Crashing (2007)

Having been kicked out of his house by his wife, writer Richard McMurray crashes on the couch of two sexy co-eds where he just might find the inspiration to complete his second novel.

Director:

Gary Walkow

Writers:

Gary Walkow (screenplay), Gary Walkow (story),

Stars:

David Cross, Caleigh White, Campbell Scott

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Cross	...	Space Station Man
Caleigh White	...	Space Station Woman
Campbell Scott	...	Richard McMurray
Alex Kingston	...	Diane Freed
Izabella Miko	...	Kristen
Lizzy Caplan	...	Jacqueline
Devin Barry	...	Brad
Holly Reiser	...	Revised Space Station Woman
Alexandra Safford	...	Unseen Woman
Alayna Corrick	...	Real Estate Woman (segment "Jacqueline's Real Estate Fiction")
Duane Clark	...	Real Estate Man (segment "Jacqueline's Real Estate Fiction")
Randall Hastings	...	Barton (segment "Kristin's Bowling Ball Fiction") (as Randy Hastings)
Nora Kirkpatrick	...	Barton's Girlfriend (segment "Kirstin's Bowling Ball Fiction")
Nash Garrison	...	Barton's Bud #1 (segment "Kristin's Bowling Ball Fiction")
Patrick Graves	...	Barton's Bud #2 (segment 'Kristin's Bowling Ball Fiction)

Storyline

Richard McMurray's first novel was a success, but his second novel is sitting unfinished on his computer in his house, which his wife just locked him out of. After a speaking engagement at a local college, Richard accepts the invitation from two sexy college students to crash on their couch. He should only be there for a day or two but legal battles with his soon-to-be ex-wife, pressures from his editor and publisher, and more importantly, his new-found inspiration just might keep him there longer. He's using them as his muses, they're using him for writing guidance, but what are they all supposed to do about that sexual tension?

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Plot Keywords:

college | couch | computer | student | co ed | 

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Taglines:

A writer's best work is between the covers.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexual content and brief drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

January 2007 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Santa Monica, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Existential Films, Pendragon Film

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Richard McMurray: Are you fucking with me?
Kristen: Define "fucking".
Jacqueline: God, that word. It's so subjective, so charged, so evanescent.

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Connections

References The Big Lebowski (1998)

User Reviews

About the dilemma of living life, or simulating life (9/10)

Geez it's been a while since I've written a review but I've been in a rut seeing action-prison-bad-guy-does-good genre flicks that usually end up boring me after 20 minutes. The last film that actually amused me was the latest Star Trek (2009). It's been a dry spell when it comes to movies that go beyond face value - I kid you not...

Crashing (2007) had me interested from the starting credit music - a quirky, sparse little woodwind theme that would be repeated throughout the film.

The film is about a the travails of a writer, Richard McMurray (Campbell Scott) stumbling over himself and the roadblock of first novel success. Comfortable, complacent and frustrated by eternally trying to repeat the formula of his first book.

Richard's life gets ripped apart when his wife kicks him out of the house and freezes his bank accounts. At a creative writing presentation he tells of his writer's block and new sense of heady liberation due to circumstances beyond his control, and gets invited to crash at the apartment of a female student. And so Richard ends up sleeping on the couch of coeds Kristen and Jacqueline, provided that he critiques their own writing endeavors.

Much credit to Izabella Miko and Lizzy Caplan, who nicely contrast each other as the muse twins of dark and light. I've been a fan of Campbell Scott since Roger Dodger (2002) and here he is just as amusingly self-deprecating.

It's an engrossing movie that will pull you in as the author and two young girls intertwine in life and in fiction.