Off the Black (2006)

Director:

James Ponsoldt

Writer:

James Ponsoldt

Release Date:

8 December 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Would you let this man be your father?

Plot:

An aging, disillusioned alcoholic (Nolte) gets a younger friend (Morgan) and wants him to pose as his son at a school reunion. |

Plot Keywords:

Alcoholic | Funeral | Train Tracks | Train Whistle | No Opening Credits

Cast

Trevor Morgan	...	Dave Tibbel
Nick Nolte	...	Ray Cook
Rosemarie DeWitt	...	Debra
Thomas Schall	...	Male Parent #1
Paul Urcioli	...	Male Parent #2
Johnathan Tchaikovsky	...	Paul Michaels
Noah Fleiss	...	Todd Hunter
Sonia Feigelson	...	Ashley Tibbel
Timothy Hutton	...	Mr. Tibbel
James Ponsoldt	...	Robby
Darrell Larson	...	Doctor
Richard Petrocelli	...	Man in Doctor's Office
Richard Terwilliger	...	Teacher
Marlyne Barrett	...	Nancy (as Marlyne Afflack)
Michael Higgins	...	Al Cook
Grace Woodard	...	Greeter #1
Lee Bryant	...	Greeter #2
John Tuell	...	Jonas Worthy
Sally Kirkland	...	Marianne Reynolds
Alex Wipf	...	Ted
Nancy Johnston	...	Tina Evans
Whitney Bashor	...	Autumn
Peter Van Wagner	...	Horton
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joseph Costa	...	Guest at High School Reunion
Jordan Scott Gilbert	...	Student
Teddy Yoon	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
James Ponsoldt

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
James Ponsoldt

Produced by
Carrie Fix	....	co-producer
Robert Hariri	....	executive producer (as Bob Hariri)
Steve Kalafer	....	executive producer
Scott Macaulay	....	producer
Maggie Meade	....	executive producer
Meg Mortimer	....	executive producer
Robin O'Hara	....	producer
Matt Tromans	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Claire Campbell
Alex Neville
Brian Petway

Cinematography by
Tim Orr

Film Editing by
Sabine Hoffmann

Casting by
Avy Kaufman

Production Design by
Anthony Gasparro

Art Direction by
Chuck Renaud

Set Decoration by
Sara Parks

Costume Design by
Caroline Duncan

Makeup Department
Daisy Curbeon	....	key hair stylist
Scott W. Farley	....	additional hair stylist (as Scott Farley)
Julia Lallas	....	makeup department head (as Julia Lallas Brusilovsky)
Rebecca Perkins	....	additional key makeup artist
Dionne Pitsikoulis	....	additional key makeup artist (as Dionne Pitsikoulias)
Sanna Riley	....	additional makeup artist (as Sanna Kaye Riley)

Production Management
Peter Bobrow	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Blazina	....	second assistant director
Cathleen McFadyen	....	second second assistant director (as Cat McFadyen)
Curtis Smith	....	first assistant director (as Curtis A. Smith Jr.)

Art Department
Charles Ard	....	scenic artist
Mary Blanchard	....	camera scenic
Caitlin Brown	....	art department intern
Amanda Cove	....	scenic artist
Kathy Creutzberg-Enos	....	scenic artist
Claire Falkenberg	....	art production assistant
Millacent Fearon	....	on-set dresser
Joan C. Jackson	....	carpenter
Zbigniew 'Ziggy' Kouros	....	key construction grip (as Zbigniew Kouros)
Karissa Lemmon	....	art production assistant
Sal Mink	....	scenic artist
Elizabeth Minot	....	set dresser
Jessica Nyssen	....	scenic artist (as Jessica Nissen)
Jose Pavon	....	property master
Evelyn Sakash	....	scenic artist
Nicole M. Solis	....	scenic artist (as Nicole Solis)
Mark Sonderskov	....	construction coordinator
John Stachowicz	....	scenic artist
Craig A. Thompson	....	art production assistant
Joshua Visser	....	lead man
Joe Wehmeyer	....	art production assistant
Alexis Weiss	....	assistant property master

