The Chumscrubber (2005)

Popularity:

Up 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Arie Posin

Writers:

Zac Stanford (screenplay)
Arie Posin (story)

Release Date:

5 October 2006 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Fear. Trust. Love.

Plot:

A darkly satiric story about life crumbling in the midst of a seemingly idyllic suburbia.

Plot Keywords:

Pills | Death | Chumscrubber | Friend | School

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jamie Bell	...	Dean
Camilla Belle	...	Crystal
Justin Chatwin	...	Billy
Glenn Close	...	Carrie Johnson
Thomas Curtis	...	Charlie Bratley
Rory Culkin	...	Charlie Stiffle
Kathi Copeland	...	Parent #1 (as Kathy Copeland)
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
Lauren Holly	...	Boutique Owner
Jason Isaacs	...	Mr. Parker
Allison Janney	...	Allie Stiffle
Josh Janowicz	...	Troy (as Joshua Janowicz)
Eric Jungmann	...	Student #2 (as Eric Jungman)
Carrie-Anne Moss	...	Jerri Falls
Jeffrey Vincent Parise	...	Aide to Mayor Ebbs (as Jeff Parise)
Lou Taylor Pucci	...	Lee
Laura Shanahan	...	Party Goer #1
Scott Spiro	...	Party Goer #2
Max Van Ville	...	Student #3
Rita Wilson	...	Terri Bratley
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rachel Zeskind	...	Witness (uncredited)

Directed by
Arie Posin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Arie Posin		story
Zac Stanford		screenplay

Produced by
Lawrence Bender	....	producer
Michael Beugg	....	executive producer
Susanne Bohnet	....	co-producer
Lee Clay	....	co-producer
Bonnie Curtis	....	producer
Manfred D. Heid	....	co-producer (as Manfred Heid)
Gerd Koechlin	....	co-producer
Josef Lautenschlager	....	executive producer
Philip Levinson	....	executive producer
Andreas Thiesmeyer	....	executive producer
Todd Williams	....	co-producer
Bob Yari	....	executive producer

Original Music by
James Horner

Cinematography by
Lawrence Sher		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
William S. Scharf		(as William Scharf)
Arthur Schmidt

Casting by
Anya Colloff
Amy McIntyre Britt

Production Design by
Patti Podesta

Art Direction by
Christopher Tandon

Set Decoration by
Danielle Berman
Maria Nay

Costume Design by
Mary Claire Hannan

Makeup Department
Enzo Angileri	....	hair stylist: Glenn Close
Tammy Ashmore	....	key makeup artist
Eric Bernard	....	hair stylist: Glenn Close (as Eric Barnard)
Nathan J. Busch II	....	hair department head (as Nathan Busch)
Iraina Crenshaw	....	key hair stylist
Lumas Hamilton Jr.	....	additional hair stylist (as Lumas Hamilton)
Cathy Highland	....	makeup artist: Glenn Close
John E. Jackson	....	makeup department head
Fay Kelly	....	additional hair stylist
Amy Lederman	....	additional makeup artist
Roseanne McIlvane	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Robert Katz	....	executive in charge of production
Patty Long	....	production supervisor
John Portnoy	....	post-production executive
John Portnoy	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anne Berger	....	second second assistant director
Max Berryhill	....	second assistant director (as M.C. 'Max' Berryhill)
Cas Donovan	....	first assistant director
Michael Helfand	....	first assistant director
Anthony E. Kountz	....	second second assistant director (as Anthony Kountz)
David Lowery	....	second unit director
Bill Maher	....	second unit director

