“ I guess when you’re really good at escapes, you figure you can get away with anything.”
“The Escape Artist” is Caleb Deschanel’s feature directorial debut—and a rare, nearly forgotten American fable about a teenage escape artist who picks the wrong pocket and ends up entangled in a corrupt mayor’s family drama. Join us—Pete Wright and Andy Nelson—as we return to our Magicians series with a conversation about “The Escape Artist.” Griffin O’Neal plays the boy at the center, performing real sleight of hand and lockpicking trained by Ricky Jay in largely single takes—a tactile authenticity that holds the film together when the story can’t. Raúl Juliá plays the volatile son of the corrupt mayor, and both hosts agree his performance is one of the best reasons to seek this film out.
We argue about whose arc actually drives the film—Danny’s quiet grief journey, or Stu’s simmering rage at a father who won’t get out of the way. We track what Deschanel’s extraordinary visual instincts bring to the director’s role and where they fall short. We talk about O’Neal’s troubled real-life backstory with dad Ryan O’Neal and how it shadows the film, the history of the Dead End Kids, and a cast full of final screen appearances. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel—when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
If You Liked This Conversation, Try These from the Next Reel Family:

• The Next Reel: 
  • Related Series: Magicians | Melissa Mathison
  • Caleb Deschanel as Cinematographer: Being There | The Black Stallion | The Natural
• The Film Board: 
  • Magicians: Now You See Me | Now You See Me 2

🎬 Watch & Discover

• 🎥 See Our Full Conversation on YouTube
• 🍿 Watch the Film: Apple TV | Amazon | Letterboxd
• 📽️ Original Theatrical Trailer
• 📚 Adapted from The Escape Artist by David Wagoner

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