A Life Less Ordinary (1997)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Danny Boyle

Writer:

John Hodge (written by)

Release Date:

24 October 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Comedy | Crime | Fantasy

Tagline:

A comedy for anyone who's ever been in danger...of falling in love.

Plot:

Ewan McGregor stars as a cleaning man in L.A. who takes his boss's daughter hostage after being fired and replaced by a robot...

Plot Keywords:

Angel | Cleaning Man | Hostage | Cult Favorite | Wealth

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Ewan McGregor	...	Robert Lewis
Cameron Diaz	...	Celine Naville
Holly Hunter	...	O'Reilly
Delroy Lindo	...	Jackson
Dan Hedaya	...	Gabriel
Ian McNeice	...	Mayhew
Frank Kanig	...	Ted
Mel Winkler	...	Francis 'Frank' Naville
Stanley Tucci	...	Elliot Zweikel
Anne Cullimore Decker	...	Violet Eldred Gesteten
K.K. Dodds	...	Lily
Tony Shalhoub	...	Al
Christopher Gorham	...	Walt
Ian Holm	...	Naville
Maury Chaykin	...	Tod Johnson
Timothy Olyphant	...	Hiker
David Stifel	...	Felix
Robert Kellog	...	Karaoke Cowboy
Duane Stephens	...	Attendant
Jayceen Craven	...	Cashier Gas Station
Jan Hanks	...	Customer
Crystal Martinez	...	Bank Teller
Mary-Cristina Schaub	...	Bank Daughter
Kitty Brunson	...	Bank Teller
Judith Ivey	...	Celine's Mother
Chuck Gowdy	...	Client
Toni Lynn Byrd	...	Secretary

Directed by
Danny Boyle

Writing credits
John Hodge		(written by)

Produced by
Sophie Byrne	....	animation producer
Margaret Hilliard	....	line producer
Andrew Macdonald	....	producer

Original Music by
David Arnold

Cinematography by
Brian Tufano

Film Editing by
Masahiro Hirakubo

Casting by
Donna Isaacson

Production Design by
Kave Quinn

Art Direction by
Tracey Gallacher		(as Tracey Lang Gallacher)

Set Decoration by
Marcia Calosio

Costume Design by
Rachael Fleming

Makeup Department
Laurie Aiello	....	makeup artist
Toni Brown	....	assistant hair stylist
Jodi Gleave	....	assistant makeup artist
Diane Hammond	....	makeup artist: Mr. Lindo
Loretta James-Demasi	....	assistant makeup artist
Katherine James	....	makeup artist: Ms. Hunter
Katherine James	....	makeup supervisor
Anne Morgan	....	hair stylist: Ms. Diaz
Douglas J. White	....	special makeup effects
Valecia Sarmento	....	makeup assistant (uncredited)

Production Management
Leanne Amos	....	production manager: second unit Los Angeles
Alecia LaRue	....	production manager
Line Postmyr	....	production supervisor: Los Angeles second unit
Jill Robertson	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Matias Alvarez	....	first assistant director
Tia Ardran	....	second assistant director: Los Angeles
Lisa Campbell	....	first assistant director: Los Angeles
Miriam Footer	....	second assistant director (as Miriam Epstein)
Jeff Jensen	....	second unit director
Aleszandra Krecsko	....	second second assistant director: Los Angeles
Win Whittaker	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Steve Broussard	....	propmaker
Ray Burkhart	....	lead carpenter
Rick Chrisman	....	lead carpenter
Christopher Cleary	....	set dresser
Randy Cook	....	construction foreman
Manny Espinoza	....	greensman
Steven E. Eyrse	....	scenic foreman
Josie Fife	....	lead scenic painter
Darrin Fletcher	....	storyboard artist
Amy Fowler	....	art department assistant
Mark 'Digger' Green	....	assistant property master
Terry Haskell	....	property master
John M. Holliday	....	construction foreman
Jo Hughes	....	production designer: animation
Konnor Jenson	....	set dresser
Kimo Jones	....	construction coordinator
Brett H. Knowlton	....	set dresser
Julie Krueger	....	construction estimator
Eve Mavrakis	....	art department associate
Kevin Milburn	....	set dressing lead man
Gloria Murphy	....	assistant props
John Reneau	....	on-set dresser
Scott Ruley	....	set dresser
Miguel Sapochnik	....	storyboard artist: FrameStore
Ivan Saunders	....	set dresser
Linden Snyder	....	set designer
Marcelino Stumer	....	original paintings
Joe Ventress	....	on-set stand-by carpenter

