The Basket (1999)

Director:

Rich Cowan

Writers:

Don Caron (screenplay) &
Rich Cowan (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

5 May 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A picturesque Pacific Northwest community raising its wheat and children in the midst of a nation reeling...

Plot Keywords:

German Immigrant | Two Word Title | Moral Dilemma | Opera | Basketball

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Peter Coyote	...	Martin Conlon
Karen Allen	...	Bessie Emery
Robert Burke	...	Helmut Brink (as Robert Karl Burke)
Amber Willenborg	...	Brigitta Brink
Jock MacDonald	...	Nicholas Emery
Eric Dane	...	Tom Emery
Brian Skala	...	Nathan Emery
Casey Cowan	...	Samuel Emery
Tony Lincoln	...	Reverend Simms
Patrick Treadway	...	Frederick Treadway
Ellen Travolta	...	Agnes
Jack Bannon	...	Marcus
Elwon Bakly	...	Ben Emery
Joey Travolta	...	Charlie Cohn
Paul Hostetler	...	Old Helmut Brink
Kelly B. Eviston	...	Nancy Danielson
Cole Gamble	...	Erik Danielson
Jeff Waggoner	...	George Haines
Michael Van Gelder	...	Lewis Tinsley
MacKenzie Koppa	...	Katie Danielson
Heidi Nelson	...	Sara Barnes
Jamie Flanery	...	David Tinsley
John Rustan	...	George Ranson
Michael Ferguson	...	Daniel Haines
Ron Varela	...	Mel Hester
Sara Edlin	...	Immigraton Officer
Gordon Grove	...	Referee
Rick Burkhart	...	Spokane Basketball Player #1
Scott McQuilken	...	Spokane Basketball Player #2
Jess Walter	...	Spokane Basketball Player #3
Bryan Smelcer	...	Spokane Basketball Player #4
Jason Pullian	...	Spokane Basketball Player #5
Terry Sticka	...	Kal Brink
Mark Forman	...	Bartender
Tami Grady	...	Mrs. Haines
Lindsey Kiehn	...	Sara Barnes
Jerry Fleming	...	American Soldier #1
Tim Sanger	...	American Soldier #2
Cecil Ellsworth	...	Janitor
Stan Calder	...	Train Conductor
Henry Swobada	...	Basketball Timekeeper
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Doyle McCurley	...	Soldier
Steven Smith	...	Dr. Naismith

Directed by
Rich Cowan

Writing credits
Don Caron		(screenplay) &
Rich Cowan		(screenplay) &
Frank Swoboda		(screenplay) &
Tessa Swoboda		(screenplay)

Produced by
George Cowan	....	associate producer
Rich Cowan	....	producer
Marc Dahlstrom	....	executive producer
Dave Holcomb	....	executive producer
Ian Kennedy	....	associate producer
Greg Rathvon	....	executive producer
Frank Swoboda	....	associate producer
Dave Tanner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Don Caron

Cinematography by
Dan Heigh

Film Editing by
Rich Cowan

Casting by
Michael Greer
Robin Nassif

Production Design by
Vincent DeFelice

Art Direction by
Vincent DeFelice

Set Decoration by
Jana Treadwell

Costume Design by
Nanette M. Acosta

Makeup Department
Brooke Bartelle	....	hair stylist
Cara Conlon	....	assistant makeup artist
John Cooper	....	hair stylist
Candace Dahlstrom	....	assistant makeup artist
Julie Farley	....	key makeup artist
Patty Heigh	....	assistant makeup artist
Trista Jordan	....	makeup artist
Patti Miller	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ian Kennedy	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marc Dahlstrom	....	first assistant director
Forrest Satchell	....	assistant director
Amanda Steen	....	second second assistant director
Frank Swoboda	....	second unit director

Art Department
Vincent DeFelice	....	property master
Barry Donaldson	....	property manager
Diane Eve	....	graphic artist
Joel Finch	....	constructor
Tami Grady	....	graphic artist
Greg Turner	....	construction foreman

Sound Department
Vincent DeFelice	....	foley artist
Nigel Elliot	....	sound mixer
Nigel Elliot	....	sound recordist
Jeff Gratz	....	temp sound mixer
Greg Mills	....	foley artist
Tom Taylor	....	boom operator
Chris White	....	post-production sound supervisor
Chris White	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Richard Cole	....	special effects
Jay Combs	....	special effects (as J. Combs)
Bud McFaddin	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Fred Pack	....	opticals
Daro Walker	....	digital effects

