The Living Wake (2007)

A dark comedy which chronicles the final day in the life of self-proclaimed artist and genius, K. Roth Binew. Binew is a dreamer who elevates his drab and somewhat pitiful existence into a ... See full summary »

Director:

Sol Tryon

Writers:

Peter Kline, Mike O'Connell

Stars:

Mike O'Connell, Jim Gaffigan, Jill Larson

3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mike O'Connell	...	K. Roth Binew
Jim Gaffigan	...	Lampert Binew
Jill Larson	...	Alma Binew
Diane Kagan	...	Marla
Caleb Wentworth	...	Young K. Roth
Sam Goldfarb	...	K. Roth's Doctor
Jesse Eisenberg	...	Mills
Eddie Pepitone	...	Reginald
Ben Duhl	...	Liquorsmith
Matthew Cowles	...	Mossman
Stephen Brian Jones	...	Farmer
Peter Paton	...	Old Man
Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine	...	Prostitute
Ann Dowd	...	Librarian
Aaron J. Patton	...	Passerby Man

Storyline

A dark comedy which chronicles the final day in the life of self-proclaimed artist and genius, K. Roth Binew. Binew is a dreamer who elevates his drab and somewhat pitiful existence into a personal mythology. For his final day K. Roth Binew enlists his best friend, the unrecognized poet and biographer Mills Joquin to chronicle his final hours. Mills Joquin drives Binew around town on a bicycle-powered rickshaw. As the eccentric duo go about their day, Binew hands out invitations to his final party, a living wake, where Binew will do a short performance before dropping dead on the spot.

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Plot Keywords:

artist | black comedy

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual material

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 June 2007 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Kennebunkport, Maine, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$3,821 (USA) (14 May 2010)

Gross:

$12,055 (USA) (16 July 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Drops Entertainment, Script Pimp, Mangusta Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

K. Roth Binew: Father, what is the key to a good life?
Lampert Binew: Oh, K. Roth, don't you worry your little head, someday I'll explain it to you in a brief but powerful monologue.

User Reviews

If Leon Redbone made movies instead of music, this would be it

If Leon Redbone made movies instead of music, this would be it! This movie is kooky, funny, and just plain out there. It has the feelings of 1920s slap-stick with a dark humor that comes off being incredibly enjoyable (think of those piano playing guys from Family Guy). The script is incredibly witty and outrageous situations are portrayed as regular mundanely regular occurrences for our main character. The movie is really a slice of Americana and experiments with artistic expression in a multitude of ways.

At its heart, The Living Wake is a story about a man trying to find his way in the world as he comes to terms with death. We see K. Roth Binew go through his final day on Earth as he tries to figure out the "short, powerful monologue" - his way of trying to reconcile with the memory of his father walking out on him as a child. Really, though, it is about exploring who we are and how we see ourselves versus how we want people and the world to remember us after we pass.