on the bike path. Leland helps him off his bike, gives him a hug, and whispers in his ear that "everything is going to be okay". Leland wanted to stop the sadness. He could not return the spark to Mrs. Calderon but he could end the sadness of a boy who was disabled so that people would not look at him like he would never be normal. By killing Ryan, Leland could stop his sadness. Cast Production Of his decision to do the film, Ryan Gosling said, "I wanted to do [the movie] so badly because I felt like Leland was so different. It's this kind of character that's not in movies very often – characters that are emotionally disconnected for the whole film – so it's a tricky thing to tap into." Reception On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 34% rating based on reviews from 94 critics, with an average rating of 4.9/10. The site's consensus reads that "The United States of Leland has its moments, but they're undermined by a muddled plot, unsympathetic characters, and frustratingly uneven performances." Roger Ebert, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, declared the film a "moral muddle". Writing for Variety, David Rooney wrote, "Laboring against characters that spout artificial, platitudinous dialogue, the cast invites little sympathy. Gosling’s one-note, blankly disturbed act has none of the magnetic edge of his breakthrough work in 'The Believer,' while the intriguing ambiguity of Cheadle’s character could have been far more interestingly explored." Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly called the film "yet another joylessly trendy indie portrait of the dark side of suburbia." References External links 2003 films 2003 drama films American independent films 2003 independent films American drama films American coming-of-age drama films Films about dysfunctional families Films about educators Films shot in Los Angeles American prison films Films about murder Paramount Vantage films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films Films about disability