.: Don't you fuckin' move! Brad Sr.: I don't move! |
„ |
| ~ Brad Jr. keeps Brad Sr. held at gunpoint |