The Thing About My Folks (2005)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Raymond De Felitta

Writer (WGA):

Paul Reiser (written by)

Release Date:

20 December 2006 (Kuwait)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Sometimes the fruit falls very far from the tree.

Plot:

Ben's dad Sam shows up one night with a note from Ben's mother (Sam's wife of 46 years), that she has left...

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Peter Falk	...	Sam Kleinman
Paul Reiser	...	Ben Kleinman
Olympia Dukakis	...	Muriel Kleinman
Elizabeth Perkins	...	Rachel Kleinman
Mackenzie Connolly	...	Lilly Kleinman
Lydia Jordan	...	Mia Kleinman
Ann Dowd	...	Linda
Claire Beckman	...	Hillary
Mimi Lieber	...	Bonnie
Bernie McInerney	...	Mr. Harrison
Catherine Taormina	...	Young Muriel Kleinman
Rachel Robinson	...	Voice of Young Muriel
Rich Duva	...	Young Sam Kleinman
Marshall Efron	...	Tow Truck Driver
Dennis Sheehan	...	Tackle Shop Owner
Timothy Hsu	...	Drugstore Cashier
Michael Duvert	...	Ramone Asquincella
Alison Fraser	...	Cutie's Mom
Adam Mucci	...	Pool Hall Bully
Craig Pattison	...	Bully's Friend
Tonye Patano	...	Nurse
Kevin Cahoon	...	Perky Waiter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lauren Bittner	...	Baseball Cutie
Marti Cooney	...	Woman in Restaurant (as Marti J. Cooney)
Jenna Gilliland	...	Extra
Samantha Musumeci	...	Young Bonnie in flashback scene
Jerry Seinfeld
Tom Brokaw	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Raymond De Felitta

Writing credits (WGA)
Paul Reiser		(written by)

Produced by
Steve Gaub	....	associate producer
Robert F. Newmyer	....	producer
Paul Reiser	....	producer
Jeffrey Silver	....	producer
Jamie H. Zelermyer	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Steven Argila

Cinematography by
Dan Gillham

Film Editing by
Sheila Amos
David Leonard

Casting by
Sheila Jaffe
Georgianne Walken

Production Design by
Timothy Whidbee

Set Decoration by
Elizabeth Meyerson

Costume Design by
Kathryn Nixon

Makeup Department
Jill Astmann	....	key makeup artist
Dallas Hartnett	....	key hair stylist
Charles McKenna	....	key makeup artist: second unit
Dionne Pitsikoulis	....	assistant makeup artist
Andrea C. Brotherton	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
David Bausch	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Maya Choldin	....	second assistant director
Solita Hanna	....	first assistant director
Steven Holtzman	....	second second assistant director
Kurt Lustgarten	....	second unit director

Art Department
Edwige Geminel	....	set dresser
Pernilla Ekstrom Greenwood	....	assistant property master
Matthew Hysell	....	art production assistant
Clifford Lane	....	property master
Carlos Osorio	....	additional art director
Alex Quarles	....	assistant property master
Jeffrey Thompson	....	property master

Sound Department
Ilya Akiyoshi	....	boom operator
Eddie Delena	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Edward DeLena)
Eddie Delena	....	supervising sound editor (as Edward DeLena)
Stuart Deutsch	....	sound mixer
Patrick Giraudi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Frederick Howard	....	supervising sound editor
Darrin Mann	....	foley mixer
Kelly Neese	....	boom operator
Rod O'Brien	....	adr mixer
Reuben Simon	....	sound effects editor
Jussi Tegelman	....	sound effects editor

Visual Effects by
Frank Foster	....	visual effects producer
David Hare	....	computer graphics supervisor
Andrew Somers	....	main titles design
Michael Tigar	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Peter Epstein	....	stunts
Roy Farfel	....	stunt double
Daniel Maldonado	....	stunt double
Manny Siverio	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Salvador Bolivar	....	best boy grip
Luis Colon	....	grip
Caswell Cooke	....	key grip
Joseph Czerw	....	dolly grip
James P. Dolan	....	gaffer
Osa Elmfors	....	additional first assistant camera
Tim Guinness	....	best boy
Peter Hawkins	....	camera operator
Charles Libin	....	camera operator
Jose Lorente	....	electrician
Matt Marlin	....	camera production assistant
Iris Ng	....	electrician
Ken Ortiz	....	second assistant camera
Larry Riley	....	still photographer
Marilou Vetter	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Melissa Braun	....	background casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Erin Aldridge Orr	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
George Chavez	....	color timer
Andrew Somers	....	assistant editor
John W. Wayland	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Houlihan	....	music supervisor
Season Kent	....	music supervisor
Stephen Krause	....	scoring mixer

Other crew
Michele Baker	....	assistant location manager
Carolyn Bennett	....	production assistant
Stacey Bunch	....	assistant: Mr. Reiser
Gerald Fernando	....	craft service
Jesse Fox Chaney	....	film runner (as Jesse Chaney)
Russell Gibson	....	stand-in: Peter Falk
Lisa Goldman	....	production assistant
Jennifer Halpern	....	production coordinator
Michael James	....	assistant: Mr. Reiser
Malaika Johnson	....	location scout
Nora Killoran	....	production coordinator
Marc Lieberman	....	assistant to producer
Veronica Lupo	....	script supervisor
Brian C. Mackey	....	production assistant
Ralph Pellegrini	....	location scout
Matt Tulve	....	production assistant: Los Angeles
Christian Vendetti	....	key production assistant
Daniel Villagomez	....	credits administrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Nuance Productions
• Outlaw Productions (I)

Distributors

• Digital Site Corporation (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Picturehouse Entertainment (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• Be Best in DVD (BBI-DVD) (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Folks Inc.
• New Films International (2005) (non-USA) (all media)
• One Movie (2007) (Italy) (all media)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Sunfilm Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Tigar Hare Studios

Other Companies

• Virtualmix  sound re-recording

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, including some suggestive references.

Runtime:

USA:96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-11 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Garwood, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Nuance Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: When the son and father are driving down the road, the red car behind them disappears then reappears. After a few shots the red car finally passes them.

Quotes:

[Two young girls walk by. Sam keeps staring after them, finally points at them]
Sam Kleinman: Explain that to me.
Ben Kleinman: What?
Sam Kleinman: The holes in those jeans...
Ben Kleinman: Uh-uh.
Sam Kleinman: They're on purpose?
Ben Kleinman: That's right.
Sam Kleinman: It's not because she's poor, and can only afford ripped clothes?
Ben Kleinman: That's correct, sir.
Sam Kleinman: [takes this in] And she doesn't mind that we can see her ass peeking out like that?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: (2006-02-14)" (2006)

Superb festival entry!

So fortunate were we to see this fantastic film at the Palm Springs International Film festival. Upon entering the theater we were handed a small opinion card that would be used for our personal rating of the film. Looking at the card I turned to my wife and said, "How many movies in your life do you think you can rate as superb? Only about 5 for me." But then watching the interaction between Peter Falk and Paul Reiser while viewing the spectacular scenery in the film's setting of New York state, I slowly starting bumping the movie up a category at a time. Certainly it was good but the totally natural repoire of the actors and an award winning performance by a man who will unfortunately probably be remembered for a raincoat wearing detective rather than this film, the movie jumped to the excellent level.

By the end of the film there were few dry eyes in the house and my usually stoic and callous heart melted just like the Grinch's and I ended up giving this a superb.

This picture is a must for anyone who has parents. No violence or nudity but some strong language.