Once in the Life (2000)

Director:

Laurence Fishburne

Writers:

Laurence Fishburne (play)
Laurence Fishburne (screenplay)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

You're either in, or you're gone.

Plot:

Once in the life (of drug dealing and organized crime), can anyone get out? During a brief jail stay...

Plot Keywords:

Half Brother | Mother Daughter Relationship | Hotel Room | Foot Pursuit | Arrest

Cast

Eamonn Walker	...	Tony
Gregory Hines	...	Ruffhouse
Michael Paul Chan	...	Buddha
Dominic Chianese Jr.	...	Freddie Nine Lives
Tiger Hu Chen	...	Chino (as Tiger Chen)
Paul Calderon	...	Manny Rivera
Andres Titus	...	Hector (as Andres 'Dres' Titus)
Titus Welliver	...	Torch
Laurence Fishburne	...	20 / 20 Mike
Harsh Nayyar	...	Cab Driver
Sue Costello	...	Sgt. Kneeley
Nick Chinlund	...	Mike Murphy
Timothy W. White	...	Little Billy (as Tim White)
Wanda De Jesus	...	Jackie
Justin Pierre Edmund	...	Little Mikey
Jim Breuer	...	Pizzaman
Annabella Sciorra	...	Maxine
Huey Morgan	...	Carlos
Madison Riley	...	Precious
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alan Francis	...	Strip Club Patron (uncredited)
Eric Van Alstyne	...	Plainsclothes Cop (uncredited)

Directed by
Laurence Fishburne

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Laurence Fishburne		play "Riff Raff"
Laurence Fishburne		screenplay

Produced by
Keith Abell	....	associate producer
Ray Angelic	....	line producer
David L. Bushell	....	producer (as David Bushell)
Steve Carlis	....	executive producer
Donald C. Carter	....	executive producer
The DaPuzzo Family	....	associate producer
Peter T. DaPuzzo	....	associate producer
Joseph J. DiMartino	....	associate producer
Laurence Fishburne	....	producer
C.J. Follini	....	co-producer
Larry Meistrich	....	executive producer
Helen Sugland	....	producer

Original Music by
Branford Marsalis

Cinematography by
Richard Turner		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Bill Pankow

Casting by
Bonnie Timmermann

Production Design by
Charley Beal

Art Direction by
Diann Duthie

Set Decoration by
Paul Cheponis
Jordan West

Costume Design by
Darryle Johnson

Makeup Department
Evelyne Noraz	....	additional makeup artist
Deborah Taylor	....	key makeup artist
Kenneth Walker	....	key hair stylist (as Ken Walker)
Taurance F. Williams	....	additional hair stylist (as Taurance Williams)

Production Management
Jamey Pryde	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Paul Clark	....	first assistant director
Pilar Savone	....	second assistant director
Peter Thorell	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Bob Arietta	....	scenic painter
Alison Benson	....	shop assistant
Pamela Berkeley	....	camera scenic artist
James Bokor Sr.	....	construction grip
Keith Bokor	....	construction grip
Chris DesMarais	....	property master
Bruce Eric Dunkins	....	art department assistant
Gail Fuller	....	camera scenic artist
Marcial Garlitos	....	shop craftsman
Kenneth Hammer	....	construction coordinator (as Ken Hammer)
Robert Keller	....	shop craftsman
John Krause	....	construction grip
Frank Love	....	shop craftsman
Michael Murphy	....	leadman
Janine Pesce	....	assistant property master
Mark Sexton	....	storyboard artist
Rodney Sterbenz	....	on-set dresser
Peter Vietro-Hannum	....	construction grip (as Peter Vietro-Hanun)

Sound Department
Thomas Brandau	....	sound mixer (as Tom Brandau)
David Briggs	....	assistant sound editor
Nancy Cabrera	....	foley artist
Eric A. Christoffersen	....	consultant: dolby sound
Mik Cribben	....	boom operator
Patrick Dundas	....	foley recordist
Harriet Fidlow	....	adr editor
Matthew Fleece	....	adr engineer (as Matt Fleece)
Brian Langman	....	foley editor
Marc Laub	....	dialogue editor
Terrance Laudermilch	....	sound recordist (as terence Laudermilch)
Hal Levinsohn	....	adr editor
Nadine Finzi Maybruck	....	assistant sound editor
Eric McAllister	....	assistant sound editor
Branka Mrkic	....	adr editor
David Novack	....	adr engineer
Patricia Nuñez	....	assistant sound editor (as Patricia Nunez)
Giancarlo Petroni	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jacob Ribicoff	....	dialogue editor
Ahmad Shirazi	....	supervising sound editor
Michael Shore	....	dialogue editor
Stuart Stanley	....	supervising sound editor
Peter Waggoner	....	sound re-recording mixer
Amy Waldron	....	assistant sound editor

