New Best Friend (2002)

Director:

Zoe Clarke-Williams

Writer (WGA):

Victoria Strouse (written by)

Release Date:

12 April 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

How far would you go to fit in?

Plot:

A North Carolina sheriff investigates the near-fatal drug overdose of an underachieving college girl, and uncovers many sordid details of her life before and during her descent into drugs and debauchery.

Plot Keywords:

Investigation | North Carolina | Drug Overdose | Sheriff | College

Cast

Mia Kirshner	...	Alicia Campbell
Meredith Monroe	...	Hadley Ashton
Dominique Swain	...	Sidney Barrett
Scott Bairstow	...	Trevor
Rachel True	...	Julianne Livingston
Taye Diggs	...	Sheriff Artie Bonner
Glynnis O'Connor	...	Connie Campbell
Joanna Canton	...	Sarah
Eric Michael Cole	...	Warren
Oliver Hudson	...	Josh
Dean James	...	Max
J. Michael Hunter	...	Charlie
Edmund Kearney	...	Dean (as Edmund J. Kearney)
Don Henderson Baker	...	Haas
Shawn Michelle Cosby	...	Joanie
Ralph Price	...	Eddie
Lynda Clark	...	Interviewer
Ben Epps	...	Dexter
Dale Frye	...	Trainer
Scott Miles	...	Bartender
Sandi Shackelford	...	Hadley's Doctor
Rhoda Griffis	...	Attending Nurse
Mark Jeffrey Miller	...	Orderly
Christopher Monroe Stokes	...	Dion (as Christopher Stokes)
Ed Grady	...	Alicia's Doctor
Michael Mattison	...	Bud
Cordelia G. McArtor	...	Sister Devore
Melissa Kuulei Stites	...	Townie Girl
Robert Pentz	...	ER Nurse
Melissa L. Bitto	...	Nurse
Marie C. Hooks	...	Nurse
Chad Brandon	...	Trevor's Friend
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rhonda Marie Alston	...	Party Goer (uncredited)
Jennifer A. Barnes	...	Student (uncredited)
Joe Cobb Jr.	...	Drunk Bar Patron (uncredited)
Tom Cooper	...	Desk Sergeant (uncredited)
Michael Stanton Kennedy	...	Mayor Elway (uncredited)
Gary Lane	...	Party Twin (uncredited)
Larry Lane	...	Party Twin (uncredited)
David F. Maxwell	...	Short Order Cook (uncredited)
Jamie Brooks McCullough	...	ER Staff (uncredited)

Directed by
Zoe Clarke-Williams

Writing credits (WGA)
Victoria Strouse		(written by)

Produced by
Tom Gorai	....	consulting producer
Frank Mancuso Jr.	....	producer
Vikki Williams	....	line producer

Original Music by
David A. Hughes
John Murphy

Cinematography by
Tom Priestley Jr.		(as Tom Priestley)

Film Editing by
Norman Buckley
Leo Trombetta

Casting by
Amanda Mackey Johnson
Cathy Sandrich

Production Design by
Burton Rencher

Art Direction by
Linwood Taylor

Set Decoration by
Valerie Fann

Costume Design by
Patsy Rainey		(as Patsy C. Rainey)

Makeup Department
Roy Bryson	....	key hair stylist
Kelly Jefferson	....	makeup artist (as Kelley Gore Jefferson)
Linda Kamp	....	key makeup artist
Pamela Priest	....	key hair stylist (as Pamela B. Priest)

