Apt Pupil (1998)

Director:

Bryan Singer

Writers (WGA):

Stephen King (novel)
Brandon Boyce (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 October 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

If you don't believe in the existence of evil, you've got a lot to learn.

Plot:

A boy blackmails his neighbour after suspecting him to be a Nazi war criminal.

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Blackmail | War Criminal | Old Man | Holocaust

Awards:

5 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Brad Renfro	...	Todd Bowden
Ian McKellen	...	Kurt Dussander
Joshua Jackson	...	Joey
Mickey Cottrell	...	Sociology Teacher
Michael Reid MacKay	...	Nightmare Victim
Ann Dowd	...	Monica Bowden
Bruce Davison	...	Richard Bowden
James Karen	...	Victor Bowden
Marjorie Lovett	...	Agnes Bowden
David Cooley	...	Gym Teacher
Blake Anthony Tibbetts	...	Teammate
Heather McComb	...	Becky Trask
Katherine Malone	...	Student
Grace Sinden	...	Secretary
David Schwimmer	...	Edward French
Anthony Moore	...	Umpire
Elias Koteas	...	Archie
Kevin Spirtas	...	Paramedic
Michael Byrne	...	Ben Kramer
Danna Dennis	...	Nurse
Jan Tríska	...	Isaac Weiskopf
Joe Morton	...	Dan Richler
Michael Artura	...	Detective Getty
Donna Marie Brown	...	Mother
Mark Flythe	...	Darren
Warren Wilson	...	Newscaster
Jill Harris	...	Reporter
Norbert D. Singer	...	Hospital Administrator #1
Mildred Singer	...	Hospital Administrator #2
Mary Ottman	...	Doctor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Darrell Britt	...	Student (uncredited)
Robert 'Duckie' Carpenter	...	Skinhead (uncredited)
Richard Dunn	...	Man with Bags (uncredited)
Joseph Ashton Montgomery	...	Student (uncredited)
Phaedra Neitzel	...	Student (uncredited)

Directed by
Bryan Singer

Writing credits (WGA)
Stephen King		(novella "Apt Pupil")
Brandon Boyce		(screenplay)

Produced by
Tom DeSanto	....	co-producer (as Thomas DeSanto)
Jane Hamsher	....	producer
Tim Harbert	....	executive producer
Don Murphy	....	producer
John Ottman	....	associate producer
Jay Shapiro	....	associate producer
Bryan Singer	....	producer

Original Music by
John Ottman

Cinematography by
Newton Thomas Sigel		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Ottman

Casting by
Francine Maisler

Production Design by
Richard Hoover

Art Direction by
Kathleen M. McKernin

Set Decoration by
Jennifer Herwitt

Costume Design by
Louise Mingenbach

Makeup Department
Jori Jenae	....	makeup artist
Kerry Mendenhall	....	assistant hair stylist
Daniel Parker	....	makeup designer
Daniel Parker	....	makeup supervisor
Joni Powell	....	key makeup artist (as Joni Meers Powell)
Edward St. George	....	key hair stylist
Lisa Rocco	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Tim Harbert	....	unit production manager
Hilarie Roope	....	post-production supervisor (as Hilarie Roope Benz)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fernando Altschul	....	first assistant director
Scott Cameron	....	assistant director
Kelly Kiernan	....	second assistant director (as Kelly A. Kiernan)
Robert A. Neft	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Pete Allyn	....	construction coordinator
James Amado	....	swing gang
Ayenne J. Applebaum	....	lead scenic
Jenny Baum	....	set dresser
Michael Blair	....	construction foreman (as Mike Blair)
Chris Call	....	property master
John Coven	....	storyboard artist
David Eckert	....	set designer
Nick Gillie	....	swing gang
Frederika Gray	....	stand-by painter
Katherine Lipsitt	....	swing gang
Richard McConnell	....	propmaker
Walt Mikolwski	....	construction foreman (as Walter Mikowlski)
Rhonda Paynter	....	swing gang
Portia Perry	....	paint foreman
Christopher Redmond	....	assistant property master
Steve Roll	....	carpenter
Amy Shock	....	set designer
Andre Sowards	....	props
Jeffrey Thomas	....	greensman
Bill Vernetti	....	swing gang
Szu Wang	....	swing gang
Michael Whetstone	....	leadman