Art Department
Marco Arcipreste	....	propmaker
Sharon Barnebey	....	painter
James Barron	....	propmaker
Curt Beech	....	assistant art director
David Benavides	....	set dresser
Daniel Bergman	....	general construction foreman
Danielle Berman	....	assistant set decorator
James Bittl	....	greensperson
Wren Boney	....	set dresser (as Laura Wren Boney)
Barry Caraco	....	propmaker
Denis Cordova	....	construction coordinator
Tom Day	....	assistant property master (as Thomas Day)
Aaron Dick	....	set dresser
William Dunlap	....	set dresser
Jeremy Eason	....	art worker
Franco Esile	....	set dresser
Kasra Farahani	....	illustrator
Joseph Fedo	....	on-set dresser (as Joe Fedo)
Trixie Gardner	....	set dresser (as Shannon Spinella)
Dick Girod	....	paint foreman (as Richard Girod)
Jim Gmuer	....	set dresser (as James Gmuer)
Yoo Jung Han	....	art worker (as Yoojung Han)
Terry Harsha	....	propmaker
Beatriz Kerti	....	art department coordinator
Kim Lincoln	....	graphic designer
David Lowery	....	storyboard artist
Cristina Lyra	....	art worker
Bill MacSems	....	assistant property master
Edward J. McCarthy	....	leadperson (as Ed McCarthy)
Michael O'Donnell	....	set dresser
Missy Parker	....	assistant set decorator
Chris Pascuzzo	....	leadperson (as Christopher Pascuzzo)
Francis Pennington	....	propmaker
Andrew Petrotta	....	property master (as Drew Petrotta)
Alejandro Poli	....	painter
Charles Pridmore	....	greensperson
Jeffrey Seay	....	painter
Erin Smith	....	assistant set decorator
John Villarino	....	construction coordinator
Joseph Wittenberg	....	painter
Michael Wittenberg	....	painter
Darin Woldman	....	propmaker
Timothy Oakley	....	prop fabricator (uncredited)
Andre Sowards	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Randy Babajtis	....	sound effects editor
Jeremy Balko	....	adr mixer
Jeremy Balko	....	foley mixer
Matthew C. Beville	....	foley supervisor
Peter Brown	....	supervising sound editor
Richard Burton	....	sound effects editor
Dhyana Carlton-Tims	....	assistant dialogue editor
Jason England	....	dialogue editor
Stephen Hunter Flick	....	sound designer
Alan Freedman	....	adr mixer
Scott Hinkley	....	post-production sound recordist
Shawn Holden	....	sound mixer
Cody King	....	assistant sound editor
John Kline	....	boom operator
Martin Lopez	....	sound designer
Mark Messick	....	sound effects editor
Andrew Morgado	....	assistant sound editor
Shelley Roden	....	foley artist
Ted Swanscott	....	adr mixer
Jonathan Wales	....	sound re-recording mixer

Visual Effects by
Jared Barber	....	animator
Melissa Best	....	compositor: previz, Frantic Films
Chris Bond	....	visual effects supervisor
Jason Booth	....	lead compositor
Brent Breedveld	....	lead animator
Matt Broeska	....	3D lead: Frantic Films
Shane Davidson	....	digital compositor
Conrad Dueck	....	3D supervisor: Frantic Films
Karin Eunson-Ross	....	visual effects coordinator: Frantic Films
Chris Harvey	....	digital artist
Adam Holmes	....	digital animation supervisor
Sean Konrad	....	digital compositor
Michael Latschislaw	....	animator
Tom Leckie	....	digital compositor
Bill Maher	....	visual effects designer
Chris Pember	....	lighting and rendering
Borislav Petrov	....	technical supervisor: Frantic Films
Jane Sharvina	....	compositor: Frantic Films
Randal Shore	....	visual effects producer: Frantic Films
George Taylor	....	compositor
Allen Tracy	....	visual effects coordinator: Frantic Films
Yves Tremblay	....	digital compositor
Dan Walker	....	digital compositor
Shawn Wallbridge	....	systems administrator
Blair Werschler	....	visual effects
Chad Wiebe	....	3D lead: Frantic Films
Ken Zorniak	....	visual effects
Anne Kim	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Joey Box	....	stunts
Keith Campbell	....	stunt coordinator
Darrell Davis	....	stunts
Brad Martin	....	stunts
John Moio	....	stunts
Marty Murray	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
David Adams	....	rigging electrician
Michael Albala	....	rigging electrician (as Mike Albala)
Dale Balani	....	rigging electrician
Ethan Brannon	....	grip
Alejandro J. Castillo	....	rigging electrician
Liam Clark	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Pedro Max Cornejo-Lopez	....	video playback operator
Sean Patrick Crowell	....	first company grip (as Sean Crowell)
Nathan Crum	....	film loader
Kirill Davidoff	....	director of photography: second unit
Matthew Deetsch	....	lighting technician (as Matt Deetch)
Julie Donovan	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Richard Foreman Jr.	....	still photographer (as Richard Foreman)
Bobby Foster	....	dolly grip
Bryan G. Haigh	....	first assistant camera
Daniel Hanych	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
David Irwin	....	chief lighting technician
Tino Jimenez	....	best boy electric
John Koth	....	second company grip
Seth Kotok	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Matt Landry	....	grip
Jeff Lynn	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
John McKain	....	grip
Graham McPherson	....	grip
Rudy Melendez	....	lighting technician
Bob Myers	....	rigging grip
David A. Parks	....	dimmer board operator (as David Parks)
John Pingry	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Bernie Smith	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
John Spellman	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Chris Stanman	....	rigging electrician
Calvin Starnes	....	rigging key grip
Jonas Steadman	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Al Stewart	....	grip
Kirk Tedeski	....	video playback coordinator
Taj J. Teffaha	....	camera operator (as Taj Teffaha)
Omari Thomas	....	lighting technician
Joe Thompson	....	lighting technician
Aaron Triche	....	rigging electrician
Brett Van Ort	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Michael J. Walsh	....	gaffer: second unit
Michael J. Walsh	....	lighting technician (as Mike Walsh)
Nickolas Xiros II	....	rigging gaffer
Fante Zamora	....	additional rigging grip

