The Safety of Objects (2001)

Director:

Rose Troche

Writers (WGA):

A.M. Homes (book)
Rose Troche (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 July 2002 (Israel)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A powerful story intertwining the lives of four neighboring families as they struggle to understand each other and, ultimately, themselves.

Plot:

A series of overlapping stories about four suburban families dealing with different maladies. Esther...

Plot Keywords:

Train | Divorce | Car Accident | Radio Contest | Penis

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Glenn Close	...	Esther Gold
Dermot Mulroney	...	Jim Train
Jessica Campbell	...	Julie Gold
Patricia Clarkson	...	Annette Jennings
Joshua Jackson	...	Paul Gold
Moira Kelly	...	Susan Train
Robert Klein	...	Howard Gold
Timothy Olyphant	...	Randy
Mary Kay Place	...	Helen Christianson
Kristen Stewart	...	Sam Jennings
Alex House	...	Jake Train
Charlotte Arnold	...	Sally Christianson
Andrew Airlie	...	Bruce Jennings
Stephanie Mills	...	Karen
Angela Vint	...	Tina
Aaron Ashmore	...	Bobby Christianson
C. David Johnson	...	Wayne Christianson
Haylee Wanstall	...	Rayanne Jennings
Carly Chalom	...	Emily Train
Guinevere Turner	...	Tani (voice)
Dwayne Hill	...	Bill McArthur
Kathryn Winslow	...	Catherine
Michael McMurtry	...	Contest Winner / Frankie
Katie Griffin	...	Female Contestant #1 / Sue
Kristi Angus	...	Z-100 Employee
Aaron Poole	...	Z-100 Judge
Alex Poch-Goldin	...	Male Contestant
Elisa Moolecherry	...	Female Contestant #2
Craig Eldridge	...	Hank
Andrea Pinnock	...	Marilyn
Derek McGrath	...	Mr. Peabody
Victoria Snow	...	Jill
Dominic Cuzzocrea	...	Appliance Salesman
Dmitry Chepovetsky	...	Bartender
Bill Lake	...	Baseball Coach
Balázs Koós	...	Sports Store Employee
James Lafazanos	...	Adam
Lucas Denton	...	Johnny
Noam Jenkins	...	Patrick Green
Lori Nancy Kalamanski	...	Linda Green
Hunter Shannon	...	Audrey

Directed by
Rose Troche

Writing credits (WGA)
A.M. Homes		(book of stories)
Rose Troche		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jody Allen	....	executive producer (as Jody Allen Patton)
Dorothy Berwin	....	producer
Colin Brunton	....	line producer
Stephen Evans	....	executive producer
Angus Finney	....	executive producer
Sophie Janson	....	associate producer
Pamela Koffler	....	executive producer
Jon Marcus	....	associate producer
Per Melita	....	line producer: additional photography
Eric Robison	....	co-producer
Rose Troche	....	co-producer
Christine Vachon	....	producer

Original Music by
Barb Morrison
Charles Nieland
Nance Nieland

Cinematography by
Enrique Chediak

Film Editing by
Geraldine Peroni

Casting by
Barbie Block
Bonnie Finnegan
Steven Jacobs
Sally Stiner
Clare Walker

Production Design by
Andrea Stanley

Art Direction by
Craig Lathrop

Set Decoration by
Liesl Deslauriers

Costume Design by
Laura Jean Shannon

Makeup Department
Donna Coad-Roberts	....	assistant hair stylist
Martial Corneville	....	hair designer: Glenn Close
Clara Dinunzio	....	key hair stylist
Sarah Fairbairn	....	key makeup artist
Jennifer Gould	....	assistant hair stylist
Janice Schantz	....	assistant makeup artist (as Janice Shantz)

Production Management
Colin Brunton	....	production manager
Petra Hoebel	....	unit production manager: additional photography
Stephanie Meurer	....	assistant production supervisor
Kelly Miller	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Neille Brockie	....	daily third assistant director
Jill Girling	....	assistant director
Kareen Yalandy Glynn	....	daily third assistant director
Marybeth Hagner	....	first assistant director
Joel Hay	....	fourth assistant director
David McLeod	....	first assistant director
Beverly Morgan	....	daily third assistant director
Rose Tedesco	....	assistant director
Sean Watson	....	third assistant director

Art Department
John Archbell	....	property master
Mary Arthurs	....	set buyer
Paul Berta	....	storyboard artist
John Deslauriers	....	set dresser
Brian Fowler	....	construction coordinator
Ron Hobbs	....	storyboard artist
Suzanne Hoffman	....	lead set dresser
Cary A. King	....	set dresser and onset dresser
Eric McNab	....	set buyer
Christina Meynell	....	on-set dresser
Heather Midwinter	....	painter
Joe Mohos	....	daily set dresser
Elizabeth Moran	....	second assistant art director
John Moran	....	assistant art director
Andrew Redekop	....	art department apprentice
James Ridyard	....	head painter
Tullis Rose	....	daily set dresser
Glen Smith	....	head carpenter
Robert Steele	....	set buyer
Peeter Tammemagi	....	property assistant
Joanne Thompson	....	key scenic painter
Lyne Wagner	....	set dresser
Zac Ward	....	carpenter (as Zak Ward)
Rabecca Worts	....	property assistant