Stunts
Brian Smyj	....	stunt coordinator
Jalil Jay Lynch	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jared Abrams	....	camera loader
Rico Omega Alston	....	video assist operator (as Rico Aston)
Alan Blagg	....	grip
Hugo Bonilla	....	grip
Dave Bryant	....	dolly grip
Leroy Chen	....	camera loader
Angelo Cicero	....	electrician
Stephen Consentino	....	Steadicam operator: Washington D.C. (as Steve Consentino)
Sean P. Crawford	....	camera intern
Chris Drechsler	....	electrician (as Chris Dreschler)
Jason Elfe	....	grip
George Harrington	....	best boy electric
Pedro Hernández	....	key grip (as Pedro Hernandez)
Sarosh Hussain	....	second assistant camera (as Sarosh Hussein)
Gary Kahan	....	electrician
James Keady	....	electrician
Dan Kinsley	....	electrician
Francis Leach	....	best boy grip
Bill LeClair	....	grip
Deborah Lipman	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Serge Mihajlov	....	shop electrician (as Sergei Mihajlov)
Gene Page	....	still photographer
Darren Ryan	....	24 frame video operator
Abe Schrager	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Donald W. Schreck	....	gaffer
Jonas Steadman	....	first assistant camera: a
Hector Toledo	....	grip
David S. Tuttman	....	camera operator: "b" camera (as David Tuttman)
Edward Williams	....	grip
Aurelia Winborn	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera

Casting Department
Karen E. Etcoff	....	extras casting
Liz Giles	....	casting intern
Stephen Vincent	....	casting assistant (as Steve Vincent)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
John Corbo	....	assistant wardrobe supervisor
Deidra E. Govan	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Deirdra Govan)
Asiel Kneeland	....	wardrobe intern
Kim Wilcox	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Elwaldo Baptiste	....	post-production intern
Patricia Bowers	....	assistant editor
Nick Dibeneditto	....	negative cutter (as Nick Di Beneditto)
Fred Heid	....	color timer
Christopher Kenneally	....	post-production coordinator
Joe Violante	....	dailies advisor
Byron Wong	....	apprentice editor
Paul Leonardo Jr.	....	post-production coordinator (uncredited)
Andrew Weisblum	....	assistant film editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Rocky Bryant	....	musician: drums
Joey Calderazzo	....	musician: piano
Phil Carson	....	executive in charge of music: TSR Records
Barry Cole	....	music supervisor
Christopher Covert	....	music supervisor
Dave Fiuczynski	....	musician: guitar
James Flatto	....	music editor (as Jim Flatto)
Rob Hunter	....	score recording engineer
Branford Marsalis	....	conductor
Branford Marsalis	....	music programmer
Branford Marsalis	....	musician: soprano saxophone
Branford Marsalis	....	orchestrator
Gillian Morris	....	assistant music supervisor
Eric Reevis	....	musician: bass

Transportation Department
William Beggi	....	driver
Thomas Cassella	....	driver
James Charleston	....	driver
Thomas Claffey	....	driver
John Collins	....	driver
Michael Cusik	....	driver (as Michael Cusick)
Peter DiDomenico	....	driver (as Peter DiDomencio)
William Dosch	....	driver
George Holtzer	....	driver
Michael Kennedy	....	driver
Elias Langguth	....	driver
Larry 'Reg Dunlop' McGee	....	transportation co-captain
Brett Michael	....	driver
Timothy P. Slevin	....	driver (as Timothy Slevin)
Kenneth Swanson	....	driver
Billy Weissler	....	driver
Tom Weissler	....	transportation captain (as Tommy Weissler)