Stunts
Mark De Alessandro	....	stunts
Ron Otis	....	stunt coordinator
Ron Otis	....	stunts
Rob Sanchez	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Edward Bosworth	....	electrician
Douglas Cheney	....	second assistant camera
Brian Cox	....	gaffer
Tim Cunningham	....	key grip
Pat Devereaux	....	grip
Richard Heinzen	....	still photographer
Debra Hoff	....	dolly grip
Eric Jennings	....	first assistant camera
Lance Odell	....	best boy electric
Kim Whaley	....	camera loader
T.J. Williams	....	Steadicam operator
T.J. Williams	....	crane operator

Casting Department
Juronda Ralston	....	additional casting
Richard Salvatore	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Christine Kelly	....	assistant costumer: Los Angeles
Amy Kudo	....	wardrobe intern
Kate Ogle	....	costume assistant
Nicole Sicilia	....	costume assistant
Colleen Stupp	....	wardrobe intern

Editorial Department
Stuart Baker	....	negative cutter
Bruce Bolden	....	film colorist
John Hendrickson	....	negative cutter
Stephen Les	....	negative cutter (as Steve Les)
Bill Scott	....	color timer
Eric Swearengin	....	negative cutter
Marie Whalen	....	editorial assistant
Will Wuorinen	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Matyas Antal	....	conductor
Dave Earnest	....	orchestrator (as David Earnest)
Roger Logan	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Dan Fisher	....	transportation coordinator
Bart Heimburger	....	transportation co-captain
Doyle McCurley	....	driver: cast
Joe Soleberg	....	transportation captain (as Joe Solberg)
Bruce Tweedy	....	picture vehicle

Other crew
Merry Boeck	....	animal trainer
George Cowan	....	location manager
Vincent DeFelice	....	additional location manager
Catrina Gregory	....	script consultant
Paula Hunziker	....	script supervisor (as Paula Dussman)
Carol Many	....	animal trainer
Dean Martinson	....	title designer
Ken Olfert	....	dialect coach
Kristi Perham	....	craft service
Kristi Perham	....	set medic
Juronda Ralston	....	production coordinator
Greg Rathvon	....	accountant
David Steen	....	production assistant
Steve Updike	....	production assistant
Marie Whalen	....	dialect coach
Marie Whalen	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• North by Northwest Entertainment
• Privileged Communication

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Privileged Communications (2000) (USA)

Special Effects

• North by Northwest Productions

Other Companies

• Alpha Cine Service  film lab
• Andy Pratt's Negative Cutting  negative cutting
• Titleworks  titles

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for some mild violence and brief language

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color | Color (Alphacine)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

USA:PG | Germany:6

Filming Locations:

Garfield, Washington, USA

Company:

North by Northwest Entertainment

Trivia:

The music for the opera Der Korb used in the film was composed by co-writer/composer Don Caron of Spokan who mentions in the featurette "Behind the Basket: Composing" that as the screenplay was developed, a story for the opera was also developed. He started composing some of the music during the three year process of writing the script, but the bulk of the music was composed in the six weeks after the movie was posted. The record booklet shown in the film at 16:06 shows the composer as Gottlieb Mueller, possibly taken from Christian Gottlieb Müller, the first music composition teacher of Richard Wagner.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When we see the envelope Mr. Conlon is mailing (04:38), it shows the 2-letter state abbreviations for Washington and Massachusetts. These weren't adopted until 1963, when zip codes were introduced. More likely, the abbreviations would have been Wash. and Mass.

Quotes:

[last lines]
[quoted from a German opera retold during the story]
Martin Conlon:Together we shall fly.

Soundtrack:

Der Korb

History, conflict, opera and basketball, who would have thought....

If the combination of war, history, opera and basketball sounds to you like an unlikely topic for a movie, you'd probably be in the majority. But I can safely say this movie that will surely evoke a response. THE BASKET is a haunting story of what we were like in a simpler time and how some things like prejudice just don't seem to change. It is a movie you can take your mother and grandmother to without fear, they'll love you for taking them on a journey back to their youth. The attention paid to detail is amazing.

The music is superb, the lady who sings the title song has a marvelous voice and the aria will stay in your minds ear. I'm looking forward to getting the audio track. A thoroughly enjoyable experience, congratulations to those involved in this independent project. More!

Lynn