The Emperor's Club (2002)

Director:

Michael Hoffman

Writers (WGA):

Ethan Canin (short story "The Palace Thief")
Neil Tolkin (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 November 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

In everyone's life there's that one person who makes all the difference.

Plot:

An idealistic prep school teacher attempts to redeem an incorrigible student.

Plot Keywords:

Reunion | Classroom | Morality | Headmaster | Roman

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Kevin Kline	...	William Hundert
Emile Hirsch	...	Sedgewick Bell
Embeth Davidtz	...	Elizabeth
Rob Morrow	...	James Ellerby
Edward Herrmann	...	Headmaster Woodbridge
Harris Yulin	...	Senator Bell
Paul Dano	...	Martin Blythe
Rishi Mehta	...	Deepak Mehta
Jesse Eisenberg	...	Louis Masoudi
Gabriel Millman	...	Robert Brewster (as Gabe Millman)
Chris Morales	...	Eugene Field
Luca Bigini	...	Copeland Gray
Michael Coppola	...	Russell Hall
Sean Fredricks	...	Mr. Harris
Katherine O'Sullivan	...	The Nun
Melissa Brown	...	Blonde Girl
Sophie Wise	...	Brunette
Emily Doubilet	...	Redhead (as Emily Dara Doubilet)
Michelle Foody	...	Real Redhead
Caitlin O'Heaney	...	Mrs. Woodbridge
Charu R. Mehta	...	Deepak's Mom
Pamela Wehner	...	Senator Bell's Wife
Molly Regan	...	Miss Peters
Roger Rees	...	Mr. Castle
Helen Carey	...	Miss Johnston
Matthew Douglas	...	Well Wisher / Good Luck Boy
Charles McConnell	...	Third Form Boy
Allan M. Care	...	Other Student
Joel Gretsch	...	Older Sedgewick Bell
Steven Culp	...	Older Martin Blythe
Rahul Khanna	...	Older Deepak Mehta
Patrick Dempsey	...	Older Louis Masoudi
Jimmy Walsh	...	Robert Bell
Elizabeth Hobgood	...	Victoria Bell
Purva Bedi	...	Anna Mehta
Deirdre Lorenz	...	Dr. Kelly Ryan
Anthony Vincent Bova	...	Older Robert Brewster
Mark Nichols	...	Older Copeland Gray
George F. Miller	...	Older Eugene Field (as George Miller)
David C. Hatch	...	Older Deibel
Tom Bloom	...	Maitre'D
Matthew Clark	...	Waiter
James Shanklin	...	Valet
Denis Gawley	...	Sound Board Mixer
Nick Hagelin	...	Martin Blythe the 4th
Henry Glovinsky	...	William Simon
Duane McLaughlin	...	George Duncan
Jessica Brooks Grant	...	Kathryn Scott
Charles Estes	...	Howard Hollander
Dominique Deverau	...	Tawana Carver
Ben Levin	...	Steven Wong
Jase Blankfort	...	Alec Matthews
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Charuza	...	Julius Ceaser Competition Scene Extra (uncredited)
April Crisafulli	...	Faculty Wife (uncredited)
Julie E. Davis	...	Faculty Member's Wife (uncredited)
Jovette Elise	...	Estate Server (uncredited)
Rick Kain	...	School Administrator (uncredited)
Rick Karatas	...	Alma Mater Singer #1 (uncredited)
Justin Leader	...	Student (uncredited)
Tim Realbuto	...	Jackson Pheiffer (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Hoffman

Writing credits (WGA)
Ethan Canin		(short story "The Palace Thief")
Neil Tolkin		(screenplay)

Produced by
Marc Abraham	....	producer
Sean Bailey	....	executive producer
Armyan Bernstein	....	executive producer
Thomas A. Bliss	....	executive producer
Lisa Bruce	....	co-producer
Andrew S. Karsch	....	producer (as Andy Karsch)
Sidney Kimmel	....	executive producer
Cooper Layne	....	executive producer
Eric Newman	....	executive producer
Michael O'Neill	....	co-producer

