The Big White (2005)

Director:

Mark Mylod

Writer (WGA):

Collin Friesen (written by)

Release Date:

27 October 2005 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

When you need somebody, any body will do.

Plot:

To remedy his financial problems, a travel agent has his eye on a frozen corpse, which just happens to be sought after by two hitmen.

Plot Keywords:

Fall From Height | Alaska | Kidnapping | Tied To Chair | Insurance Agent

Cast

Robin Williams	...	Paul Barnell
Holly Hunter	...	Margaret Barnell
Giovanni Ribisi	...	Ted
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Gary
W. Earl Brown	...	Jimbo
Woody Harrelson	...	Raymond Barnell
Alison Lohman	...	Tiffany
Billy Merasty	...	Cam
Marina Stephenson Kerr	...	Avis
Ralph J. Alderman	...	Mr. Branch
Frank Adamson	...	Detective Boyle
Andrea Shawcross	...	Hair Stylist
Ryan Miranda	...	Korean-am teenager
Craig March	...	Howard
Ty Wood	...	Paperboy

Also Known As:

The big White - Immer Ärger mit Raymond (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for language including sexual references and some violence.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

Germany | Canada | New Zealand | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:14 | USA:R (certificate #41400) | Ireland:15A | UK:15 | Finland:K-15 | Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 (cut) | South Korea:15 | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Alaska, USA

Company:

Ascendant Pictures

Trivia:

According to the director's audio commentary on the DVD, financiers wanted Meg Ryan to play Holly Hunter's role. She flirted with the idea for about a year, before eventually dropping it.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Paul Barnell discovers the body in the dumpster he says, "911" and proceeds to dial three digits and you hear ringing. The tones the buttons make on the cell phone as the digits are pressed are actually "123".

Quotes:

Paul Barnell: [Margaret is bound and gagged in back seat of Jimbo's car] Why did you gag her?
Jimbo: [exasperated] You know!

Movie Connections:

References "Law & Order" (1990)

Soundtrack:

I Want to Protect You

Darkly Comic, Intelligent Film

The Big White has some high-powered actors: Holly Hunter, Robin Williams, Woody Harrelson, Giovanni Ribisi, Tim Blake Nelson and Alison Lohman. I'm usually hesitant to see movies with so many amazing actors... usually it means the budget was big enough to get all of them and the players barely hold the film's bad script afloat. Not so in this case! The fact that the Big White didn't have a major theatrical release is hard to comprehend. Seems like that happens to some of the best films... the ones that aren't full of cheap laughs and actually have developed characters.

The Big White has been compared to Fargo for its snow, death and money. Not a bad movie to be put alongside at all! It certainly was influenced by Fargo, but diverges from there. This film is less about greed and more about deep love (searching for it and nurturing existing love.) Holly Hunter is a beautifully nuanced character and made me crack up several times. Robin Williams is in top form, comic and deeply tragic. A great vehicle for emerging actress Alison Lohman. Giovanni Ribisi is brilliant. Even the smallest characters in The Big White are detailed. The film has a slower pace yet it is never boring. The camera- work is beautiful and the characters are so interesting that you want to know more about them, even in their quiet moments, which is when they shine the most.