Sound Department
Phillip Barrett	....	foley recordist (as Phil Barrett)
David Boulton	....	foley artist (as Dave Boulton)
Douglas Cameron	....	sound mixer
Joseph L. Garrard	....	boom operator
Paul Hamblin	....	sound mixer
Paul Hanks	....	foley artist
Graham Headicar	....	sound effects editor
Catherine Hodgson	....	sound effects editor
Eddie Jones	....	assistant sound mixer
Andy Kennedy	....	supervising sound editor
Jonathan Miller	....	adr editor

Special Effects by
Mike Crowley	....	supervising technician
Paul Kelly	....	mechanical effects: second unit London
Nicky O'Sullivan	....	special effects technician
B.J. Shelley	....	special effects assistant
Bob Shelley	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Avtar Bains	....	senior digital effects artist
Donald Campbell	....	digital effects artist
Philip Campbell	....	digital film scanner supervisor
Robert Duncan	....	senior digital effects artist (as Rob Duncan)
Libby Hazell	....	digital effects assistant
Drew Jones	....	digital effects producer
Arnon Manor	....	3D animator
Sarah Marchant	....	Inferno artist
Pedro Sabrosa	....	digital effects artist
Steve Tizzard	....	digital film scanning and recording
Timothy Webber	....	digital effects supervisor

Stunts
John Alden	....	stunts
Mickey Alzola	....	stunts
Frank L. Bare II	....	stunt rigger
Frank L. Bare II	....	stunts
Kelly Brown	....	stunts
Tony Brubaker	....	stunts
Stacy Courtney	....	stunt double: Holly Hunter
Allan Graf	....	stunts
Cort Hessler	....	stunts
Jeff Jensen	....	stunt coordinator
Hubie Kerns Jr.	....	stunts
Lance King	....	stunt driver
Lance King	....	stunts
Julius LeFlore	....	stunts
Gary Littlejohn	....	stunts
Scott Roland	....	stunt driver
Paul E. Short	....	stunts
Al Wyatt Jr.	....	stunts
Nancy Young	....	stunt double: Cameron Diaz

Camera and Electrical Department
Justin Andrews	....	pre-rigging electrician
Jon Archibald	....	key rigging grip
Kurtis Burr	....	assistant camera
Caroline Burton	....	camera loader
Caroline Burton	....	camera trainee
Don Cerrone	....	key grip
Scott Drinon	....	dolly grip
Mark Duffy	....	rigging best boy
John Fearn	....	camera car operator
Julie Fife	....	grip
Jerry Fitzgerald	....	gaffer: Los Angeles second unit
Christopher Gawel	....	grip
Paul Hauser	....	rigging best boy
Kelly Klindt	....	grip
Mark Laskowski	....	assistant camera
Patrick Lennon	....	best boy electric
Hal Lewis	....	video assist operator
Robert Lowe	....	electrician (as Rob Lowe)
Darren Michaels	....	still photographer
Gino Nix	....	key grip: Los Angeles second unit
Joseph Osborn	....	assistant camera: second unit
Joseph Osborn	....	camera operator: second unit
Robert 'Dobber' Price	....	second assistant camera
Chris Reddish	....	rigging gaffer
Patrick Reddish	....	gaffer
Bob Shipsey	....	director of photography: second unit
Bob Shipsey	....	first assistant camera
Gary Shlifer	....	underwater director of photography: Los Angeles second unit
Adam Smith	....	electrician
Gregory W. Smith	....	Steadicam operator
Joshua Staley	....	grip
Todd Taylor	....	best boy grip (as J. Todd Taylor)
Christine Vesterguard	....	director of photography: animation
Craig C. Wallace	....	electrician (as Craig Wallace)

Animation Department
Sophie Byrne	....	animation producer
Michael Mort	....	animation director (as Mike Mort)
Andrew Ruhemann	....	executive producer: animation

Casting Department
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting
Sarah Foxe	....	casting associate: Utah
Gail Goldberg	....	casting associate: Los Angeles
Christian Kaplan	....	casting associate: Los Angeles
Cate Praggastis	....	casting: Utah