Original Music by
James Newton Howard

Cinematography by
Lajos Koltai

Film Editing by
Harvey Rosenstock

Casting by
Katharina Eggmann
Sheila Jaffe
Georgianne Walken

Production Design by
Patrizia von Brandenstein

Art Direction by
Dennis Bradford

Set Decoration by
George DeTitta Jr.
Beth Kushnick

Costume Design by
Cynthia Flynt

Makeup Department
Milton Buras	....	assistant hair stylist
Joseph Farulla	....	assistant makeup artist
Leslie Fuller	....	key makeup artist
Heidi Kulow	....	makeup artist
Werner Sherer	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Robert Marty	....	post-production supervisor
Lisa Rodgers	....	post-production supervisor
Helen Silverberg	....	post-production supervisor
Nancy Rae Stone	....	executive in charge of production
Fred Styles	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fareshta Ahmadi	....	dga trainee
Timothy Donohue	....	second assistant director (as Timothy S. Donohue)
Denis Doyle	....	additional second assistant director
Takahide Kawakami	....	second second assistant director
Alexandra E. Perce	....	additional first assistant director (as Alexandra Perce)
Todd Pfeiffer	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Joel Barkow	....	property master
Liz Bonaventura	....	scenic charge (as Elizabeth Bonaventura)
Kevin Brink	....	set dresser
Gary Cergol	....	graphic artist
Tamar M. Cohn	....	scenic artist
Gerald DeTitta	....	lead man
Anthony Dimeo	....	property master
Anne Donovan	....	scenic artist
Donna L. Drinkwater	....	set dresser
Tony Gamiello	....	set dresser (as Tony S. Gamiello Sr.)
Kalina Ivanov	....	storyboard artist
Robert H. Klatt	....	set dresser
Eric M. Metzger	....	property assistant (as Eric Metzger)
Mark Newell	....	on-set dresser
Gennaro Proscia	....	construction coordinator
Jeremy Rosenstein	....	art department assistant
Cathy Scorsese	....	assistant property master (as Catherine Scorsese)
Stephen Siersema	....	scenic artist
Nancy Stroud	....	scenic artist
Jeff Taisey	....	construction foreman
Irapaul Turner	....	construction shop manager
John Wolanczyk	....	stand-by scenic (as John P. Wolanczyk)
Peter Regnier	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Michael Axinn	....	assistant adr editor
Christopher Barnett	....	re-recording engineer
David Bell	....	assistant adr editor
David Bell	....	assistant dialogue editor
David Boulton	....	adr mixer
Tim Burby	....	assistant adr editor
Tony Eckert	....	foley mixer
Thom 'Coach' Ehle	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Sue Fox	....	foley editor
Jeff Gomillion	....	adr mixer
Chat Gunter	....	production sound mixer
Gabriel Guy	....	sound mix technician
Lora Hirschberg	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tim Holland	....	supervising sound editor
Bruce Lacey	....	adr editor
Bruce Lacey	....	adr supervisor
Bruce Lacey	....	dialogue editor
George Leong	....	boom operator
Kira Lewis	....	sound recordist
Tod A. Maitland	....	additional sound mixer (as Tod Maitland)
Frank 'Pepe' Merel	....	foley mixer
Alex Raspa	....	adr recordist
Philip Rogers	....	adr recordist
William Sarokin	....	production sound mixer
Timothia Sellers	....	utility sound (as Timothea Sellers)
Robert Shoup	....	adr editor
Robert Shoup	....	dialogue editor
Addison Teague	....	sound effects editor
Addison Teague	....	supervising assistant sound editor
Dennie Thorpe	....	foley artist
Jana Vance	....	foley artist
Karen G. Wilson	....	adr editor
Karen G. Wilson	....	dialogue editor
George Peterson Jr.	....	sound re-recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Syd Dutton	....	special effects
Bill Traynor	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Steven Fagerquist	....	visual effects
Mark Kenaston	....	digital artist
Christopher Grandel	....	trailer digital effects, Howard Anderson Company (uncredited)
Michael Kory	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Jay Carrado	....	stunt double
Roy Farfel	....	stunt coordinator
Don Hewitt	....	stunt rigger

