The Book of Caleb (2008)

A comfortable underachiever and serial prankster, in the midst of their quarter life crisis, reunite against childhood enemies in a contemporary suburban epic.

Director:

Matthew von Manahan

Writers:

Matthew von Manahan, Michael English,

Stars:

Jeremy Luno, Mackenzie Firgens, Michael Hampton

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeremy Luno	...	Caleb
Mackenzie Firgens	...	Cole
Michael Hampton	...	Montag
Nikitas Manikatos	...	Swank
Jeff Berg	...	Scar
Paul Gleason	...	James Paddington
Billy Tanner	...	Tanner
Joseph A. Fluehr IV	...	General Green
Patrick Reynolds	...	Old Man (as Patrick M. Reynolds)
Thomas Bryan	...	Bus Boy #1
Bill Gartner	...	Bus Boy #2 (as Billy Gartner)
Cary Barker	...	Joyce
Brett Jacobsen	...	Simon
Bill McLaughlin	...	Principal
Von Wilson	...	Barkeep

Storyline

Twenty-something Caleb Callahan, a crusader without a cause, ventures back to his homeland of suburbia to live with his parents after unexpectedly dropping out of college in his final year. Once there he quickly reunites with his childhood companions Montag, the mastermind serial prankster, and Swank, his trusty sidekick. After one of their pranks reaps unexpected consequences, Caleb is forced to be the hero Montag always knew he could be, ultimately saving his friends and giving his life direction and meaning.

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Plot Keywords:

prank | robin hood | kissing | beer | darts | 

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Taglines:

Is it better to out-monster the monster, or to be quietly devoured?

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official MySpace Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2008 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Guns & Butter Entertainment, Dive FX, CineMassacre Productions, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Paul Gleason's final acting role before his death.

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Quotes

Montag: Mom, would you shut up?
Joyce: D'you see how rude he is to me?
Montag: Fine mom, will you shut up please?
Joyce: Would you take care of the trash please?... Caleb, I remember when you and Montag used to dig for bones in the backyard.
Montag: We weren't digging for bones Mom, we were digging graves.

User Reviews

A think-piece dramedy for fans of Wes Anderson, I Heart Huckabees, and/or Robin Hood allegories.

There isn't an independent film from this century or last which looks nearly as good, both in context and as far as production values are concerned. An utterly remarkable achievement, not only by von Manahan's budget's standards, but also by any American filmmaker's.

The other technical factor that floored me nearly has often as the settings was the score. Creative and rightfully epic, yet familiar, prompting a sense of nostalgia rarely obtained by indy films.

Haunting you for days will be the film's memorably inspired characters. They are as unique and as vibrant as the coloring book-esquire intertitles, both of which are littered with nuggets of wisdom usually reserved for that of parables.

At the heart of the plot, there's an insightful and ingenious tale of a Peter Pan who's left Neverland, only to return and discover maybe he wasn't the hero everyone thought he could, would, and or should have been all along.

While serious at times, the Book of Caleb is never quite melancholy or morose, and the more moving moments are often offset by sight gags and physical humor more akin to the comprehensive attitude of the story. This provides for a brilliant balance of laughs and introspection in an inventive and incredibly well paced film going experience.