The Hottest State (2006)

Director:

Ethan Hawke

Writers (WGA):

Ethan Hawke (screenplay)
Ethan Hawke (novel)

Release Date:

23 March 2007 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

What happens when your first love is love itself?

Plot:

A young actor from Texas tries to make it in New York while struggling in his relationship with a beautiful singer/songwriter. |

Plot Keywords:

Texas | Actor | Tenement | Mexico | Answering Machine

Cast

Mark Webber	...	William Harding
Daniel Ross Owens	...	Young Vince (as Daniel Ross)
Glen Powell	...	John Jaegerman (as Glen Powell Jr.)
Anne Clarke	...	Young Jesse
Cherami Leigh	...	Danielle
Catalina Sandino Moreno	...	Sarah
Josh Zuckerman	...	Decker
Michelle Williams	...	Samantha
Jesse Harris	...	Dave Afton
Bill Dobrow	...	Drummer
Jon Fowler	...	Bassist
Guyora Kats	...	Pianist / Accordian Player
Nick McDonnel	...	Artsy Guy
Alexandra Daddario	...	Kim (as Alexandra Daddorio)
Ethan Hawke	...	Vince
Jonathan Marc Sherman	...	Party Philosopher
Richard Linklater	...	John Wayne Enthusiast
Ryan Shawhughes-Hawke	...	Williamsburg Hip Girl (as Ryan Shawhughes)
Sonia Braga	...	Mrs. Garcia
Iraida Polanco	...	Proprietor
Gabriel Rivera	...	Guitar Player
Laura Linney	...	Jesse
Greta Gaines	...	Faye
Frank Whaley	...	Harris
Lynn Cohen	...	Harris's Mother
John Patrick Shanley	...	Priest
Elissabeth Blofson	...	Kissing Couple
Benjamin Dickey	...	Kissing Couple
Lara Theodos	...	Waitress
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Melissa Coleman	...	Sarah's Friend (uncredited)
Ben Hamby	...	Roadie (uncredited)
Matt Jade	...	Head Waiter (uncredited)
Elizabeth Marley	...	Ticket Girl (uncredited)
Lee Miller	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Steven Weisz	...	Diner (uncredited)

Directed by
Ethan Hawke

Writing credits (WGA)
Ethan Hawke		(screenplay)
Ethan Hawke		(novel "The Hottest State")

Produced by
Alexis Alexanian	....	producer
Sheila Jaffe	....	co-producer
Yukie Kito	....	producer (as Yuki'e Kitô)
Yasushi Kotani	....	executive producer
Jonathan Shoemaker	....	co-producer
Taizo Son	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jesse Harris

Cinematography by
Chris Norr		(director of photography) (as Christopher Norr)

Film Editing by
Adriana Pacheco		(as Adriana Pacheco Rincón)