Camera and Electrical Department
Nicole Brait	....	electrician
Jerry DeBlau	....	gaffer
Craig DiBona	....	camera operator
Kenneth Dodd	....	best boy electric
Greg Finkel	....	first assistant camera: second camera
Bill Floyd	....	first assistant camera: second camera
Paul A. Fusco	....	rigging electrician
Dejan Georgevich	....	camera operator: second camera
George Harrington	....	generator operator
William Jones	....	dolly grip
Amy Kupferberg	....	electrician
Peter Letzelter-Smith	....	grip
Sean Malone	....	best boy grip
Sal Martorano	....	gaffer
Peter McEntyre	....	generator operator
A. Lee Morris	....	assistant camera
Gary Muller	....	first assistant camera
Douglas Pellegrino	....	camera operator: second camera (as Doug Pellegrino)
Kabkeo Phothivongsa	....	electrician
James Pollard	....	key grip (as James H. Pollard)
Noah Prince	....	electrician
Rocco Proscia	....	rigging grip
Melvin Pukowsky	....	second rigging grip
Sabatino Rea	....	key rigging grip
Kevin Reidy	....	grip
Lance Rieck	....	assistant camera
Richard Suffern	....	grip
Demmie Todd	....	still photographer
Bobby Vercruse	....	key rigging electrician
Lee Vercruse	....	rigging electrician

Casting Department
Trevor P. Jenkins	....	casting assistant
Anna Maniscalco	....	background casting associate
Grant Wilfley	....	background casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elizabeth Feldbauer	....	wardrobe supervisor
Irene Feldbauer	....	wardrobe assistant
Gail A. Fitzgibbons	....	assistant wardrobe supervisor
Anne Gorman	....	costume shop supervisor
Barrett Hong	....	costumer
Thomas Lee Keller	....	assistant costume designer (as Thomas L. Keller)
Jessica T. Sinoway	....	costume assistant
Rose Wells	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Rosie Wells)

Editorial Department
Elizabeth Dean	....	post-production coordinator (as Elizabeth Dionne)
Tim Fox	....	assistant editor
Dennis McNeill	....	color timer (as Denny McNeill)
Peter Mergus	....	associate editor
Dana Mulligan	....	assistant editor
Theresa Repola Mohammed	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Pete Anthony	....	conductor
Jeff Atmajian	....	orchestrator
Tom Boyd	....	musician: oboe soloist
Brad Dechter	....	orchestrator
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Peter Doell	....	music recordist (as Pete Doell)
George Doering	....	musician
Mark Eshelman	....	scoring crew
Mark Graham	....	music librarian
James T. Hill	....	electronic scoring mixer
James Newton Howard	....	orchestrator
James Newton Howard	....	score producer
Robin Lee	....	music editor
Jason Lloyd	....	scoring crew
Shawn Murphy	....	scoring mixer
David Olson	....	music editor
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn
Robin Urdang	....	music supervisor
Pat Weber	....	scoring technician
Jim Weidman	....	supervising music editor

Transportation Department
Ed Battista	....	transportation co-captain (as Edward Battista)
Jim Buckman	....	transportation captain (as James S. Buckman)

Other crew
Peter Anders	....	caterer
Alexis Arnold	....	production office coordinator
Mark Barclay	....	assistant: Thomas A. Bliss
Denver Beattie	....	assistant: Michael Hoffman
David Brotsky	....	location scout
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
Susan Chun	....	production office assistant
Paul Codiga	....	location assistant
Robyn J. Davis	....	production coordinator
Richard Devinki	....	production services manager: Beacon
Gregory Dunn	....	production assistant
Emily Engler	....	assistant: Ms. Stone
Andrew Fiero	....	production assistant
David Garcia	....	production office assistant
Jule Ann Jappe	....	location scout (as Jule Jappe)
Arabella Johannes	....	assistant: Mr. Bernstein
Todd Judson	....	production office assistant
Kenneth M. Kroll	....	production accountant
Connie Kunz	....	post-production accountant
Jessica Lacy	....	production assistant
Chiara Mazzella	....	set intern
Hillary Meyer	....	payroll accountant
Robert Nickson	....	production consultant
Michael K. Reynolds	....	caterer
Marsha Robertson	....	unit publicist
Jeff Robinson	....	office intern
Tanya Sakolsky	....	assistant: Mr. Kline and Mr. Karsch
Betsy Shankin	....	assistant location manager
Raygun Sharpadero	....	accounting clerk
Julie Solomon	....	location scout
Robin Squibb	....	script supervisor
David Steiner	....	location coordinator
Susan Strine	....	assistant accountant (as Susan L. Strine)
Anna Strout	....	assistant: Ms. Bruce
Anita Sum	....	additional production coordinator
Wendy Taylor	....	location assistant
Irapaul Turner	....	shop manager
Rose Viggiano	....	location manager
Catherine Wheatley	....	assistant: Marc Abraham
Stacey Truett White	....	production secretary
Jaime Wilson	....	assistant production coordinator
Alex Bowen	....	adr voice (uncredited)
Matt Hedge	....	adr artist (uncredited)

