Julien Donkey-Boy (1999)

Writers:

(more)

Release Date:

13 September 2000 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A portrait of the effects of schizophrenia on family life is the central focus.

Plot Keywords:

Schizophrenic | Dog | Teeth | Childbirth | Gas Mask

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Ewen Bremner	...	Julien
Brian Fisk	...	Pond Boy
Chloë Sevigny	...	Pearl (as Chloe Sevigny)
Werner Herzog	...	Father
Joyce Korine	...	Grandma
Evan Neumann	...	Chris
Miriam Martínez	...	Teenage Girl (as Miriam Martinez)
Edgar Erikkson	...	Bearded Man
James Moix	...	Dancing Man
Victor Varnado	...	Rapper
Oliver A. Bueno	...	Bowler
Roger Harris	...	Bowler
Josseph Padilla	...	Bowler
Olivia Pérez	...	Bowler (as Olivia Perez)
Freddie Perez	...	Bowler
Carmelo Rodriguez	...	Bowler
Chrissy Kobylak	...	Chrissy
Carmel Gayle	...	Clothing Store Cashier
Herman Reimmer	...	Man in Clothing Store
Virginia Reath	...	Gynecologist
Mary O'Hara	...	Nun
Alvin Law	...	Card-Playing Neighbor
Donna Smith	...	Dancing Woman
Gary Bergman	...	Piano Player
Tom Mullica	...	Magician
Johnie Mae Allen	...	Partygoer (as Johnny Mae Allen)
Timothy Allen	...	Partygoer
George Ashiotis	...	Partygoer
Benjamin Butler	...	Partygoer
Joneiry Delarosa	...	Partygoer
Eternal Divine	...	Partygoer
Edery Herrera	...	Partygoer
Ruby Rodriguez	...	Partygoer
Xenophon A. Theophall	...	Partygoer
Archie MacGregor	...	Amnesiac Patient
Jeanmarie Evans	...	Amnesiac Patient
Ricky Ashley	...	Hasidic Boy
Courtney DeBlis	...	Skater
Marybeth Grunstra	...	Skater
Heidi Vanderhoof	...	Skater
Hy Richards	...	Doctor
Barry Wernick	...	Doctor
Clinton Wright	...	Doctor
Carmela García	...	Nurse
Punky	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Will Oldham	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Harmony Korine		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Harmony Korine		uncredited

Produced by
Jim Czarnecki	....	line producer
Scott Macaulay	....	producer
Robin O'Hara	....	producer
Cary Woods	....	producer

Cinematography by
Anthony Dod Mantle

Film Editing by
Valdís Óskarsdóttir		(as Valdis Oskarsdottir)

Casting by
Kerry Barden
Lori Eastside
Billy Hopkins
Suzanne Smith

Production Management
Carrie Fix	....	production manager
Jill Goldstein	....	technical production manager

Art Department
Stephen Beatrice	....	set coordinator

Sound Department
Tom Efinger	....	sound conform
Tom Efinger	....	sound re-recording mixer
Brian Miksis	....	sound
Michael Primmer	....	boom operator
Aaron J. Rudelson	....	boom operator

Stunts
Manny Siverio	....	stunt coordinator
Jeff Ward	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Alejandro Castillo	....	additional camera operator
Henry Corra	....	additional camera operator
Michael Ginsburg	....	still photographer
Thomas LeGoff	....	still photographer
Lisa Leone	....	still photographer
John Perez	....	additional camera operator
Richard Rutkowski	....	additional camera operator
Mitchell Wagenberg	....	supplier: cameras

Casting Department
Mark Bennett	....	casting associate

Editorial Department
Jeffrey Levy-Hinte	....	post-production advisor
Paul Zucker	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Tracy McKnight	....	music supervisor
David Pajo	....	musician (uncredited)