Casting by
Sheila Jaffe

Production Design by
Rick Butler

Set Decoration by
Lisa Scoppa

Costume Design by
Catherine Marie Thomas

Makeup Department
Shannon Harrington	....	assistant hair stylist
Jason Hayes	....	key hair stylist (as Jason P. Hayes)
Stacey Panepinto	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Kelley Cribben	....	post-production supervisor
Tony Hernandez	....	production supervisor
Jonathan Shoemaker	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Adam Escott	....	first assistant director
Annie Tan	....	second assistant director
Nick Vanderpool	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Glen Aldous	....	charge/camera scenic artist
Pastor Alvarado III	....	on-set dresser
Hilary Ballou	....	art department intern
Jasmine E. Ballou	....	assistant to production designer (as Jasmine Ballou)
Scott Canfield	....	leadman
John Diaz	....	prop assistant: Texas
Carl Ferrara	....	art department production assistant
Leo Holder	....	graphic artist
Millree Hughes	....	scenic artist
Greg Izzo	....	set dresser
Robert Jean-Pierre	....	art department production assistant
Dale Johnson	....	art department production assistant
Olivia Ontaneda	....	art department intern
Paul Robinson	....	carpenter
Duke Scoppa	....	property master (as Edward P. Scoppa Jr.)
Amanecer Sierra	....	art department intern
Tim Okamura	....	fine artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Kevin Bowe	....	boom operator: Texas
Carlos M. Cano	....	assistant sound editor
Ryan Collison	....	foley mixer
Robert Fernandez	....	sound mixer
Henry Fleet	....	sound intern
Christopher Fondulas	....	boom operator
Mariusz Glabinski	....	sound effects editor
Marlena Grzaslewicz	....	supervising sound editor
Bradford L. Hohle	....	Dolby engineer (as Brad Hohle)
Bobby Johanson	....	adr mixer (as Bobby Johanssen)
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	dialogue editor
Terrance Laudermilch	....	sound recordist (as Terry Laudermilch)
Jay Peck	....	foley artist
Griffin Richardson	....	sound mixer
Ira Spiegel	....	sound effects editor
Jose Torres	....	sound mixer: Texas
John Werner	....	dialogue editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Wesley Battle	....	best boy grip (as Wes Battle)
Ethan Borsuk	....	second assistant camera
Jon Delgado	....	camera operator
Leighton Edmondson	....	best boy electrician
Daniel Feighery	....	assistant camera
John Keating	....	key grip
Nina Kuhn	....	electrician
Stephen Osborn	....	gaffer: Texas (as Steve Osborn)
Luke Owen	....	camera loader
Macall B. Polay	....	still photographer
Julian Quiambao	....	key grip: Texas
Chris Reynolds	....	first assistant camera
Jeremy Rodriguez	....	grip
Ken Shibata	....	gaffer
David Stern	....	third grip (as Dave Stern)
Frank Stubblefield	....	third electrician
Vance Tucker	....	grip
Jon Delgado	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
Adam Hall	....	grip (uncredited)
Nick Maczka	....	grip (uncredited)
Ron Morales	....	grip (uncredited)
Lisa Origlieri	....	additional loader (uncredited)

Casting Department
Susan Paley Abramson	....	casting associate
Helga Byrne	....	extras casting assistant
Susan Fried	....	extras casting
Lilli Heinrich	....	extras casting: Texas
Meredith Tucker	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ghilaine Bouadana	....	wardrobe supervisor
Mickey Carleton	....	assistant costume designer
Laura Downing	....	costumer
Jessica Mostow	....	costume production assistant

Editorial Department
Adrienne Haspel	....	assistant editor
David Pultz	....	color timer (as Dave Pultz)
Bill Stokes	....	colorist: dailies
David Ruchman	....	post-production intern (uncredited)

Music Department
Arjun Agerwala	....	assistant score engineer: Stratosphere Sound
Greg Cohen	....	musician: upright bass
Linda Cohen	....	music supervisor
Rudyard Lee Cullers	....	assistant score engineer: Stratosphere Sound
John M. Davis	....	music editor (as John M. Davis)
Jon Dryden	....	musician: piano/accordion/organ/chamberlin
Jonathan Hafter	....	musician: also saxophone
Jesse Harris	....	musician: acoustic guitar
Mike Irwin	....	musician: trumpet
Tony Scherr	....	musician: acoustic and electric guitar/upright bass
Tom Schick	....	score recordist: Stratosphere Sound
Kenny Wollesen	....	musician: drums/marimba/percussion

Transportation Department
Reginald Crute	....	driver
Jonathan Hustad	....	driver: prop
John McMorrow	....	driver
Timothy Paustian	....	transportation captain (as Tim Paustian)
Christian Reinhardsen	....	driver: set dressing
Jacob Cena	....	picture car coordinator: Texas (uncredited)