Sound Department
Chad Birmingham	....	assistant sound editor
Christof Gebert	....	additional sound mixer
Mariusz Glabinski	....	sound effects editor
Marlena Grzaslewicz	....	adr editor
Marlena Grzaslewicz	....	dialogue editor
Anguibe Guindo	....	boom operator
Ken Ishii	....	sound playback operator
Coll Ison	....	foley engineer
Bobby Johanson	....	adr engineer (as Bobby Johnson)
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	dialogue editor
David Kramer	....	loop group editor
Lawrence Loewinger	....	additional sound (as Lawrence Lowewinger)
Daniel McIntosh	....	additional sound
James Nichols	....	consultant: dolby sound
Jay Peck	....	foley artist
Giancarlo Petroni	....	dubbing mixer
Ira Spiegel	....	sound effects editor
Joseph Spiegel	....	sound intern
Reilly Steele	....	sound re-recording mixer: Sound One Corporation
Noah Timan	....	sound mixer (as Noah Vivekanand Timan)
Ryan Collison	....	foley engineer (uncredited)
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Stunts
Manny Siverio	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Rico Omega Alston	....	playback operator (as Rico Alston)
Michael Best	....	additional first assistant camera
David Bowers	....	additional grip
Steven Capitano Calitri	....	additional electrician (as Steve Calitri)
Matthew Callagy	....	additional generator operator
James Casey	....	company grip
Matthew Clark	....	camera operator (as Matt Clark)
Luis Contreras	....	additional electrician
John Coots	....	company electrician
Devin Donegan	....	playback operator (as Devon Donegan)
Avra Fox-Lerner	....	additional electrician (as Avara Fox-Lerner)
Chris Frumkes	....	additional electrician
Eric Gearity	....	key grip
Robert Gearity	....	additional grip
Kley Gilbuena	....	additional grip (as Klay C. Gilbuena)
Dennis Green	....	playback operator
Jamison Grella	....	third electrician
Anne Joyce	....	still photographer
Linda Kallerus	....	second assistant camera (as Linda Slater)
Keith Kalohelani	....	additional electrician
Alexandra Kanal Matheson	....	additional camera loader (as Alexandra Kanal)
Meg Kettell	....	camera loader (as Meg Kettel)
Mike Kirsch	....	additional grip
Dan Kubicek	....	additional electrician
Dave Levine	....	additional gaffer (as David Levine)
Lou Massa	....	additional grip
Michael J. Maurer	....	best boy electric
Rick Morrison	....	additional electrician
Andy Motz	....	additional electrician
Elizabeth O'Brien	....	additional electrician
Allen Parks	....	additional electrician
Igor Potashanik	....	additional grip (as Igor Potashnik)
Craig Pressgrove	....	first assistant camera
Michael P. Prisco Jr.	....	additional electrician (as Michael Prisco Jr.)
Steve Ramsey	....	gaffer
Chris Reynolds	....	additional first assistant camera
Chris Rosen	....	additional electrician
Michael Rudolph	....	additional electrician
Chris Scarafile	....	dolly grip
Randy Schwartz	....	additional second assistant camera
Douglas W. Shannon	....	additional gaffer (as Doug Shannon)
Keith Steinberg	....	additional grip
Jonathan Vendetti	....	additional electrician
Marc Vranesich	....	best boy grip (as Mark Vranesich)
Ryan Webb	....	additional electrician
Andy Westbrook	....	additional grip
Ethan Wilhelm	....	additional grip
Pieter Willemse	....	camera intern
Kit Pennebaker	....	camera intern (uncredited)

Casting Department
Cody P. Beke	....	casting assistant (as Cody Beke)
Elizabeth Greenberg	....	casting associate
Leeba Zakharov	....	casting assistant
David H. Kramer	....	adr voice casting (uncredited)
Rita Powers	....	extras casting (uncredited)
Sean Powers	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laura Downing	....	set costumer
Felicity Gifford	....	set costumer
Kathy Gifford	....	wardrobe supervisor
Andrea Roa	....	wardrobe assistant
Laura Steinman	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Laura R. Steinman)

Editorial Department
Don Ciana	....	color timer
Marin Sander-Holzman	....	associate editor (as Marin Holzman)
Tim Stipan	....	digital opticals colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Claire Campbell	....	musician
Mariusz Glabinski	....	music editor
Matt Havron	....	music coordinator
Tracy McKnight	....	music consultant
Alex Neville	....	musician
Sean Nowell	....	musician: additional score
Brian Petway	....	musician
Mike Scielzi	....	music engineer
John Werner	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Harry Bayer	....	driver
Chris Collins	....	teamster captain
David Conelli	....	driver: camera car (as David J. Canelli)
Paul E. Harvey	....	driver
Thomas Kearns	....	driver: camera car (as Thomas M. Kearns)
Gabe Turiello	....	driver: camera car