Sound Department
James Ashwill	....	foley mixer (as Jim Ashwill)
George Berndt	....	adr supervisor
Rick Canelli	....	adr recordist
Simon Coke	....	sound editor
John T. Cucci	....	foley artist (as John Cucci)
Thom 'Coach' Ehle	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Michael Haight	....	sound editor
Michael Herbick	....	sound re-recording mixer
Linda Lew	....	foley recordist
Robert J. Litt	....	sound re-recording mixer
Chuck Michael	....	supervising sound editor
Nash Michael	....	sound editor
Karen Minahan	....	assistant sound editor
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Thomas J. O'Connell	....	adr mixer
Rodger Pardee	....	sound editor
Geoffrey Patterson	....	sound mixer (as Geoffrey Lucius Patterson)
Marsha Sorce	....	sound recordist
Mark Steinbeck	....	boom operator (as Mark D. Steinbeck)
Thomas Thoms	....	cable puller
Elliot Tyson	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Philip Beck Jr.	....	special effects supervisor
Ron Petruccione	....	special effects technician
Chris L. Ward	....	special effects technician (as Chris Ward)

Visual Effects by
Mindy Minkow	....	optical camera

Stunts
Dustin Courtney	....	stunts
Ben Jensen	....	stunts
Gary Jensen	....	stunt coordinator
Lane Leavitt	....	stunts
Kenny Bates	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Baer	....	still photographer
Chad C. Barrow	....	best boy grip
Vicki Brinkman	....	camera loader
Jonathan Brown	....	camera operator (as Jonathan W. Brown)
Keith Gorman	....	board operator (as Keith A.F. Gorman)
Lisa Guerriero	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
David Horton	....	grip
Dustin A. Huber	....	rigging gaffer (as Dustin Huber)
Jason Jensen	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Jimmy E. Jensen	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera (as Jimmy Jensen)
William T. Jones	....	rigging key grip (as William T. [Jake] Jones)
Patricia Lee	....	lamp operator (as Patti Lee)
Art Martin	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
David L. Merrill	....	key grip
Darryl Murchison	....	lamp operator
Anthony G. Nakonechnyj	....	chief lighting technician (as Tony 'Nako' Nakonechnyj)
Pat O'Mara	....	rigging grip
Bill Petty	....	grip
Chis Rountree	....	grip (as Chris Roundtree)
Tom Skulski	....	dolly grip: "b" camera
Chuck Turner	....	grip
Christopher Whitman	....	best boy electric
William D. Wynn	....	dolly grip (as Bill Wynn)
Michael Chang	....	rigging best boy (uncredited)
Art Martin	....	Steadicam first assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Kathryn Eisenstein	....	casting associate
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jeanne Ione Flynn	....	set costumer
Meredith McLaughlin	....	costumer
Parker Poole	....	costumer (as C. Parker Poole)
B.J. Rogers	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Anthony Bozanich	....	second assistant editor
Roger Fenton	....	associate editor
Tirsa Hackshaw	....	second assistant editor (as Tirsa K. Hackshaw)
Jesse Hove	....	post-production assistant
Gloria Kaiser	....	color timer
Masahi Mizuno	....	post-production assistant
Shannon O'Bryan	....	post-production office coordinator
Michael Storm	....	post-production assistant
John Palermo	....	post-production assistant (uncredited)

Music Department
Charlie Bouis	....	music recordist
Tim Boyle	....	music mixer
Tim Boyle	....	music recordist
Amanda Goodpaster	....	music editor
Larry Groupé	....	conductor
Larry Groupé	....	orchestrations
Frank Macchia	....	orchestrations
John Ottman	....	orchestrations
Robert Puff	....	music preparation
David Sabee	....	orchestra contractor
Lia Vollack	....	music editor
Lia Vollack	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Ted Basso	....	production van driver operator
Jim Frear	....	transportation captain
Greg Van Dyke	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Rick Benattar	....	assistant: Ms. Hamsher/Mr. Murphy
Mellanie Bradfield	....	script supervisor
Craig Conover	....	craft service
Robin Cross	....	first assistant accountant
Julie Duvic	....	location manager
Ethel Edwards	....	production assistant
Maureen Estes	....	studio teacher
Susan Giordano	....	first assistant accountant (as Susan L. Giordano)
Bryan Guenzel	....	production assistant
Peter Haas	....	unit publicist
Thomas M. Harper	....	production assistant
John Herget	....	set medic (as John 'Blue' Herget)
Joy Lissandrello	....	production assistant
Jo McIllece	....	production coordinator (as JoJo Leachman McIllece)
Tim Monich	....	dialect coach
Johnston H. Moore	....	assistant production coordinator
Andy Norris	....	production assistant
Shannon O'Bryan	....	production secretary
Robert Ohlandt	....	production assistant (as Robert J. Ohlandt)
Mary Ottman	....	medical advisor (as Marry Ottman R.N.)
Anton Pardoe	....	assistant location manager (as Anton B. Pardoe)
William R. Peck	....	production assistant
Blake Perkinson	....	production assistant
Michael Provart	....	production assistant
Matthew Spiegel	....	production assistant
Scott Storm	....	production assistant (as Scott A. Storm)
Eric 'Sprocket' Uporsky	....	production assistant (as Eric Uporsky)
Bob Weber	....	production accountant
Roee Wiczyk	....	assistant: Mr. Singer
Sherry Williams	....	payroll
Jeremy Alter	....	location manager: re-shoots (uncredited)
Terry Goldman	....	assistant: Mr. Ottman (uncredited)
Jack E. Herman	....	extras set coordinator (uncredited)

Thanks
Michael Berenbaum	....	special thanks: SHOAH (as Michael Bernbaum)
Richard Dreyfuss	....	special thanks
Christopher McQuarrie	....	special thanks
Michael Puopolo	....	special thanks
Jason Rodriguez	....	special thanks
Leslie Swift	....	special thanks: US Holocaust Museum, Washington, D.C.

