Wicker Park (2004)

Director:

Paul McGuigan

Writers (WGA):

Gilles Mimouni (film L'Appartement)
Brandon Boyce (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 September 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Passion never dies.

Plot:

A young Chicago advertising executive believes a woman he sees in a café is his long-lost love. His conviction leads to obsession, as he puts his life on hold to trail her.

Plot Keywords:

Restaurant | Obsession | Photographer | Key | Actress

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Josh Hartnett	...	Matthew
Rose Byrne	...	Alex
Matthew Lillard	...	Luke
Diane Kruger	...	Lisa
Christopher Cousins	...	Daniel
Jessica Paré	...	Rebecca
Vlasta Vrana	...	Jeweller
Amy Sobol	...	Ellie
Ted Whittall	...	Walter
Isabel Dos Santos	...	Chamber Maid
Joanna Noyes	...	Mary
Kerrilyn Keith	...	Female Customer
Mark Camacho	...	Bartender
Marcel Jeannin	...	Theater Director
Stéfanie Buxton	...	Ticket Agent
Stanley Hilaire	...	Stage Manager
Zhenhu Han	...	Mr. Hong
Lu Ye	...	Ms. Hsia
Christian Paul	...	Orsino
Gillian Ferrabee	...	Robin
Frank Fontaine	...	Priest
Miranda Handford	...	Actress Olivia
Benjamin Hatcher	...	Choreographer
Richard Jutras	...	Hotel Manager
Kelly Anne Patterson	...	Hostess
Mary Morter	...	Old Lady
Erika Rosenbaum	...	Waitress
Jessica Schulte	...	Waitress (as Jessica Shulte)
Paul Doucet	...	Driver
Jamieson Boulanger	...	Boyfriend
Carrie Colak	...	Girlfriend
Gordon Masten	...	Hot Dog Vendor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Melia Morgan	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Josh Wood	...	Josh (uncredited)

Directed by
Paul McGuigan

Writing credits (WGA)
Gilles Mimouni		(film L'Appartement)
Brandon Boyce		(screenplay)

Produced by
Georges Benayoun	....	executive producer
Andre Lamal	....	producer
Gary Lucchesi	....	producer
Gilles Mimouni	....	executive producer
Tom Rosenberg	....	producer
Harley Tannenbaum	....	executive producer
Marcus Viscidi	....	producer
Henry Winterstern	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Cliff Martinez

Cinematography by
Peter Sova

Film Editing by
Andrew Hulme

Casting by
Deborah Aquila
Andrea Kenyon
Randi Wells
Tricia Wood

Production Design by
Richard Bridgland

Set Decoration by
Suzanne Cloutier

Costume Design by
Odette Gadoury

Makeup Department
Deborah K. Dee	....	makeup artist: Chicago (as Deborah Dee)
Sandro Di Gioacchino	....	hair stylist
Réjean Goderre	....	key hair stylist
Mindy Hall	....	makeup artist: Mr. Hartnett
Gaétan Landry	....	assistant hair stylist
Christine Larocque	....	wig maker
Micheline Trépanier	....	key makeup artist
Nathalie Trépanier	....	makeup artist

Production Management
John Anthony	....	production supervisor
Manon Bougie	....	production manager
Marc-André Goyer	....	assistant unit manager
Karyn McCarthy	....	unit production manager: USA
James McQuaide	....	post-production supervisor
Tal Meirson	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jesabelle Boileau	....	additional third assistant director
Ariane Côté-Chénier	....	additional third assistant director
Jennifer Deigl	....	second second assistant director: Chicago
Pedro Gandol	....	first assistant director
James Giovannetti Jr.	....	first assistant director: Chicago
Carl Kouri	....	additional third assistant director
Richard S. Lederer	....	key second assistant director: Chicago (as Richard Lederer)
Laurence Mercier	....	third assistant director
Natalie Plante	....	additional third assistant director
Dandy Thibaudeau	....	second assistant director (as Dandy Thibodeau)

Art Department
Sandra Borromeo	....	assistant art department coordinator
Real Capuano	....	scenic technician
Erik Gosselin	....	custom props
Martin Handfield	....	on-set property master
Raymond Larose	....	set designer
Lucie Tremblay	....	set designer
Paul Le Maire	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Franklin Bergad	....	adr editor (as David Bergad)
Mark Berger	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Maxime Ferland	....	boom operator
Malcolm Fife	....	sound effects editor
Piotr Filipowski	....	sound effects editor
Kim Foscato	....	foley editor
Curt Frisk	....	sound mixer: Chicago
Henry Godding Jr.	....	adr recordist: Montreal
Samuel H. Hinckley	....	sound effects editor (as Samuel Hinckley)
Jason Johnston	....	utility sound: Chicago
Douglas Murray	....	sound designer
Douglas Murray	....	supervising sound editor
John Nutt	....	adr editor
Richard Quinn	....	dialogue editor (as Rich Quinn)
Blair Scheller	....	boom operator: Chicago
Michael Semanick	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Francis Choquette	....	special effects technician
Louis Craig	....	special effects supervisor
Mario Dumont	....	special effects coordinator
John Rigden	....	special effects foreman: Chicago
Philippe Roberge	....	special effects technician
Dieter Sturm	....	special effects snowmaker: Chicago