Other crew
Ronald Arceneaux	....	location production assistant (as L.S. Arceneaux)
Shuichi Azuma	....	office intern
Eddie Bailey	....	additional office assistant
Gino J. Beneventano	....	chef (as Gene J. Beneventano)
Samantha Berges	....	office intern
Katherine Betka	....	additional office assistant
E.J. Bradley III	....	assistant location manager
Jodi Bryan	....	therapist
Maurice Cabrera	....	parking coordinator
Rebecca Centeno	....	set production assistant
Ali Charlemagne	....	additional production assistant
Sasha Charlemagne	....	assistant to producers
Adam Chertok	....	office intern
Frank Dauro	....	additional set production assistant
Shannon Dennard	....	location coordinator
Victor M. Dorado	....	second chef
Andrew Eleftheron	....	security
Joe Facey	....	craft service
Rodd Ferguson	....	production assistant
Freddy Figueroa	....	assistant chef
Toure Folkes	....	additional production assistant
Jamal Foster	....	office intern
Lev Gartman	....	set production assistant
Alex Ghassan	....	security
Jose F. Ginete	....	additional production assistant
Adam Gladstone	....	technical consultant: baseball
Jonathan Gray	....	legal counsel: Spinak and Gray
Gary Guthrie	....	security
Alex Hariri	....	assistant to executive producer
Liam Healy	....	technical consultant: baseball
John Henry	....	production secretary
Peter Hutchison	....	production accountant
Robert Jean	....	additional set production assistant
Kent Johnson	....	location scout
Z.D. Johnson	....	office production assistant
Misty Kelly	....	production secretary
Pedro Kos	....	set production assistant
Stosh Kozlowski	....	location scout
David H. Kramer	....	adr loop group (as David Kramer's Looping Group)
Evan Krauss	....	legal counsel: Spinak and Grey
Nicole Little	....	production assistant
Sameson Louis	....	additional production assistant
Greg Martin	....	production accountant
Eric Martinez	....	second chef
Mike Mason	....	location scout
James McFadyen	....	production assistant (as James McFayden)
Xander Moody	....	location scout
Sara Morrissey	....	product placement and clearances
Kristal D. Moseley	....	production office coordinator (as Kristal Mosley)
Kanako Nakao	....	office intern
Abbey Odunlami	....	production assistant
Hyo Park	....	prep location manager
James Parsons	....	additional production assistant
Ron Sacco	....	production consultant
Ramon Santiago	....	security
Rasheedah Sharp	....	additional production assistant (as Rasheedah N. Sharp)
Ryan Francis Sheehan	....	additional production assistant
Jamie Shuali	....	assistant: Nick Nolte
Chris Slater	....	assistant: Nick Nolte
Christopher Smith	....	additional chef
Yaara Sumeruk	....	assistant to director
Yaara Sumeruk	....	product placement and clearances (as Yaara Sumerak)
Billy Szeflinsky	....	security
Henry Torbin	....	office intern
Collin Ultz	....	craft service
Jonathan Urband	....	key set production assistant
Alejandro Viteri	....	office intern
Sharon Watt	....	script supervisor
Canella Williams	....	production secretary (as Canella A. Williams)
Jason Wright	....	additional production assistant
Michael Yoon	....	location manager
Teddy Yoon	....	location manager
Dale Yuan	....	office intern
Rob Coleman	....	post-production accountant (uncredited)
Raz Cunningham	....	assistant to producers (uncredited)
Koko Ntuen	....	assistant to producers (uncredited)
A.M. Peters	....	intern (uncredited)

Thanks
Nellie Bellflower	....	special thanks
Matt Boggs	....	special thanks
Martina Broner	....	special thanks
Hilarie Burton	....	special thanks
Lydia Cavallo	....	special thanks
Katherine Dieckmann	....	special thanks
Katy Dion	....	special thanks
Maureen Duffy	....	special thanks
Tony Earley	....	special thanks
Erin Espelie	....	special thanks
Bill Gallo	....	special thanks
Jim Gardner	....	special thanks: Sound One
James V. Hart	....	special thanks
Maeve Herbert	....	special thanks
Charles Herzfeld	....	special thanks: Technicolor (as Charlie Herzfeld)
Anne Hubbell	....	special thanks: Kodak
David Jones	....	special thanks
Socrates Kakoulides	....	special thanks
Tom Kalin	....	special thanks
Dan Kleinman	....	special thanks
Pedro Kos	....	special thanks
Joel Maguen	....	special thanks
Donald Margulies	....	special thanks
Elizabeth Meriwether	....	special thanks (as Liz Meriwether)
Melody Morgan	....	special thanks
Susan Ponsoldt	....	special thanks
Nicholas T. Proferes	....	special thanks (as Nick Proferes)
Scott Ramsey	....	special thanks: Xeno Lights
Chris Rich	....	special thanks: Soundtracks
Michael Roemer	....	special thanks
Brad Rosenberger	....	special thanks
Jenny Schweitzer	....	special thanks (as Jenny Schweitzer)
Colin Spoelman	....	special thanks
Robert Stone	....	special thanks
Astra Taylor	....	special thanks
Rose Troche	....	special thanks
Marco Umana	....	special thanks
Katherine Weber	....	special thanks
C.C. Webster	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Forensic Films

