beautifully constructed script nails the shifting motivations and subtext of every scene and provides spiky dialogue to boot. The colorfully eclectic cast also delivers in spades, with Stoltz holding his own as “the black sheep son of a black sheep” while watching several of his co-stars run away with thesping honors in some dazzling turns." It was given a UK theatrical release during August 1997. British critic Ryan Gilbey, writing for The Independent, remarked, "What on earth is going on in Keys to Tulsa? [...] this nonsensical picture appears to have been directed by a coma victim and edited by an axe maniac." In his 1999 book Cinema of Outsiders: The Rise of American Independent Film, Emanuel Levy wrote that, "The Tarantino effect seems to be in decline, judging by the failure of such offshoots as Keys to Tulsa (1997) and Very Bad Things (1998). Harley Peyton's script from Brian Fair Berkey's novel is deft and witty, but Leslie Grief's awkward direction in Keys to Tulsa lacks modulation and visual style." Keys to Tulsa was included in Magill's Cinema Annual 1998: A Survey of the Films of 1997'', with the book characterizing it as being "long on bizarre, colorful characters, but short on any kind of cohesive, interesting plot." Home video The film was released to the American home video market on September 2, 1997. It came in both rated and unrated versions, with the latter including several instances of nudity involving Joanna Going's character. On December 17, 2002, it was released to DVD by Artisan. Liberation Hall later reissued the film in December 2020. References External links 1997 films 1997 crime films 1997 independent films ITC Entertainment films American crime films American independent films Films about dysfunctional families Films based on American novels Films based on crime novels Films set in Oklahoma Films set in Tulsa, Oklahoma PolyGram Filmed Entertainment films Gramercy Pictures films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films 1997 directorial debut films