Visual Effects by
Gary E. Beach	....	visual effects coordinator (as Gary Beach)
Artaya Boonsoong	....	senior technical artist
Gary J. Brown	....	Inferno artist (as Gary Brown)
Chad Dombrova	....	visual effects
H Haden Hammond	....	visual effects: Luma Pictures
Justin Johnson	....	senior visual effects artist
Trent Johnson	....	digital film colorist
Wendy Klein	....	visual effects: Luma Pictures
James McQuaide	....	visual effects supervisor
Glenn Morris	....	digital artist
Ian Noe	....	visual effects artist
Phil Pham	....	digital compositor: Luma Pictures
Burke Roane	....	compositor: Luma Pictures
Trey Roane	....	compositor: Luma Pictures
Christopher Sage	....	digital effects artist: Luma Pictures
Jason Scherbert	....	digital artist
Payam Shohadai	....	visual effects supervisor: Luma Pictures
Thanapoom Siripopungul	....	visual effects artist: Luma Pictures
Wilson Tang	....	digital restoration
Daniel E. Zobrist	....	lead matchmove artist (as Daniel Emil Zobrist)
Andy Chih-Jen Chang	....	digital compositor: Luma Pictures (uncredited)

Stunts
Marc Désourdy	....	stunt coordinator
Martin Williams	....	stunt rigger

Camera and Electrical Department
Jean-François Abran	....	electrician
Yves Arseneau	....	electrician
Sylvain Bernier	....	gaffer
François Daignault	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Jean-Yves Denis	....	grip
Attila Dory	....	still photographer
Mathieu Décary	....	first assistant camera: dailies
Zachary Gannaway	....	camera loader: Chicago
Rémi Giroux	....	grip
Stephanie Girard Hamelin	....	video assist operator
John Harris	....	pre-light electrician
Charles S. Hodes	....	still photographer
Isabelle Lecompte	....	second assistant camera
Charles Marcotte	....	electrician
Nicolas Marion	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Ryan Puckett	....	grip
Michel Périard	....	key grip
John S. Robertson	....	key grip
Dan Schroer	....	second assistant camera: Chicago
Faires A. Sekiya	....	aerial camera operator (as Faires Anderson)
Dean M. Simmon	....	first assistant camera
Michel St. Martin	....	grip
Stephane Tanguay	....	electrician
Marco Venditto	....	electrician

Casting Department
Gabriel Lavina	....	casting assistant: Montreal
Shawn Roberts	....	casting assistant
Jennifer L. Smith	....	casting associate

Editorial Department
Stacey S. Clipp	....	first assistant editor
Tony Dustin	....	digital color assist
Brent Eldridge	....	digital color correction
Kenn Elliott	....	dailies colorist
David Heinz	....	post-production assistant
Trent Johnson	....	digital film colorist
Peter Kwong	....	assistant editor
Mike Mertens	....	color consultant
Beth Ostermann	....	digital intermediate producer
Bob Peishel	....	digital intermediate producer
Mike Sowa	....	digital preview timer

Music Department
Gregory Butler	....	composer: additional music
Richard Henderson	....	music editor
Charles B. Kim	....	music programmer (as Charles Kim)
Stephen Krause	....	music scoring mixer
Stephen Krause	....	score recordist
Michael A. Levine	....	composer: additional music (as Michael Levine)
Cliff Martinez	....	score producer
Liza Richardson	....	music supervisor
Fredrik Sarhagen	....	additional score mixer
Fredrik Sarhagen	....	additional score recordist
Michael Glenn Williams	....	composer: additional music (as Michael Williams)