Production Companies

• Phoenix Pictures (presents)
• Bad Hat Harry Productions (producer) (as Bad Hat Harry)
• Canal+ Droits Audiovisuels (in association with) (as Canal+ D.A.)

Distributors

• TriStar Pictures (1998) (USA) (theatrical)
• Bontonfilm (1999) (Czech Republic) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Films (France)
• Columbia TriStar Films de España
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (1999) (Canada) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (1999) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (1999) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (1999) (Argentina) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Digiscope (digital effects)

Other Companies

• American Humane Association, The  animal action monitoring
• Bruce's Catering  catering
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies by
• Cinema Research  opticals and titles (as Cinema Research Corporation)
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)
• Kodak Motion Picture Film  produced on (as KODAK Film)
• Kona Cutting  negative cutting
• LA House of Props  special thanks to (as House of Props)
• Lundin Ranch  animal wranglers (as Lundin Farm)
• Martyrs Memorial and Museum of the Holocaust  special thanks to
• National Museum of Photography, Film & Television  special thanks to (as National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, Bradford, U.K.)
• Panavision  cameras & lenses (as Panavision®)
• Rockbottom Rentals  cell phone rentals
• Sony Pictures Studios Property Department  special thanks to (as Sony Prop Dept.)
• Steve Martin's Working Wildlife  animal wranglers
• Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation  special thanks to (as SHOAH)
• TBS Casting  extras casting
• The Museum of Tolerance and the Simon Wiesenthal Center  special thanks to (as The Museum of Tolerance)
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum  special thanks to (as US Holocaust Museum, Washington, D.C.)
• Warner Hollywood Studios  recorded at (as Warner Hollywood)
• Worldwide Movie Animals  animal wranglers

Also Known As:

"Golden Boy" - Japan (English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for scenes of strong violence, language and brief sexuality

Runtime:

111 min | Argentina:112 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS (8 channels) | Dolby SR

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | France:-16 | Germany:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Singapore:PG | Iceland:16 | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:18 | USA:R (No. 35516) | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Portugal:M/16 | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

Alhambra, California, USA

Company:

Phoenix Pictures

Trivia:

Ian McKellen admitted he was surprised to be asked to play 75-year-old Kurt Dussander, since he was only 57 at the time of filming.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Mr. Dussander opens the box containing the Nazi costume, he comments that it is a very good recreation and reads that it is from a costume shop in "Tappan, New Jersey". Tappan, however, is just over the border in New York state.

Quotes:

Todd Bowden:All great achievements arose from dissatisfaction. It is the desire to do better, to dig deeper that propels a civilization to greatness. All of us have heard the story of Icarus, the young boy who took the wings his father built for him. Wings that were meant to carry him over the ocean to freedom and used them instead for a joyride...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Angel: Somnambulist (#1.11)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Tristan Und Isolde

Original, Intriguing

A teenage boy befriends an elderly man. During countless discussions over many a night, they form a special friendship that manages to bridge their considerable age gap. It would sound like a sweet character study if the old man wasn't a Nazi war criminal and the teen wasn't a Holocaust-obsessed recluse blackmailing his new pal for all the gory details.

APT PUPIL scores the highest marks for originality. Nothing ever quite like this has been done before, and it's all quite intriguing. In the beginning, we come close to feeling sorry for the old man despite his past misdeeds. Here is he living out his golden years in peace and seclusion when all of a sudden a pushy teenager threatens to blow his cover. As the tale progresses, we see that the elder is just as conniving as the boy, threatening simply to expose their friendship, forever linking the young man with unimaginable notoriety. What starts out as a bizarre acquaintance escalates into a duel of manipulation.

It's not surprising that APT PUPIL is based on a novella by Stephen King. The film bears many of the hallmarks of King's works. And while it's never actually scary, it is thrilling at a psychological level that King reaches best. It's not perfect, but with the skilled direction of Bryan Singer and solid performances by leads Brad Renfro and Ian McKellen, it generally accomplishes what it sets out to do.

You don't have to be a horror person or a teenager at a late night party to enjoy APT PUPIL. The film has a unique appeal beyond what its target audience may have been. If you missed it when it was released in 1998 (as many did, based on its limited commercial success), it's certainly worth a look.