Distributors

• THINKFilm (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2006) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)

Other Companies

• 701 Sound  post-production sound editing
• At You Service Limousine  special thanks
• Axium/Avalon Entertainment Services  payroll services (as Axium/Avalon International)
• B&H Photo  special thanks
• BridgeStreet Worldwide  special thanks
• Candlewood Suites  special thanks
• Centre Firearms Co. Inc.  special thanks
• Coast to Coast Catering  catering
• Coca Cola  special thanks (as Coke)
• D.R. Reiff & Associates  insurance
• DitlevFilms  end crawl
• Douglas Quikut  special thanks
• Evan Williams  special thanks (as Evan Williams Bourbon)
• Expendables Plus  special thanks
• Frito-Lay  special thanks (as Lay's)
• Frito-Lay  special thanks (as Lays)
• Genesee Brewing Co.  special thanks (as Genesse Beer)
• Gotham Sound and Communications  special thanks (as Gotham Sound)
• Gray Krauss Des Rochers  legal services
• H&M  special thanks
• Independent Feature Project  special thanks
• J.G. Films  negative matching
• JFA  production accounting (as JFA Accounting)
• Jarritos  special thanks
• Louisville Slugger  special thanks
• M&M Mars Co.  special thanks (as M&M's)
• Major League Baseball Properties  footage provided by
• Milford Plaza Hotel  special thanks
• Morgans Hotel  special thanks
• Motion Picture Magic  special thanks
• New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theater & Broadcasting, The  special thanks
• Nike  special thanks
• Orbit Digital  Avids
• Pacific Title  title design
• Panavision  camera equipment
• Patriot Media and Communications  special thanks
• Ramapo Manor  special thanks (as Ramapo Rehab and Nursing)
• Road Runner Camera Cars Inc.  special thanks
• Russell Carter Artist Management  special thanks
• Sean Powers Extras Casting  extras casting
• Somerset Hills Hotel  special thanks
• Sound One Corporation  sound re-recording facilities
• Soundtrack New York  music studio
• Spinak & Gray  legal counsel
• Suffern High School, Suffern, NY  special thanks
• Tamberelli Video  special thanks (as Tamberelli)
• Technicolor  dailies and prints
• UPP  special thanks
• WNBC New York  special thanks (as WNBC)
• Weather Channel, The  special thanks
• Weber Grill Restaurant  special thanks
• Xeno Lights  lighting and grip equipment
• Yamaha  special thanks

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for a crude sexual remark

Runtime:

USA:90 min (Sundance Film Festival) | Argentina:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Argentina:16 | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Suffern, New York, USA

Company:

Forensic Films

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ray comes to pick up Dave for the reunion, Dave comes downstairs carrying a corsage in a plastic box. When Dave asks Ray if he's going to call him "son" all day, the box and flower disappear.

Movie Connections:

References Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Soundtrack:

Nowhere

Film works because of the withered poignancy found in America's most tired actor

This low-key character study, mixing humor and depression to a tender effect, paints a picture of this odd coupling between an elderly bitter drunk and the teenage pitcher responsible for vandalizing his property with a fairly charming success rate. Off the Black is a noteworthy minor work that completely thrives off of the gruff charisma lead Nick Nolte injects into an otherwise typically off-beat, indie-mannered screenplay dabbling in peculiar friendship. The script, while appealing enough to attract the likes of a fine actor such as Nolte (a fact rendered even more impressive given it is a first time feature effort from newcomer James Ponsoldt), really would not have been able to shine unless this perfect spot of casting had fallen into place.

The movie works, and works best, only when Nolte's scenery chewing antics are present, and in retrospect, the entire piece, while gracefully dealing in issues of family, isolationism, and connectivity, is really just a 90 minute excuse for one of America's bona fide talents to flex his considerable sandpaper-throated heft around in a role that was clearly conceived with him in mind. It is not so much Nolte's outstanding talent as a diversified actor that has made him survive and stay relevant these few decades as it has been his continuing effort to refine his natural instincts to help make his character's all seem completely believable and unquestionably human. With his continued approach for taking lower profile but higher developed material as of late, this performance continues the respectably eclectic, under-the-radar winning streak with a front and center take that puts the legend square in his element. Add the believable high school sensitivities from costar Trevor Morgan into the mix and we have a pleasing relationship movie with some dynamics that really work.

So where does Off the Black fail? Quite simply in all other scenes not showcasing these two main characters together. Ponsoldt tries to detail the reality behind the young man's life with little success, instead falling prey to the usual pratfalls of underdeveloped subplot and supporting roles. Directed in a straightforward way though at times impressively framed, any immersion garnered throughout the modest film will remain Nick Nolte's chief responsibility.