Brick, the dynamic debut feature from writer/director Rian Johnson, won the Sundance Film Festival's Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision.

Brick, while taking its cues and its verbal style from the novels of Dashiell Hammett, also honors the rich cinematic tradition of the hard-boiled noir mystery, here wittily and bracingly immersed in fresh territory - a modern-day Southern California neighborhood and high school. There, student Brendan Frye's (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) piercing intelligence spares no one. Brendan is not afraid to back up his words with actions, and knows all the angles; yet he prefers to stay an outsider, and does - until the day that his ex-girlfriend, Emily (Emilie de Ravin of Lost), reaches out to him unexpectedly and then vanishes. Brendan's feelings for her still run deep; so much so, that he becomes consumed with finding his troubled inamorata.

To find her, Brendan enlists the aid of his only true peer, The Brain (Matt O'Leary), while keeping the assistant vice principal (Richard Roundtree) only occasionally informed of what quickly becomes a dangerous investigation. Brendan's single-minded unearthing of students' secrets thrusts him headlong into the colliding social orbits of rich-girl sophisticate Laura (Nora Zehetner), intimidating Tugger (Noah Fleiss), substance-abusing Dode (Noah Segan), seductive Kara (Meagan Good), jock Brad (Brian White), and - most ominously - non-student The Pin (Lukas Haas). It is only by gaining acceptance into The Pin's closely guarded inner circle of crime and punishment that Brendan will be able to uncover hard truths about himself, Emily, and the suspects that he is getting closer to.

Focus Features presents a Bergman Lustig production. A Film by Rian Johnson. Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Brick. Nora Zehetner, Noah Fleiss, Matt O'Leary, Noah Segan, Meagan Good, Emilie de Ravin. With Richard Roundtree and Lukas Haas. Casting by Shannon Makhanian. Costume Designer, Michele Posch. Music by Nathan Johnson. Production Designer, Jodie Tillen. Director of Photography, Steve Yedlin. Co-Producers, Dana Lustig, Susan Dynner, Angela Roessel. Executive Producers, Lisa Johnson, Craig Johnson, Norman Dreyfuss, Marcie Campbell. Produced by Ram Bergman, Mark G. Mathis. Written and Directed by Rian Johnson. A Focus Features Release.

Brick Talk: "It's duck soup for you yegs"

(A partial glossary of words and phrases used in Brick, and their definitions)

Blow - to leave, depart; e.g., "Did she blow last night?"

Bulls - cops; e.g., "What first, tip the bulls?"; also, as a verb, to turn over to the cops; e.g., "I bulled the rat."

Burg (or Burgh) - town, city; e.g., "He knows every two-bit toker in the burg."

Copped - stole; e.g., "She copped the junk."

Dose - to take drugs; e.g., "He dosed off the bad junk and it laid him out."

Duck soup - easy pickings.

Gat - gun.

Gum - to mess things up; e.g., "Bulls would only gum it."

Heel - to walk away from (, and show your heels to); e.g., "I'm not heeling you to hook you."

Hop; Jake; Junk - drugs.

Pick - a ride in a car (as in "pick-up"); e.g., "Did she get a pick?"

Reef worm - a stoner (abbrev. of "reefer").

Scape - a patsy to take the blame (abbrev. of "scapegoat").

Scraped - begged off of, cadged from; e.g., "Ask any dope rat where their junk sprang and they'll say they scraped it off [name]…"

Shamus - a private detective.

Shine - to wield (as with a weapon); e.g., "He shines a blade."

Sprang - originated; e.g., "His gat sprang from Tugger's gang."

Take a powder - to slip away; e.g., "Why'd you take a powder the other night?"

Yeg - (generic for,) a guy; e.g., "They'd probably find some yeg to pin it on."