Illusion (2004)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Michael A. Goorjian

Writers:

Tressa DiFiglia (writer)
Michael A. Goorjian (writer)
(more)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

The only person who could change the story of his life...was the father he never knew.

Plot:

A once-powerful, but now ailing movie director nears the end of his life. As he awaits death, he slips...

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Kirk Douglas	...	Donald Baines
Michael A. Goorjian	...	Christopher
Karen Tucker	...	Isabelle
Bryan Cranston	...	David
Richmond Arquette	...	Mortimer
Ron Marasco	...	Stan
Ted Raimi	...	Ian
Kristen Clement	...	Sara
Kevin Weisman	...	Kay
Ronald Víctor García	...	Andrew
Michael Kemmerling	...	Seymour
Jules Bruff	...	Renee
Nancy Jeffries	...	Anastasia
Steve Chabon	...	Bishop
Gibson Frazier	...	Interviewer
Marco Sanchez	...	Sanchez
Maury Sterling	...	Grant
Amy Grant	...	Carol
Kevin Kent	...	Gondolfa
John Paul Goorjian	...	Val
Trina Oliver	...	Marlo
Evan Arnold	...	Techie
Sara Hauter	...	Travel Agent
Robin Dearden	...	Diane
Chris Ferreira	...	Zeke
Theresa Walsh	...	Claire
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clyde J. Bruff	...	Law firm partner
Danielle Clement	...	Sexy Dancer
Micah Cohen	...	Cherub
Shannon Dunn	...	Hospice Nurse
Ron Garcia	...	Kal
Scott Girish	...	Joseph
Brian Kite	...	E.M.T.
Jayne A. Larson	...	Donna
Willam A. Lassell	...	Security Officer
Steve Longmuir	...	Frank
Jeff Maynard	...	Paramedic
Norm O'Neill	...	Young Donald Baines' Driver

Directed by
Michael A. Goorjian

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Tressa DiFiglia		writer
Michael A. Goorjian		writer
Chris Horvath		writer
Ron Marasco		writer

Produced by
Rick Bieber	....	executive producer
Jules Bruff	....	associate producer
James C.E. Burke	....	executive producer
James C.E. Burke	....	producer
Scott Disharoon	....	executive producer
Scott Disharoon	....	producer
Daniel Fried	....	executive producer
Chris Miller	....	post-production producer: Visionbox Media Group
Anahid Nazarian	....	producer
Kevin Weisman	....	producer

Original Music by
Chris Ferreira

Cinematography by
Robert Humphreys

Film Editing by
Laurent Wassmer

Production Design by
Lisa Clark

Art Direction by
Peter Mayer
Joe Schlick

Set Decoration by
Jim Edelhauser

Costume Design by
Mellisa Glass

Makeup Department
Francie Paull	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Suzanne Geiger	....	production manager
Christopher James Hall	....	unit production manager
Angela Mixan	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kevin A. Freeman	....	second assistant director
Michael Jordan	....	first assistant director (second block of episodes)
Dan Studney	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Peter Mayer	....	property master
Miré Molnar	....	set dresser
Gary-Paul Prince	....	artist: Mortimer Malalatete's paintings
Steven Radamaker	....	construction coordinator
Michael Westerman	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Randy Babajtis	....	sound effects editor
Jeremy Balko	....	foley recordist
Evan T. Chen	....	dialogue editor
Brian Copenhagen	....	production sound mixer
Alan Freedman	....	adr mixer
Jerry Gilbert	....	sound re-recording mixer
Scott Hinkley	....	post-production sound recordist
Akritchalerm Kalayanamitr	....	boom operator (as Akrit Chaya-ngam)
Mark Lanza	....	sound editor
Jonathan Miller	....	supervising sound editor
Susan Pusateri	....	foley artist (as Sue Pusateri)
Jonathan Wales	....	sound re-recording mixer

Visual Effects by
Shelly Dutcher	....	visual effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Rebecca Bauscher	....	still photographer
Scott Beardslee	....	gaffer
Joe Bourguignon	....	electrician
Ben Herlth	....	grip
Tim Kerns	....	a camera/stedicam operator
Andre Lascaris	....	gaffer
Art Matthews	....	electrician
Andrea Miraglia	....	assistant camera
Rob Muthamia	....	first assistant camera
John M. Perry	....	best boy
John Schweitzer	....	chief lighting technician
Carlo Silvio	....	video assist operator
Todd Stoneman	....	key grip
Deron Tse	....	additional best boy electric
Fante Zamora	....	dolly grip
Fante Zamora	....	grip

Casting Department
Shannon Dunn	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kerry Moynahan	....	wardrobe
Mark Saladino	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Chad Cole	....	on-line editor
Jonathan Miller	....	post-production coordinator
Bruno Racineux	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jonathan Wales	....	scoring mixer

Other crew
Dawn Angel	....	production assistant
Gary DeGalla	....	location manager (as Gary De Galla)
Laura Evans	....	executive: Entitled Entertainment (as Laura Citrano)
Ray Felipe	....	script analyst
Robb Hedges	....	production coordinator
Heather Kilness	....	key locations assistant
Kerry Moynahan	....	craft service
Bill Newcomb	....	assistant: Mr. Miller
Steven Radamaker	....	location manager
Eric Remedios	....	production assistant
Maureen Tuohy	....	script supervisor
Randy Weiss	....	assistant: Mr. Manulis
Ami Zins	....	film commissioner

Thanks
Markus G. Kaeppeli	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Daniel Fried Productions
• Illusion Productions LLC
• Maldoror Productions Inc.
• entitled entertainment

Distributors

• Awakened Media (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• entitled entertainment

Other Companies

• Sonic Magic  sound post-production
• Visionbox Media Group  post-production management

Also Known As:

The Ilusion (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence.

Runtime:

USA:106 min (Hamptons Film Festival) | USA:106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Oakland, California, USA

Company:

Daniel Fried Productions

Trivia:

'Kirk Douglas' has announced that this will be his last movie.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: The story doesn't end when you get here, like you think it might. All the mortal pieces have scattered, but the impressions remain. Every last one of them.

Where American Cinema Should Be Heading

If you were disappointed with 'Pride and Prejudice', fell asleep during 'The New World' and tried to get your money back from watching 'Elizabethtown' then you will be very well entertained by illusion. I was hooked about seven minutes into it when Mr. Baines (Douglas) reveals his notion of what romance is in film and literature. 'Illusion' only continues deliver. There are nougats of wisdom spread throughout an aesthetically rich canvas. Whenever there is a brief moment where you feel a line is too cinematically familiar there will be this raw emotion spilling out and for the first time you believe the words, because you feel the pain. The film is thick with visual and auditory nuances that make this movie a must-see-again, (i. e. notice how Cristopher always carries that same wallet in the same pocket and his pants will always be more worn in the same corner). There are mini-movies inside the movie each so different from the other yet with reoccurring themes. Plus, the soundtrack was awesome, even though I didn't recognize any of the songs. Oh, and also Christopher aged seamlessly. Lately it seems as though American film has had yearning for the extreme. As if the only ones worthy of their story being told on screen are those uncommonly brave in extraordinarily difficult situations who decide to take the difficult route. This is a film about average people who are in coincidental but plausible circumstances and who take the easy way out most of the time. These are things we all do. This is a story we have all lived; what makes this story special is that it was told by a spectacular cast and overseen by an incredible director with a vision of where American Cinema should be heading.