Casting Department
Sari Knight	....	casting associate
Carrie Levin	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Roberta Bilé	....	assistant costume designer (as Roberta Bile)
Claire Breaux	....	wardrobe assistant
Jean Carson	....	set costumer (as Jean E. Carson)
Brooke Fein	....	wardrobe assistant
Elizabeth C. Grudzinski-Seal	....	set costumer
Sabine Huber	....	costumer
Paul St. John	....	additional costumer
Jennifer Steele	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Jenny Brandt	....	digital intermediate project manager
Marisa Clayton	....	post-production Coordinator: Modern VideoFilm
Joe Finley	....	digital intermediate colorist
Julie Garces	....	associate editor
Dana E. Glauberman	....	additional editor
Bryan Park	....	film editorial: Modern Video Film
Dan Williams	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Dick Bernstein	....	music editor
George Doering	....	musician: guitar
Chris Douridas	....	music supervisor
Tom Hardisty	....	score recordist
James Horner	....	musician: piano/synthesizer
Simon Rhodes	....	music scoring mixer
Peter Rotter	....	music contractor

Transportation Department
Luis Arroyo	....	driver (as Louis Arroyo)
Michael Callahan	....	driver (as Mike Callahan)
Mike Deegan	....	driver
Jennifer Duclos	....	driver (as Jennifer DuClos)
Christian G. Ervin	....	driver (as Chris Ervin)
Will Gardner	....	driver
Dash Hart	....	driver
Geno Hart	....	transportation coordinator
Chris Haynes	....	driver
Philip Henderson	....	driver (as Phil Henderson)
Alfie Jensen	....	driver
Esteban Munoz	....	driver
Hardy Ophuls	....	transportation captain
John Pellegrino	....	driver
Adam Pinkstaff	....	transportation co-captain
Michael 'Bud' Ruben	....	driver (as Bud Ruben)
Dave Walden Jr.	....	driver (as Dave Walden)
Chris Waldoch	....	driver
Robert Young	....	driver