Sound Department
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Fernando De Faria	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Robert Fernandez	....	sound re-recording mixer
Chris Fielder	....	assistant sound editor
Hal Levinsohn	....	adr editor (as Hal Levinson)
Blake Leyh	....	supervising sound editor
Kimberly R. McCord-Wilson	....	dialogue editor (as Kimberly R. McCord)
Paul McGlashan	....	boom operator
Jennifer Ralston	....	foley supervisor
Fred Rosenberg	....	dialogue editor
Rob Rouse	....	boom operator (as Bob Rouse)
Alex Soto	....	assistant sound editor
Deborah Wallach	....	adr editor
Kelly Wright	....	production sound mixer

Special Effects by
Michael Innanen	....	special effects supervisor
Walter Klassen	....	animatronics
John LaForet	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Joaquin de la Puente	....	compositor
Walter Hart	....	visual effects producer
Eric Person	....	digital film supervisor
Jim Rider	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Peter Cox	....	stunts
Cotton Mather	....	stunts
Alison Reid	....	stunt coordinator
Bryan Renfro	....	stunts
Paul Rutledge	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Barton-Taylor	....	grip (as Robert Barton Taylor)
Darren Boyce	....	key grip
Kunle Bristow	....	camera trainee
Phil Calambakas	....	best boy grip
Joseph Chan	....	second assistant camera
Ira Cohen	....	gaffer
Stephen Crosgrey	....	generator operator
Paul Dias	....	electrician
Rick Dubeau	....	grip
Cinar Eryasar	....	electrician
Candide Franklyn	....	Steadicam operator (as Candide Franklin)
Candide Franklyn	....	camera operator (as Candide Franklin)
Angel Gonzalez	....	camera operator
Courtney Graham	....	assistant camera
Michael Hall	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Gail Harvey	....	still photographer
Chris Howell	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Brad Hruboska	....	Steadicam operator
H. Christopher Hunter	....	dolly grip
Peter Luxford	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Heidi McKnight	....	grip
Oz Melo	....	grip
Paul Michel	....	best boy
Paul Michel	....	best boy lighting
Rahul Parekh	....	key rigging grip
Rafy	....	still photographer
Steve Sebert	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Michael Spicer	....	camera operator: additional photography
Jeremy Tabarrok	....	first assistant camera
Brian White	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Greg Whiteside	....	24 frame video operator
Chris Zacharuk	....	electrician

Casting Department
Amy Allen	....	casting
Luisa Cabbidu	....	extras casting assistant (as Luisa Cabiddu)
Zameret Kleiman	....	extras casting (as Zamaret Kleiman)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jozi Conte	....	wardrobe set supervisor
Les Handrahan	....	wardrobe truck supervisor
April Poppe	....	second assistant costume designer
Liz Walter	....	extras dresser
Anna Dal Farra	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Alfredo Frasson	....	color timer
Philip Harrison	....	assistant editor
Catherine Rankin	....	negative cutter
Jack Rizzo	....	color timer
Rose Troche	....	additional editor
John Dowdell	....	hd colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Missy Cohen	....	music editor
Alfredo D. Troche	....	additional music recordist

Transportation Department
Rick Anglin	....	head driver
Tim Fagan	....	transportation coordinator
Dave Marwick	....	driver captain

Other crew
Paul Augarde	....	development executive
Donato Baldassarra	....	location scout
Dawn Becker	....	accounting production assistant
Darren J. Biro	....	location production assistant (as Darren 'D.J.' Biro)
Alex Brennan	....	production office assistant
Jason Yik Chi Chan	....	assistant to director
Kristine Child	....	assistant accountant
Donna Croce	....	script supervisor
Catherine Currie	....	post-production accountant
Roni Deitz	....	location scout
Janet Ellis	....	production secretary
Robin Greavette	....	assistant location manager
Victoria Harding	....	location manager
Leah Hood	....	on-set craft service
Sean Irvine	....	stand-in
Sandy Kaplansky	....	production coordinator
Stephanie Keating	....	unit publicist
Michael Kessler	....	production office assistant
Stanley Lilavois	....	on-set craft service
Jennifer Lyne	....	location scout
Lilit 'Hank' Malins	....	location manager
Trish Mason	....	script supervisor
Marlene McCarty	....	title designer
Julietta McGovern	....	assistant production coordinator
Madeleine Meredith	....	post-production accountant
Sarah Anne Milliken	....	assistant to director
Dan Nash	....	assistant: D. Berwin
Jessica O'Brien	....	additional production assistant
Mihalis Papadogiannakis	....	location scout
Brad Peyton	....	assistant to line producer
Peter Phillips	....	post delivery supervisor
Zachary Rogers	....	production office assistant (as Zak Rogers)
Heather Ross	....	production coordinator
Katie Roumel	....	head of production
Lillian Sarafinchan	....	location scout
B.E. Sharp	....	accountant
Yori Tondrowski	....	production assistant: re-shoots
Daniel Wagner	....	assistant: Ms. Vachon
Julia Wille	....	wrangler
Jeff Maksym	....	pre-production office intern (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Renaissance Films (presents)
• Vulcan Productions (presents)
• Infilm (as an Infilm/Killer Films Production)
• Killer Films (as an Infilm/Killer Films Production)
• Ontario Film Development Corporation, The
• Clear Blue Sky Productions (uncredited)