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jennifer Hunt	....	costume supervisor
Elizabeth 'Lanny' Sikes	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Denton Brown	....	assistant editor
Anuree De Silva	....	assembly editor
John Heath	....	color timer
Clare St. John	....	post-production coordinator
Neil Williams	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Debra Mannis-Gardner	....	music coordinator
Tristin Norwell	....	music engineer
Randall Poster	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Scott Doleto	....	driver: grip
William 'Fleet' Eakland	....	transportation coordinator
James G. Holmes Jr.	....	picture car coordinator
Eric Solmonson	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Dannielle Aquino	....	production coordinator: Los Angeles second unit
Rick Bailey	....	security coordinator
Phillip Banks	....	stand-in: Delroy Lindo
Susan Dillon Beckett	....	assistant location manager
Jenifer Booth	....	post-production accountant
Sarah Clark	....	publicist
Robin L. Cohen	....	office production assistant
Anne Fletcher	....	assistant choreographer
Cheryl Fong	....	liaison: Los Angeles
Tyler W. Gaisford	....	office production assistant
Nancy Govednik	....	assistant accountant
Cheri Hall	....	production accountant
Alice Henty	....	production assistant: UK
Frederick P. Howard	....	set production assistant
Jerry Jaffe	....	location manager: second unit, Los Angeles
Krystine Karns	....	location assistant
Crit Killen	....	puppeteer: robots
Andrew Langton	....	location manager
Andrea McConnel	....	stand-in: Cameron Diaz
Lee Nowak	....	script supervisor
Richard T. Olson	....	set production assistant
Marino Pascal	....	location scout: Los Angeles second unit (as Marinos Paschaloudes)
Nick Sanders	....	craft service
Dana Scott	....	stand-in: Holly Hunter
Adam Shankman	....	choreographer
Andrea Slater	....	assistant to producer
Patty Smales	....	assistant production coordinator
Matt Springer	....	production assistant
Mike Steaheli	....	set medic (as Michael D. Staheli)
Mike Sudrow	....	weapons specialist
Judi Voye	....	production coordinator
Laurie Williams	....	accounting clerk
Carla Woodmansee	....	extras coordinator
Scott Wright	....	stand-in: Ewan McGregor

Production Companies

• Channel Four Films
• Figment Films
• Polygram Filmed Entertainment

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1997) (USA) (theatrical)
• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (1997) (UK) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1998) (Far East) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1998) (Japan) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (1998) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Egmont Film Distributors (1998) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Filmes Castello Lopes (1998) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• PolyGram Film Distribution (1997) (France) (theatrical)
• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Distribution (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (1998) (Germany) (theatrical)
• REP Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Sogepaq Distribución (1997) (Spain) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1997) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Odeon (Greece)
• V8 (2001) (Netherlands) (TV)

Special Effects

• Any Effects
• Framestore

Other Companies

• Aaargh Animation  animation
• Albert G. Ruben and Company  insurance services
• Boom  sound post-production
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Cine Image Film Opticals  titles and opticals
• Cineberti  dubbing theatre
• Clairmont Camera  camera systems
• Critters of the Cinema  animals
• Film Finance  completion guarantor
• Frankfurt, Garbus, Kurnit, Klein & Selz  legal services
• Grip Systems  grip equipment
• Home on the Range  catering
• London Records  soundtrack
• McDonald and Rutter  publicist
• Paskal Lighting  lighting equipment
• Passion Pictures  animation
• Redman Movies and Stories  condors and lifts
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Sapex Scripts  post-production scripts
• Sylvia Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting
• T.H.E. Tools  editing system

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:R (certificate #35216) | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Brazil:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:16 (w) | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:15 | Mexico:B | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

Ian Holm and Maury Chaykin also co-starred in The Sweet Hereafter (1997), in both movies they had only one scene together.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Robert is digging the grave, Jackson is talking to him, sitting on the ground with legs crossed. There is a cut to Jackson's back, and a few seconds later a front view shows him with legs out-stretched.

Quotes:

Celine: If word got around that I had been liberated for half a million dollars, I could never show my face in polite society again. Diamonds have no value except that which is placed upon them.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in One Step Beyond: The Making of 'Alien: Resurrection' (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

PEACE IN THE VALLEY

Nice little Fantasy

After the success of Trainspotting (1995), British filmmaking trio, Danny Boyle, John Hodge & Andrew MacDonald made A Life less Ordinary. The film could not be a more different departure from their previous effort. A Life less Ordinary is a wild and sweat natured romantic fantasy, concerning our hero Robert (Ewan McGregor) and spoiled rich girl Celine (Cameron Diaz) and the two angels (Hunter & Lindo) who are given the task of getting them to fall in love. Boyle uses many great cinematic techniques to make the film seem even more fantastic, and Hodges writing is some of the funniest in a long time. Sadly the film does go off the rails somewhat in the last twenty minutes, but it's still an extremely entertaining film, full of bizarre characters and images that makes it one of the most enjoyable two hours you could spend watching a film.

8/10