Other crew
Philip Abatecola	....	office production assistant
Laura Bagano	....	craft service
Noel Bastien	....	set production assistant
Chris Baugh	....	location manager
Kent Bernhard	....	office production assistant
Max Berryhill	....	set production assistant (as Maria C. Berryhill)
J.M. Brown	....	production secretary
Jason Brown	....	office production assistant
Hilary Carver	....	unit publicist
Robert Castro	....	stand-in
Almarie Clifford	....	studio teacher
Patti Dalzell	....	script supervisor
David Diamond	....	location manager
Sharon C. Dietz	....	production coordinator
James Eric	....	utility technician
Mandy Friedrich	....	studio teacher
Eduardo Garcia	....	assistant chef
Rosemary Gearheart	....	stand-in
Theresa Getzler	....	assistant craft service (as Teresa Getzler)
Cole Gittinger	....	set production assistant
Suraj Gohill	....	production lender
Rick Gold	....	assistant: Neil Sacker (as Richard Gold)
Luis Gomez	....	assistant chef
Todd Hansen	....	set production assistant
Andrea Hanson	....	assistant: Mr. Yari
Susan Hegarty	....	dialect coach
Scott Herrick	....	first key accountant
Randy Kerber	....	synthesizer programmer
Michele LaBrucherie	....	set production assistant (as Michelle La Brucherie)
Jessica Latham	....	set production assistant
Anja Lauble	....	assistant: Nicoletta Tartarotti and Dr. Anne Hofmann
Jennifer Levine	....	first aid
Jody Lindke	....	assistant: Arie Posin
Michael J. Linowes	....	legal counsel
Barbara Long	....	production accountant
Robbie MacDonald	....	office production assistant
Janet Matlock	....	assistant: Bonnie Curtis
Michael Matus	....	construction medic
Franka Mavrides	....	set production assistant
Anthony Mendez	....	office production assistant
Talin Parseghian Middleton	....	office production assistant (as Talin Parseghian)
Naomi Motohashi	....	assistant location manager
Nelson O. Noguera	....	assistant chef (as Nelson Noguera)
Lynda Resnick	....	studio teacher (as Linda Resnick)
Genaro Rodriguez	....	chef (as Gerado Rodriquez)
Felipe Rodriquez	....	assistant chef (as Felip Rodriguez)
Jill Rubin	....	assistant: Lawrence Bender
Gail Ruckel	....	studio teacher
Adam Schindler	....	assistant to producer
Margaret L. Schlaifer	....	studio teacher (as Margaret Schlaifer)
Michael Soleau	....	key assistant location manager
Shelly Strong	....	production executive
Daniel Stutz	....	business and legal affairs executive
Ian Underwood	....	synthesizer programmer
Ian Watermeier	....	staff coordinator
Marsha Whittaker	....	studio teacher
Matt Wilbur	....	clerk
Todd Williams	....	production executive
Lynn Wyett	....	first aid
Catherine Zappa	....	assistant: Daniel Stutz and Meredith Grindlinger
Bradley Winters	....	intern: office (uncredited)

Thanks
Kathleen Kennedy	....	thanks
Eunice Lee	....	thanks
Jim Lemley	....	thanks
Frank Marshall	....	thanks
Cree Summer	....	thanks

Production Companies

• El Camino Pictures
• Equity Pictures Medienfonds GmbH & Co. KG II
• Go Fish Pictures
• Lawrence Bender Productions

Distributors

• 3L Filmverleih (2006) (Austria) (theatrical)
• 3L Filmverleih (2006) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Icon Film Distribution (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• Indipendenti Regionali (2006) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Newmarket Films (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Divisa Home Video (2012) (Spain) (DVD)
• Eagle Films (2005) (non-USA) (all media) (Middle East)
• Gativideo (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2006) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Go Fish Pictures (2005) (worldwide) (all media)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• e-m-s new media (2007) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Frantic Films (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• Direct Tools & Fasteners  expendables
• KO Creative  trailer
• Lakeshore Records  soundtrack
• Linowes & Burkin  legal counsel
• Media Distributors Film Source  Fuji film provided by
• Pivotal Post  Avid editing equipment provided by
• Sonic Magic  sound post-production

Also Known As:

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:

Argentina:16 | Australia:MA15+ | Finland:K-13 | Germany:12 | Italy:VM14 | New Zealand:R13 | Portugal:M/16 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

El Camino Pictures

Trivia:

One of the two movies released in 2005 that starred Glenn Close, Jason Isaacs, and William Fichtner as part of the ensemble casting. The other film was Nine Lives (2005).

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:

Mr. Parker:Those kids again, Lee?
Lee:We're doing a group project.
Mrs. Parker:With them, Lee? You think they care what grades you get?
Lee:Mom...
Mr. Parker:Look, son, you let your grades go now, maybe you don't get into a top tier school.
Lee:Yeah.
Mr. Parker:You don't get into a top tier school, maybe you settle for a second-rate job. Maybe you don't have the life you want. Maybe each and every day you wake up, and want to crawl back into bed, and tell the world to go straight to hell.
Mrs. Parker:We're just saying, you've worked too hard to blow it in your last year.
[...]

Soundtrack:

Run

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.