Other crew
Inna Braude	....	key set production assistant
Brian Cantaldi	....	production accountant
Jeff Caron	....	location manager
Carlos Casaretto	....	set intern
Michael Charske	....	location manager: Texas
Cecile Daguin	....	office production assistant
Ilena Dominguez	....	intern: Texas
Leo Driver	....	parking coordinator
Peter Flanigan	....	production counsel
Wayne Han	....	set production assistant
Erik Hernandez	....	set production assistant: Texas
Liz Huizinga	....	accounting clerk
Jill Jorschick	....	product placement coordinator
Patricia LaMagna	....	assistant: Ms. Alexanian (as Patty LaMagna)
Luke Marion	....	set production assistant
Stephanie A. Marquardt	....	script supervisor (as Stephanie Marquardt)
Ismael Martinez	....	key production assistant: Texas
Keith Martinez	....	intern: Texas
Cathleen McFadyen	....	set production assistant
Ronny Merdinger	....	production office coordinator
Sean Murray	....	set production assistant
Yuko Nishimura	....	accountant: Entertainment Farm
Peter Pinon III	....	unit production assistant: Texas
Julie Platner	....	production secretary (as Julie A. Platner)
Justin Rigby	....	location production assistant
Gabriel Rivera	....	set production assistant: Texas
Rene Rodriguez	....	office production assistant (as Rene T. Rodriguez)
Brian Rothe	....	office production assistant
John Skidmore	....	production office intern
Heather Smith	....	assistant: Mr. Hawke
Richard Sterling	....	production secretary: Texas
Rhianon Visinisky	....	craft service assistant
Danielle Wilson	....	craft service
Elizabeth Zagrany	....	post-production accountant (as Beth Zagrany)
Leslie Zak	....	production office intern
Alexander Zweig	....	assistant location manager (as Alex Zweig)
Ray Sullivan	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Thanks
R.G. Armstrong	....	thanks
Josh Charles	....	thanks
Alfonso Cuarón	....	thanks
Douglas Graham	....	thanks
Josh Hamilton	....	thanks
Kris Kristofferson	....	thanks
Robert Sean Leonard	....	thanks
Richard Linklater	....	thanks
Tim Okamura	....	thanks
Ryan Shawhughes-Hawke	....	thanks (as Ryan Shawhughes)
Jonathan Marc Sherman	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Barracuda Films
• Elixir Films
• Entertainment Farm (EF)
• Under the Influence

Distributors

• Showgate (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• THINKFilm (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Revolver Entertainment (2007) (UK) (all media)

Other Companies

• Axium  payroll service
• Beth Sepko Casting  extras casting: Texas
• Camera Service Center  camera: grip & electric equipment
• D.R. Reiff & Associates  insurance
• David Haddad  transportation equipment
• Du Art Digital  titles and digital opticals (as DuArt Digital)
• Du Art Film and Video  laboratory (as DuArt Film & Video)
• Eastman Kodak  raw stock
• Emerson Bruns Law  legal services
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Goldcrest Post Production New York  on-line editing
• Gotham Sound and Communications  walkie talkies (as Gotham Sound)
• HSBC Bank USA  bank services
• Haddad's  transportation equipment
• Hickory Records  soundtrack
• Mega Playground  video dailies
• Post Factory NY  editing facility and tech support
• Sound One  sound post-production
• Stratosphere Sound  score recorded at
• Trollback & Company  titles

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content and language

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | South Korea:18 | Brazil:14 | Japan:PG-12 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

El Paso, Texas, USA

Company:

Barracuda Films

Quotes:

Jesse:[to William] Your whole life, people are gonna ask you to be weak. They're gonna practically beg you. But all anyone really wants is for you to be strong.

Movie Connections:

References "Star Trek" (1966)

Soundtrack:

You The Queen

Unexpectedly Good

I really didn't want to like this movie. I'll be honest. The first twenty minutes, I was more interested in my plate of Chinese food than the movie itself. I thought the script was poorly made, and it was clearly very low budget. But not being one to prejudge, I saw it through. And I'm glad I did. Perhaps it doesn't have the 'Hollywood' feel we're all accustomed to, but maybe that's what made this movie the little gem it is. The emotions and sentiments behind and surrounding this movie were so raw and genuine, it touched you in ways superficial blockbusters don't. It's a story of heartbreak, and of two broken people who need each other even though they are ultimately bad for each other. It's a tragically romantic movie, which was constructed very well through the use of good music and excellent filming. And while I think it had the potential to be even better than it already was, by means of stronger dialogue- as is it, it's very much worth your time.