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Where God Left His Shoes

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Where God Left His Shoes

Released Dec 12, 2008

1h 50m

Holiday

Drama

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Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Frank Diaz (John Leguizamo), an unemployed boxer, and his family live in a homeless shelter for months when, on Christmas Eve, word comes that an apartment may be available. The catch is that Frank must have a job before the end of the day. So he hits the cold streets of New York, his resentful stepson (David Castro) in tow, to find a job so that his family can have a real home for Christmas morning.

Gary Goldstein

Los Angeles Times

Writer-director Salvatore Stabile keeps his affecting story hurtling forward with such grit and integrity it's easy to forgive its loaded setup and occasional lapses in detail and logic.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 19, 2008

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David Edelstein

New York Magazine/Vulture

The acting, the on-the-fly atmosphere (the film was shot quickly), and Leguizamo's increasingly urgent hustle are deeply evocative, but parts of the movie are almost too painful to endure.

Dec 15, 2008

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Matt Noller

Slant Magazine

If you could cut all the music from Where God Left His Shoes, you might actually have a solid family drama.

Rated: 2/4

Dec 12, 2008

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Remezcla Team

Remezcla

This story opens our eyes to the sub-world of heart-breaking homeless shelters, showing the main holiday season as the busiest time.

Jun 18, 2019

Full Review

Sarah Sluis

Film Journal International

A neorealist glimpse of a father trying to find a job on Christmas Eve, with a magnetic performance by David Castro in the role of his son.

Aug 15, 2011

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Don Willmott

Filmcritic.com

you won't get much out of Where God Left His Shoes other than an appreciation of the fact that you have a home for the holidays.

Rated: 2.5/5

Nov 17, 2009

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Stephen C

A success and a holiday treat in 1 hour and 50 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/02/25

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Audience Member

A raw look into the lives of a family in crisis portrayed in a way which is at times contrived, but all-together engaging. The chemistry between Leguizamo (Frank) and Castro (Justin) is the true heartbeat of this film, where the viewer's empathy is well divided. Castro delivers an impeccable performance as the naive, yet street-wise boy navigating alongside his step-father (Leguizamo) through a very adult world in a quest to escape the streets. The remarkable determination of this unlikely pair is both wrenching and heart-warming as, together, the two discover what matters most at the end of the day. Leguizamo delivers a typically solid performance, and the doe-eyed Castro steals more than a few scenes. This is a well constructed film that doesn't pretend to be more than it is. I would highly recommend it.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Disappointing family movie that had potential and the ending leaves you hanging with an incomplete storyline.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

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Audience Member

A New favorite Holidays Drama. This is the kinda emotional power Pursuit to Happyness should've had.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

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Audience Member

what a gritty, honest, insightful movie. It could be qapplied to aany of us.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Audience Member

Grabbed me from the very beginning as a NYC resident always conscious of being a paycheck away from a shelter. Reminded me of Leguizamo's breathtaking characters from Mambo Mouth and Spikerama. Heartbreakingly REAL.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

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Salvatore Stabile

Director

John Leguizamo

Frank Diaz

Leonor Varela

Angela Diaz

David Castro

Justin

Samantha Rose

Christina

Charles Dumas

Morris

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Synopsis

Frank Diaz (John Leguizamo), an unemployed boxer, and his family live in a homeless shelter for months when, on Christmas Eve, word comes that an apartment may be available. The catch is that Frank must have a job before the end of the day. So he hits the cold streets of New York, his resentful stepson (David Castro) in tow, to find a job so that his family can have a real home for Christmas morning.

Director: Salvatore Stabile
Producer: Richard Hutton, Daniel Edelman, Michael Caldwell, Salvatore Stabile
Screenwriter: Salvatore Stabile
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Vulcan Productions
Genre: Holiday, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 12, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 19, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.9K
Runtime: 1h 50m

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