The Chumscrubber (2005)

Director:

Arie Posin

Writers:

Arie Posin (story)
Zac Stanford (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 August 2005 (Greece)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Meet Generation Rx

Plot:

The Chumscrubber is a darkly satiric story about life crumbling in the midst of a seemingly idyllic suburbia.

Plot Keywords:

Pill | Bedroom | Drug Dealer | Suburbia | Teen

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jamie Bell	...	Dean
Camilla Belle	...	Crystal
Justin Chatwin	...	Billy
Glenn Close	...	Carrie Johnson
Kathi Copeland	...	Parent #1 (as Kathy Copeland)
Rory Culkin	...	Charlie Stiffle
Thomas Curtis	...	Charlie Bratley
Tim DeKay	...	Mr. Peck
David Ellison	...	Student #1 (as David Ellsion)
William Fichtner	...	Mr. Bill Stiffle
Ralph Fiennes	...	Mayor Michael Ebbs
Richard Gleason	...	Parent #2
Caroline Goodall	...	Mrs. Parker
John Heard	...	Officer Lou Bratley
Susan Hegarty	...	Aide to Mayor Ebbs

Also Known As:

Glück in kleinen Dosen (Germany)
Untitled Arie Posin Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, violent content, drug material and some sexuality.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:15 | Australia:MA | Italy:VM14 | Germany:12 | New Zealand:R13 | Portugal:M/16 | Finland:K-13 | Argentina:16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

El Camino Pictures

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dean and Crystal are talking in the lunch line, the same female extra walks by twice in only a few seconds.

Quotes:

Dr. Bill Stiffle: Mrs. Johnson suspects that Troy might have been selling drugs to some other kids at school.
Dean Stiffle: Yeah?
Dr. Bill Stiffle: How do you feel about that?
Dean Stiffle: I feel that it must have been unfulfilling for him.
Dr. Bill Stiffle: That's very interesting. Why do you say that?
Dean Stiffle: Because he killed himself.

Soundtrack:

Pure Morning

A fresh, fun, and moving examination of crazy people (us) in suburbia.

I was able to see a screening of this film at Sundance tonight (1/26/05) and I just wanted to let anyone who was curious about this movie that it is definitely worth seeing. Some lucky distributor is going to make bank off of this great film by a skilled director and soulful screenwriter.

Although I was pleasantly surprised as famous face after famous face came on the screen, Jamie Bell (main character Dean) is without equal. In the Q&A session after the screening, the Director talked a little about wanting to make a movie that examined the hypocrisy and muted subjects of our culture. I think he hit the nail right on the head. He also talked about how they removed all pop culture references in the movie so that they could create their own archetype of pop culture-- the Chumscrubber. The characteristics of this comic book/video game hero are an allegory that can help you decode the messages of the movie. (On a comic note, he also said that once you see this movie you will see dolphins EVERYWHERE. When you see it, you'll know what I mean.) Screenwriter Zak Stanford said that a Chubscrubber is the worst job in the fishing village he grew up in. It's the person that has to mop the floor clean after everyone else has gutted and processed the fish. This movie, in part, discussed "what it would be like to have someone do that for you."

There are parts of this movie that are definitely funny. However, I didn't find myself laughing at all them because I couldn't shake the feeling that I would have been laughing at myself. I guess I'm saying that for those of us who find themselves seeking escape in a world that finds us trivial, there is a lot of truth in this movie. But don't worry... it also shows us the power a single human connection can have.

SEE/BUY/DISCUSS/ANTICIPATE/DEVOUR THIS MOVIE!!

Ascender

P.S.- Don't be put off by trite descriptions of this film as a "tale of a young boy fending off the evils of suburbia." It really doesn't do it justice. It's fresh, fun, and moving.