Other crew
Tevin Adelman	....	production assistant
Diane Bellino	....	assistant to director
Christine Brown	....	post-production office consultant
Jeff Brown	....	intern
Jeffrey A. Brown	....	intern
Kathy Ciric	....	location manager
Donna Daniels	....	publicist
Mark Deener	....	additional legal services
Jonas Drehn	....	on-line engineer
Jason Dungan	....	intern
Brian Enright	....	production assistant
Julie Farol	....	intern
Michelle Michael Graves	....	intern
Jason K. Grey	....	production assistant (as Jason Grey)
Elisa Haradon	....	intern (as Elisa Deutsch)
Michael Kuhn	....	key production assistant
Rosalind Lawton	....	legal consultant
Patrick Lindenmaier	....	tape-to-film supervisor (as Patrick Lindenmeyer)
Melissa Lintinger	....	production accountant
Paul Mantel	....	consultant
Andrea Martin	....	intern
Ross Miller	....	insurance
Frank Park	....	production assistant
Emily Pritchard	....	intern
May Redding	....	intern
John Reyburger	....	on-line engineer
Jason Rothenberg	....	production office coordinator
Steven Rubin	....	intern
Bear Schmidt	....	location coordinator (as Brian 'Bear' Schmidt)
Dan Seligman	....	production assistant
Howard Shapiro	....	additional legal services
Natasha C. Smith	....	intern
Michael Taylor	....	continuity
Thuy Tham	....	consultant
Neal Usatin	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• 391 Productions
• Forensic Films
• Independent Pictures (III)

Distributors

• Independent Pictures (III) (????) (USA) (theatrical)
• An Independent Pictures Release
• E.D. Distribution (France)
• Fine Line Features (USA)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Primer Plano Film Group (Argentina)
• Tohokushinsha Film

Other Companies

• Dig-It Audio  sound conforming
• Post 391  post-production services
• REI Media Group  titles and opticals
• Sound One Corporation  print master
• Swiss Effects  tape-to-film transfer
• Tape House  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

"Dogme # 6 - Julien Donkey-Boy" - USA (series title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexuality and disturbing images

Runtime:

94 min | 101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Canada:14A | France:U | UK:15 | USA:R | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Yonkers, New York, USA

Company:

391 Productions

Trivia:

In a number of scenes, including the one where Julien carries a dead fetus onto a public bus, Harmony Korine used hidden "spy cameras" in order to get genuine reactions from unsuspecting onlookers.

Quotes:

Father:Don't scream. I don't want you to scream. Be a man and quit that moody brooding.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert: Episode dated 16 October 1999" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Soft Ash

Twisted

As people see things, things see us. This extremely disturbing film about a man/boy with schizophrenia struggling through life with his twisted and mentally abusive dad, his sister who is pregnant with his baby, and his abused brother, is terrifyingly weird. With a film in which a boy is brutally smashed in the head with a stone and choked to death, a nun masturbates on the floor, and a armless man plays the drums, it is completely obvious that this film will only appeal to certain people. This film is freakish, but not in as good a way as GUMMO was. With all this being said, while the film was a hellish and emotional picture that is not for the mainstream(to say the least), I would never ever want to really see it again. This was just too much. It made me feel unclean in a way much deeper tan GUMMO. I felt my mind was permanently warped. I never want to even think about this film ever again. Thinking about it makes me feel nauseous. The images and the characters and the actions of them have gotten to me and Of course, this was probably Harmony Korine's intention. Many viewers won't feel the images they are seeing are necessary to for the to see. It is kind of a freak show in a way. It isn't so much the content that is bad. There are many events in the film that just feel wrong. Take for instance the scene where Julien attempts to sell skating shoes he made. He attempts to sell them to a boy who does not listen to what he has to say about his purportedly useless invention and instead swears and yells at him, telling him in exaggerated form that the shoes will kill people and that he wouldn't pay any money for them. The scene has no purpose other than to seemingly be insulting and depressing to the viewer who has already had their fair share of depressing events throughout the film. And yet it is done in such a way that is very lifelike and very realistic in terms of how the scene is constructed, but it seems so weird to want to film this sort of behavior. It has also been well known that for this film project, Harmony recorded real people's reactions of some of the strange behavior with hidden cameras. This adds genuine realism to the film along with the nasty stuff, as if it didn't have enough. It's a tough film to sit through. I think it's a good film, but I don't recommend it for fear that people will think I'm a sicko for thinking they will like it.