Distributors

• Primer Plano Film Group (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Califórnia Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Califórnia Home Vídeo (200?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (UK)
• IFC Films (2003) (USA)
• Killer Films
• Lolistar
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (Canada) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Mikado
• Oro Film A/S
• Renaissance Films
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Performance Solutions

Other Companies

• Effects House, The  digital output
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Post Production Playground  post-production facilities
• Sound One Corporation  sound re-recorded at
• Starcraft  craft service

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content and language

Runtime:

121 min | Finland:116 min

Country:

UK | USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-11 | France:U | New Zealand:R13 | Norway:11 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:14A

Filming Locations:

Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Renaissance Films

Trivia:

Timothy Olyphant's character Randy kidnaps a boy named Erol. In the movie adaptation they change the sex of Enrol and provide her with an ambiguous name (Sam, could be from Samuel or from Samantha) and ambiguous appearance (Sam wears boyish clothes most of the time.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: In the opening credits when the families are being listed, the Jennings family is listed as "The Jennings." The correct plural is "The Jenningses."

Quotes:

Randy:When you start collecting things, you start thinking you care about stuff. And when they're gone; when they break or someone steals them, you feel like a part of you is gone, too. When you have things and suddenly you don't, it feels like you disappeared. Nothing should make you feel that way... Except when you lose a person

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Hands on a Hard Body: The Documentary (1997)

Soundtrack:

Out The Window

The Safety of Objects (2001)

"It's a life you've made," one of the characters in The Safety of Objects muses at one point. "Don't act like it's not yours." In this small indie picture by Rose Troche (Go Fish, Bedrooms and Hallways), four families struggle with life in suburbia, each searching for a reason to wake up the next morning. Esther Gold (Glenn Close) is a reclusive middle-aged mother who's closest friend is her comatose son (Joshua Jackson). Her daughter, Julie (Jessica Campbell), is obsessed with her weight and deals with sexual frustration. Jim Train (Dermot Mulroney) is a high-paid lawyer who is turned down for a promotion and is almost entirely isolated from the rest of his family. His wife, Susan (Moira Kelly), might be having an affair with a family friend, and his son Jake (Alex House) is developing a fetish for his sister's doll. Annette Jennings (Patricia Clarkson) has to handle with the sudden intrusion of her ex-husband asking for their children back -- one of whom is mentally incapacitated while the other (Kristen Stewart) is an androgynous 12-year-old smoker. And lastly, Helen Christianson (Mary Kay Place) is a health-nut soccer-mom alienated from her husband (C. David Johnson), son (Aaron Ashmore) and daughter (Charlotte Arnold). Phew: I think that about sums it up. But there's much more to The Safety of Objects than just a video-box synopsis; adapted from a brilliant short story collection by one of our generation's best (and most under-rated) authors, A.M. Homes, the characters in these vignettes actually live and breathe. Their situations may seem outrageous, but when you consider the outrageousness of life itself, they're eerily believable. Being a die-hard Homes fan, I was skeptical as to how anyone could bring such a complex piece of literature to the screen, and contrary to what you might read in most reviews (which were unjustly negative), Troche succeeds tremendously. Sure she takes some "artistic license," but don't ALL adapted films? Personally, I've tried to never compare the source to the movie; but even if I did, I would still be more than satisfied with this interpretation. The script (also by Troche) cleverly intertwines sketches that were connected only in theme in Homes's book (which I highly recommend to anyone, whether or not you've seen the film). And the performances ... wow! Clarkson is simply one of the best actors of all time: she is so utterly and effortlessly likable that she doesn't even have to try to gain our sympathy. Mulroney tackles the difficulty of being a middle-aged husband to perfection, and Place expresses similar frustration with subtlety and ease. But the central force among the characters is Close: while she hardly speaks a word (unless she's talking to her son, that is), her sad smile of longing gazes at all of the events around her with a combined sense of understanding and bewilderment. She reminds me (as does the film, actually) of last year's terrific Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her, and in a way, her role here is a companion piece to that film -- which ends with her sitting in a bar, oblivious that the man across from her just might be her soul mate. The score is quietly moving, and the direction is nearly seamless. I remember reading Roger Ebert's review for this, in which he criticized it for not being as good as American Beauty: personally, I'd say The Safety of Objects is not only as good as that film, but perhaps even better. Instead of hammering you over the head with its art (as Beauty was so obnoxiously guilty of at times), its effect sinks beneath the skin. At the end of the film, nothing is really resolved: each character will still have to find a reason to wake up the next day, and they will still struggle with their past demons. But now, they're finally able to acknowledge that this IS their life, and it's only the way it is because they made it so. The Safety of Objects reminds us that even though we can make the choice to change, it's so much easier to just cling to monotony.

Grade: A