Thanks
Robert Nickson	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Beacon Communications
• Fine Line Features
• Horsepower Films
• LivePlanet
• Longfellow Pictures
• Sidney Kimmel Entertainment

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (2002) (UK) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• Medusa Distribuzione (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Nu Visión de Argentina (2003) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Manga Films (2003) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Toho-Towa (2003) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Eagle Films (2002) (non-USA) (TV) (Middle East)
• Europa Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Europa Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• SBP (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS) (rental)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS) (retail)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Illusion Arts (special visual effects)

Other Companies

• Big Time Picture Company  editorial services
• Cecil B. DeMeals  craft service
• Howard Anderson Company, The  title and opticals
• K.A.S. Lighting  lighting equipment
• Lightnin' Production Rentals  transportation equipment
• Magno Sound and Video  telecine
• Skywalker Sound  post-production sound services
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content

Runtime:

Argentina:108 min | Canada:109 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #39170) | Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Denmark:A | Finland:K-7 | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Netherlands:AL | Peru:PT | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Budd Lake, Mt. Olive, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Beacon Communications

Trivia:

'Kevin Kline (I)' attended Saint Louis Priory School in Missouri, a private, all-boys Benedictine high school similar to the school in the film. He drew inspiration for his performance from his experiences there, including one of his Latin teachers. His Priory ring can also be seen in the film.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Mr. Hundert, a pedantic and demanding classics professor, would be unlikely to make the error of saying that Caesar's army was "comprised of" two legions. He would have said that Caesar's army comprised two legions, or that two legions composed Caesar's army, or that Caesar's army was composed of two legions. A trivial error, perhaps, but out of character nonetheless.

Quotes:

[first lines]
William Hundert:As I've gotten older, I realize I'm certain of only two things. Days that begin with rowing on a lake are better than days that do not. Second, a man's character is his fate.

Movie Connections:

References Contempt (1963)

Soundtrack:

Funk 49

Goodbye Mr Chipps without the schmaltz, Dead Poets Society without the sideshow

The Emperor's Club looks and smells like a teacher-feature film set in a stultifying but uplifting 19th-century classroom, with busts of Homer and Aristotle looking on watchfully and a learned and inspirational educator in the Mr Chipps mould drawing a class of well-mannered boys to enlightenment. At least that's its first 15 minutes or so, until the arrival of Sedgwick Bell, a bright but belligerent senator's son who thinks classical history is utterly pointless. From then on it takes the form of parable as the teacher, Mr Hundert, turns around Sedgwick's anti-everything chest-beating and propels him - with an unethical shove - into the finals of 'Mr Julius Caesar', an interesting if unlikely quiz competition with a toga, laurel wreath and enormous prestige as the prize. The narrative becomes much more interesting at this point, though in a philosophical rather than a traditional cinematic sense (this movie may be too slow and 'wordy' for the average viewer).

The ethical dilemma created is indeed worthy of Socrates or Plato themselves. Hundert lays claim to moulding the character of his students, though in reality - as he is told by Sedgwick's hawkish father - this is not his job. He strives to offer them a virtuous role model, though his own ethics are compromised in helping Sedgwick reach the finals of the competition. And he also claims that contribution and virtue have their own rewards, though he is denied the headmaster's position that he has coveted. The moral ambiguities of Hundert's character are laid open in the movie, just as it seeks to paint a glowing portrait of him as both person and teacher. The end scenes, when he is reunited with his students as successful men, crystallise this moral twist for both us and Hundert's character: sometimes it's better to fail and learn a lesson from failure than to succeed using illegitimate means. Or, as the school's motto reads, finis origine pendet (the end depends on the beginning).

The Emperor's Club doesn't deserve that title. It gives it the ring of Dead Poet's Society, which it assuredly is not: it is a far more cerebral film than that. Like many teacher-based films it cannot quite capture the essence in relationships where bad students are transformed by good teachers - in this one, it's achieved far too easily through the gift of a book. And the dominance of ivy league schools in these films is most concerning, as if filmmakers aren't brave enough to look at the other end of the spectrum. But for all that, The Emperor's Club is a well-made, well-produced and very well-written film that turns out deeper and more profound than you suspect it might.