Production Management
Perry Husman	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anthony Hemingway	....	second assistant director (as Anthony M. Hemingway)
Michael G. Jefferson	....	second second assistant director
Benjamin Rosenberg	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Peter Battistelli	....	construction coordinator (as Pete Battistelli)
Matt Fann	....	on-set dresser
Brian Avery Galligan	....	assistant property master
Kevin Hardison	....	lead set designer
Jake Ippolito	....	set dresser
David H. Jackson	....	propmaker gang boss (as David Jackson)
Doug Kelejian	....	set dresser (as Douglas Kelejian)
Stephanie Kern	....	stand-by painter (as Stephanie M. Kern)
Patrick King	....	set dresser
Ted J. Koch	....	property master
Carl A. Kojis	....	lead man (as Carl Kojis)
Joe Magid	....	art department coordinator (as Joseph Magid)
A.E. Stapleton	....	construction mill foreman (as Arthur 'Jeep' Stapleton)
Robert Testerman	....	paint foreman (as Robert W. Testerman)
Abbie-Stuart Todd	....	buyer
J. Brad Watson	....	set dresser (as Brad Watson)
Ralph Woollaston	....	construction foreman (as Ralph A. Woollaston)
Richard Forest Kern	....	propmaker (uncredited)
Christopher Kuder	....	propmaker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Joe Barnett	....	sound re-recording mixer
Javier Bennassar	....	sound effects editor
Joe Bosco	....	adr recordist
C. Douglas Cameron	....	boom operator
Jed M. Dodge	....	dialogue editor
Matt Dubin	....	digital transfer engineer
David Lee Fein	....	foley artist
Marc Fishman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alan Freedman	....	adr mixer
Robert Getty	....	assistant sound editor
David Grant	....	dialogue editor
Chato Hill	....	assistant sound editor
Thomas Jones	....	dialogue editor
Craig Jurkiewicz	....	foley editor
Michael Kamper	....	sound effects editor
Diane Marshall	....	foley artist (as S. Diane Marshall)
Michael Mullane	....	sound effects editor
Tony Nitti	....	stereo sound consultant: SDDS
Vince Perry	....	digital transfer engineer (as Vincent Perry)
Michael Rayle	....	cable
John Ross	....	sound re-recording mixer
Carl Rudisill	....	production sound mixer
Susan Shin	....	adr supervisor
Dean St. John	....	adr mixer
Lucy Sustar	....	foley mixer
Mathew Waters	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mathew Waters	....	supervising sound editor
Michael Hertlein	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)
Derek Marcil	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Michael Schorr	....	special effects coordinator

Stunts
John Copeman	....	stunt rigger
Dean Mumford	....	stunt coordinator
Jodi Michelle Pynn	....	stunts
Dino Muccio	....	stunt rigger (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Sonia Bland	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Jim Bridges	....	still photographer (as James Bridges)
Lynn Dodson	....	chief lighting technician (as Lynn 'LD' Dodson)
Frank Godwin	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Mark Graves	....	assistant chief lighting technician (as Mark D. Graves)
Robert Hoelen	....	best boy rigging grip
Jeff 'Moose' Howery	....	second company grip (as Jeffrey B. 'Moose' Howery)
Malcolm MacIntosh	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Mark C. McManus	....	video assist operator (as Mark McManus)
Jeff Moore	....	camera operator
Andrew Priestley	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Darrell B. Sheldon	....	dolly grip
Dave Spencer	....	grip
Tommy Ray Sullivan	....	assistant rigging lighting technician (as Tommy Sullivan)
John R. Sutton	....	key rigging grip (as John Sutton)
Stephen Thompson	....	key rigging lighting technician (as Steve Thompson)
Bo Webb	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Dennis Zoppe	....	key grip (as Dennis S. Zoppe)
Simon Carey	....	electrician (uncredited)
Tom Dean	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Shannon DeAntonio	....	extras casting
Mercedes Kelso	....	casting associate: New York (as Mercedes Danforth)
Elizabeth Lang	....	casting associate: Los Angeles (as Elizabeth Lang Fedrick)
Robin Carlan	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)
Maxann Crotts	....	additional extras casting (uncredited)
Craig Fincannon	....	casting: location (uncredited)
Karen Meisels	....	casting associate (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Julian J. Filiberti	....	costume supervisor
Yvonne R. Fraser	....	costumer (as Yvonne Fraser)
Thomas Halligan	....	key costumer
Natalie Nye	....	seamstress
Fatemeh 'Fati' Parsia	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Jerry Callaghan	....	digital film recordist
David Jaeckin	....	color timer
Jeff McEvoy	....	first assistant editor
Matthew Ramsey	....	additional first assistant editor
Richard Russel	....	on-line editor
Michael Schlitt	....	digital film recordist
Kevin Shaw	....	colorist: final correction
Les Vary	....	digital film recordist