Transportation Department
Bertrand Calmeau	....	driver: Matthew Lillard
Alexandre Juaneda	....	transportation captain
Nicky Luca	....	driver
Daniel Ross	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Cassandra Barbour	....	rights and clearances
Bridgett Baron	....	accountant: Chicago
Jeremy Beiermann	....	office production assistant: Chicago
Ilsa Berg	....	assistant: Mr. Lucchesi
Adam Berry	....	production assistant: Chicago
Benjamin T. Brammeier	....	production assistant: Chicago
Liz Brownstein	....	model: ad campaign
Jennifer Byrne	....	assistant production office coordinator: second unit
Jean-Philippe Collin	....	stand-in: Christopher Cousins
Rick Cranford	....	script coordinator
Yves Desjardins	....	travel coordinator
Adam Ellison	....	assistant: Mr. Lucchesi
Anna Ferenczi	....	stand-in: Rose Byrne
Jocelyne Gagné	....	first assist accountant
Caroline Gervais	....	stand-in: Diane Kruger
Sophie Goulet	....	production secretary
Marjorie Hamel	....	assistant script supervisor
Cicely D. Harris	....	extras set coordinator: Chicago
Rob Harris	....	unit publicist
Caroline Isabelle	....	model: ad campaign
Jean-Patrick Joseph	....	special equipment supplier
Steve Leblanc	....	production assistant
Mark Mamalakis	....	location manager: Chicago
Benoît Mathieu	....	location manager
Pat McCarthy	....	production coordinator: Chicago
Melanie Morin	....	receptionist
Helene Muller	....	production coordinator
Tom Nicoll	....	production assistant
Colleen Nybo	....	post-production accountant
Caroline Portelance	....	model: ad campaign
Stefan Rand	....	production assistant
France Raymond	....	stand-in: Rose Byrne
Ryan Robertson	....	main title producer
Maria C. Roxas	....	key assistant location manager: Chicago
Marie-Danielle Sabourin	....	model: ad campaign
John Santilli	....	office intern
Micah Schifman	....	assistant: Mr. McGuigan
Elizabeth Schlater	....	assistant: Mr. Rosenberg
Katalin Schulteisz	....	assistant: Mr. Rosenberg
Laura Sevier	....	rights and clearances
Sacha Sojic	....	stand-in: Josh Hartnett
Michèle St-Arnaud	....	location manager
Paula Stier	....	production assistant: Chicago
Anthony Streicher	....	assistant: Mr. Lamal
Adam Thacker	....	production assistant
Jesse Todd	....	stand-in: Matthew Lillard
Carlo Treviso	....	production office intern: Chicago
Garson Yu	....	title designer
Michael J. Harker	....	completion bond company representative (uncredited)
Paula Kucharski	....	production office assistant (uncredited)
Erick Nyhuis	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Robert L. Benun	....	thanks: end titles

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Lakeshore Entertainment

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (2004) (USA) (all media)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corporation (MGM) (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Concorde Filmverleih (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Filmax S.A. (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Herald Film Company (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Hollywood Classic Entertainment (2004) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Momentum Pictures (2004) (UK) (theatrical)
• SND (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2004) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Shaw Organisation (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• 01 Distribuzione (2005) (Italy) (all media)
• Best Film CO (2004) (Poland) (all media)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• EuroVideo (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Momentum Pictures (2004) (UK) (all media)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Prooptiki (2004) (Romania) (all media)
• Pyramid (2004) (Russia) (all media)
• Revolutionary Releasing (2006) (Bulgaria) (DVD)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• SubTV (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Intrigue (special effects) (as L'Intrigue)
• Luma Pictures (visual effects)

Other Companies

• DeLuxe Laboratories  prints
• Entertainment Clearances  rights and clearances
• Fantasy Studios  foley recording
• Lakeshore Records  soundtrack published by
• LaserPacific  digital motion picture laboratory services (as LaserPacific Media Corporation)
• Mary Nelson-Fraser & Associates  negative cutting
• Orbit Digital  avid and support services
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  additional sound mixing
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  sound editing
• Technicolor Digital Intermediates  digital intermediate (as Technicolor Digital Intermediate)
• UK Computamatch  film data management (as Computamatch UK)
• Visual Motion  camera trucks and trailers provided by
• Warner Bros. Studio Facilities  sound re-recording
• William F. White International  grip and lighting equipment
• yU+Co.  main and end titles designed by

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexuality and language

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-7 | Germany:o.Al. | Ireland:12 | Norway:A | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #40403) | Australia:M | Malaysia:U | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:10 (original rating) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Netherlands:6 | Romania:A.G. | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Josh Hartnett signed on after Paul Walker was forced to drop out due to complications with the filming of 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Alex serves Mathew coffee in the champagne flutes, they both pick them up by the bowl instead of the stem which would be extremely hot to hold in their fingers.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jeweller:[holding a diamond ring] Magnificent, aren't they? "God's tears".
Matthew:Yeah. It's beautiful. So are the others, I... I guess I just have to make the right decision.
Jeweller:In the end it's not your eye that must decide.

Movie Connections:

References 8½ (1963)

Soundtrack:

The Scientist

A glimpse of stalking

I've just come back from seeing what I think is one of the best movies of 2004. I found the story fascinating, the look stylish, and the music haunting.

"Wicker Park" is a tale of obsession on many levels. It is told partly in flashback, so that you have to piece the events together and figure out how far back the action of the film began -- what is now and what was then. The director uses split-screen techniques that enhance the look and feel of the film, lifting it from the realm of the ordinary to the plane of art. A haunting theme weaves its way through this labyrinth of lies, leading to a satisfying (because inevitable) conclusion.

I saw the film with two friends who were of a very different opinion. They found the film "convoluted" and "clichéd". I disagree. It was easy to tell what was flashback and what was here-and-now. But the story is complicated (not convoluted) and does require some sorting out. As for being cliched, I found the film quite the opposite. It could have gone in some trite, hackneyed directions but didn't. And while some people might think the ending is the cliché of all clichés, I thought that, emotionally, it was absolutely right and the only possible way to end the film.

I loved "Wicker Park" so much that I would willingly see it again, to get a better sense of how the story is put together, and just for the sheer pleasure of its look and sound. You might say I too am obsessed.