realizes that Howie is much more than a little boy, a young boy he can hit on". Cuesta has said that John is confused, and doesn't know if he wanted "to be with him, sexually, or just father him". Release L.I.E premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. It went on to show at several other film festivals including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, the Bergen International Film Festival, the Stockholm International Film Festival, Outfest, the Deauville Film Festival and the Helsinki International Film Festival. The film opened to cinemas in New York on September 7, 2001. The film received an NC-17 rating from the MPAA. After the filmmakers unsuccessfully appealed for an R rating, the film was later distributed without a rating; however, many theater chains choose not to exhibit unrated films. Both an edited version which received an R rating ("for strong sexual content involving teens, language, and brief violence") and the original unrated/uncut film are available on DVD. Critical reception The film has an approval rating of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 86 reviews, with an average rating of 6.96/10. The critical consensus states: "L.I.E. is a well-acted and unsettling look at a boy's relationship with a pedophile." Accolades Awards Independent Spirit Award Best Debut Performance – Paul Dano Producers Award – René Bastian, Linda Moran, and Michael Cuesta Satellite Awards Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (Brian Cox) Nominations Independent Spirit Award Best Lead Actor – Brian Cox Best Supporting Male – Billy Kay Best First Screenplay – Stephen M. Ryder, Michael Cuesta, and Gerald Cuesta Best Director – Michael Cuesta Best Feature – Rene Bastin, Linda Moran, and Michael Cuesta AFI Awards AFI Featured Actor of the Year – Male – Movies Brian Cox References External links 2001 films 2001 directorial debut films 2001 drama films 2001 independent films 2001 LGBT-related films American independent films American teen drama films American teen LGBT-related films Films about child sexual abuse Films directed by Michael Cuesta Films set in Long Island Films shot in New York (state) Incest in film LGBT-related drama films 2000s English-language films Films about male prostitution in the United States 2000s American films