Music Department
Michael Baber	....	music editor
Richard Ford	....	music editor
Julianne Jordan	....	music supervisor
Jennifer V. Whiting	....	music legal
Matt Dunkley	....	music arranger: song (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Tom Moore	....	transportation captain (as Thomas B. Moore)
Shane Summers	....	transportation coordinator
Robert Van Apeldoorn	....	transportation
Frank Benettieri Jr.	....	driver (uncredited)
Donald Binder	....	driver (uncredited)
Edwin Bowden Jr.	....	driver (uncredited)
Brett Leslie	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Clyde D. Baisey	....	first aid (as Clyde Baisey)
Jane Beck	....	assistant accountant (as Jane V. Beck)
Frank Bluestein	....	consultant
Rose Cox	....	craft service
Brenda Dalrymple	....	clearance coordinator (as Brenda W. Dalrymple)
Dilsey Davis	....	stand-in (as Dilsey M. Davis)
Jason Davis	....	production assistant
Craig Edwards	....	production assistant
Lettyann Felts	....	assistant: Mr. Williams
Kat Fowler	....	production assistant
Barbara Efthymiou Harris	....	production assistant
Alan A. Hart	....	technical advisor
Michael Hoffman	....	production assistant
Lisa Jakuowski	....	stand-in
Tracy L. Kettler	....	production coordinator (as T.L. Kettler)
Casey Leming	....	electronic titles (as Casey Lemming)
Betty H. Matejka	....	assistant: Ms. Clarke-Williams
Robert McInnis	....	creative consultant: main titles
Mandy Moore	....	stand-in
Mary Beth Moore	....	assistant: Mr. Mancuso Jr.
Susan Morris-Bean	....	assistant production coordinator
Doug Nicely	....	location manager
Leo O'Sullivan	....	production assistant
Rudy A. Persico	....	key set production assistant (as Rudy Persico)
Kathy Rayle	....	production secretary (as Kathy Parthemos)
Steve Rhea	....	location manager: Charleston
Sally L. Robison	....	first aid
Cornelia 'Nini' Rogan	....	script supervisor
Ron Servicky	....	assistant location manager
Kelley Sims	....	first assistant accountant (as Kelley R. Sims)
Andrew D. Stocker	....	assistant accountant (as Andrew Stocker)
Jenni Villegas	....	executive assistant: Mr. Mancuso Jr.
Anne Wilson	....	accountant
Robert Wratten	....	production assistant
Bryan Yaconelli	....	assistant accountant
Hoyt Hamlin	....	photo double: Bartender (uncredited)
Jack Munn	....	medic (uncredited)
Leo O'Sullivan	....	film runner (uncredited)

Production Companies

• FGM Entertainment

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2002) (Argentina) (all media)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (Germany) (video)
• LK-TEL (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2002) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (USA)
• Sony Pictures Video
• TriStar Pictures

Other Companies

• B/G/L Post Inc.  end credits
• Digital Sound and Picture  sound post-production re-recording
• Fincannon & Associates  location casting
• Lightnin' Production Rentals  transportation equipment
• Modern VideoFilm  high-definition post-production services
• Patricia Story & Company  publicity
• Post Group, The  hi-definition telecine
• Sony Pictures High Definition Center  digital film recording

Also Known As:

"Best Friend" - Japan (English title) (video title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, language and drug use

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:MA | Germany:16 | Spain:18 | UK:15 | USA:R | Argentina:16 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Company:

FGM Entertainment

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Sydney and Alicia are talking on the bed, one of Alicia's lines doesn't match her lip movements.

Quotes:

Hadley Ashton:I'm warning you, back off Trevor or you'll be sorry!
Alicia Campbell:[sarcastic tone] Ooooo, I'm shaking.

Soundtrack:

Passing Me By

A hoot

This is the story of the investigation of a drug overdose by a college senior, played by Mia Kirshner. Did her "friends" from an exclusive rich girl sorority have anything to do with her untimely OD? Unfortunately, Alicia can't help explain things because she's in a near-death coma for the entire movie, so the story is told in flashback.

Kirshner's character came from the wrong side of the tracks, so she would ordinarily have no business associating with the well-to-do sorority girls played by Meredith Monroe, Dominique Swain and Rachel True (looking much like the "Clueless" trio updated to college age). But a chance sociology assignment throws her in with the rich set, and the less fortunate girl spends much of her time fretting about financial aid to pay for law school.

The cause of drug overdose is the central mystery. Was Kirshner's character not the "innocent, goody-goody" poor girl that she was made out to be, and did she bring this fate upon herself? Or did the rich girls have it out for this supposed "friend" but rapid rival (for both boys' and girls' attention), and did they push her into the dangerous situation? The audience may come to feel that it is a combination of both factors that led to accident -- or was it a crime?

I know that this movie is not being well-received by critics, but I think that's because the reviewers are taking it much too seriously. (The movie takes itself a little seriously as well, but that doesn't mean that you have to.) Think "Wild Things" with less intentional humor -- the laughs in "New Best Friend" do not seem to be intended by the director/writer. I would especially recommend it for boys or girls under 17 -- sneak into the theater if you have to; it could become a cult classic by the time you reach college....