Other crew
J. Alberto	....	adr loop group
James Block	....	post-production accountant: East Coast Post
Eva Z. Cabrera	....	script supervisor
Jose M. Cabrera	....	key set production assistant
Rafael Cabrera	....	adr loop group
Blanca Camacho	....	adr loop group
Jamie Cohen	....	product placement and clearances: Gun For Hire Resources
Gilbert Cruz	....	adr loop group
Lisa Diamond	....	post-production accountant: East Coast Post
Brian Dorsey	....	craft service
Erika Elizondo	....	set production assistant: second unit
Gary B. Encarnacion	....	set production assistant: second unit
Marjorie Ergas	....	production secretary
Gennadiy Feldman	....	set production assistant
Lemuel Fishburne	....	set production assistant
Lateefah Fleming	....	assistant: Mr. Sugland, New York
Rachel Fox	....	legal services
David 'Skip' Glew	....	set production assistant
Craig Anthony Grant	....	stand-in
Susan Hartmann	....	assistant: Mr. Bushell
Mark Anthony Henry	....	adr loop group
Sandra Hodge	....	assistant: Mr. Fishburne
Charlynne J. Hopson	....	assistant location manager (as Charlynne Hopson)
Jon M. Johnson	....	parking coordinator (as Jon Johnson)
Audrey Kendrick	....	assistant: Mr. Sugland, Los Angeles
David Kramer	....	adr loop group coordinator
David H. Kramer	....	adr loop group
Christine LaMonte	....	unit publicist: Rogers & Cowan
Peter Leitner	....	stand-in
Patrick Lievano	....	location assistant
Kim Ann Mahoney	....	additional location assistant (as Kim Mahoney)
Alan Nierob	....	unit publicist: Rogers & Cowan
Robert Ortiz	....	production coordinator (as Rob Ortiz)
'Lee' George Quinones	....	title designer (as Lee Quinones)
Santiago Quinones	....	location manager
Sandy Rice	....	unit publicist: Rogers & Cowan
Che Roacher	....	office production assistant (as Ché Roacher)
Phil Rodowsky	....	dialogue: continuity and spotting script: On-Core Productions
Todd Rodowsky	....	dialogue: continuity and spotting script: On-Core Productions
Christopher I. Russell	....	production auditor
Mark Silver	....	unit publicist: Rogers & Cowan
Jae Stein-Grainger	....	assistant production auditor
Darren Toon	....	set production assistant
Nichelle 'Nikki' Walker	....	office production assistant
Joseph Keideth	....	security: Mr. Fishburne (uncredited)

Thanks
Roscoe Lee Browne	....	thanks
Austin Pendleton	....	thanks
Lynne Thigpen	....	thanks (as Lynn Thigpen)

Production Companies

• Cinema Gypsy Productions
• Shooting Gallery

Distributors

• Lions Gate Films
• VCL Communications

Special Effects

• Effects House, The (titles and opticals)

Other Companies

• Axium/Avalon Entertainment Services  production payroll (as Axium Entertainment Services)
• Bennett Pozil  credit facility arranged by
• Cecil B. DeMeals  catering (as Cecil B. DeMeals)
• Directors' Catering  catering (as Director's Cateres)
• East Coast Post  post-production accountants
• East Coast Post  post-production services
• Eastman Kodak  film stock
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Great Northern Brokerage Services  production insurance provided by (as Great Northern Brokerage Services)
• Gun for Hire Films  production services provided by (as Gun For Hire Production Center)
• Gun for Hire Resources  product placement and clearances
• Imperial Bank  credit facility arranged by
• Morgan Rector  credit facility arranged by
• N&D Film and Video  negative cutting
• Natexis Banque  credit facility arranged by
• On-Core Productions  dialogue: continuity and spotting script
• Panavision  camera
• Paris Productions  grip and electric equipment
• Republic Bank  production bank
• Rogers & Cowan  unit publicist
• S.I.S.S.  security: Laurence Fishburne
• Sound One Corporation  sound recording (as Sound One Corp.)
• Technicolor  color

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive languge, strong violence and some drug content

Runtime:

107 min | Germany:104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:16 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Cinema Gypsy Productions

Engaging character study of losers

ONCE IN THE LIFE (2000) **1/2 Laurence Fishburne, Titus Welliver, Eamonn Walker, Annabella Sciorra, Paul Calderon, Gregory Hines, Michael Paul Chan, Dominic Chianese, Jr., Tiger Chen, Sue Costello, Jim Breuer. Fishburne makes his big-screen directorial debut adapting his play 'Riff Raff' about two half-brother, petty criminal siblings (Welliver is memorable as the ne'er do well junkie with a short fuse) who meet unlikely after many years and after botching an improvised crime together sit and wait things out in a crack house recalling their pasts with Fishburne's former cell mate Walker who is equally in deep water.

Great acting and claustrophobic settings only mar in this rather stagy and staid film in an otherwise engaging character study of losers.