David Della Rocco

The Boondock Saints is a 1999 American vigilante action thriller film written and directed by Troy Duffy in his feature directorial debut. Starring Willem Dafoe, Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, David Della Rocco, and Billy Connolly, the film follows Irish fraternal twin brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus (Flanery and Reedus), who become vigilantes after killing two members of the Russian mafia in self defense. After both experience an epiphany, the twins, together with their best friend "Funny Man" Rocco (Rocco), set out on a mission to rid Boston of the criminal underworld in the name of God, all the while being pursued by FBI Special Agent Paul Smecker (Dafoe). Duffy, who had never written a screenplay before, said he was inspired by personal experience while living with his brother in Los Angeles. Initially regarded as one of the hottest scripts in Hollywood, the film had a troubled production. Miramax Films dropped the project in 1997 before Franchise Pictures acquired the rights the following year. Principal photography began on August 10, 1998 in Boston and Toronto and concluded on September 26. The theatrical release of The Boondock Saints was significantly affected by the Columbine High School massacre, which had taken place just two weeks before the test screenings. Amidst concerns that the film would inspire copycat crimes, it was given a limited theatrical release in only five theaters across the United States on January 21, 2000. As a result, the film was a box office flop and received negative reviews from critics. Despite this, The Boondock Saints became a cult classic through word of mouth and its home video release, ultimately grossing $50 million in sales.