Lovely by Surprise (2007)

Director:

Kirt Gunn

Writer:

Kirt Gunn

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Writer | Pool | Father Daughter Relationship | Car Salesman | Writers Block

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Carrie Preston	...	Marian
Michael Chernus	...	Humkin
Austin Pendleton	...	Jackson
Dallas Roberts	...	Mopekey
Reg Rogers	...	Bob
Kate Burton	...	Helen
Richard Masur	...	Dave
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jimmy Crothswait	...	Milkman
Glenn Fitzgerald	...	Customer #2
Boyd Gaines	...	Customer #1
Ron Gephart	...	Car Salesman
Angel Gunn	...	Mimi's Teacher
Jonathon Lamer	...	Car Salesman
Lena Lamer	...	Mimi
Donald Meyers	...	Customer in Car
Jason Perry	...	Car Salesman
Wink Rush	...	Car Salesman
Markus Seaberry	...	Diner Patron
Arnita Williams	...	Diner Patron

Directed by
Kirt Gunn

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kirt Gunn

Produced by
Jake Abraham	....	producer
Kirt Gunn	....	producer
Michael Hilliard	....	producer
Jon Kamen	....	executive producer
Marco Londoner	....	producer
Frank Scherma	....	executive producer
Justin Wilkes	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Shelby Bryant

Cinematography by
Steve Yedlin		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jim Helton

Casting by
Will Cantler
Bernard Telsey
David Vaccari

Production Design by
Timothy Whidbee

Art Direction by
Jeanelle Marie

Set Decoration by
Eric Brice Swartz		(as Eric Swartz)

Costume Design by
Eden Miller

Makeup Department
Leilani Bacon	....	second makeup
Janice Byrd	....	key hair stylist
Elizabeth Harris	....	key makeup artist
Cherie Holly	....	additional hair stylist
LeDiedra Richard-Baldwin	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Zhana Londoner	....	production supervisor (as Zhana Kushnir)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nicholas Owen Langholff	....	first assistant director
Peter J. Olsen	....	second second assistant director
Robert Saba	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Aaron Dale	....	carpenter
Aaron Dale	....	construction coordinator
Will E. Drummond	....	carpenter
Frank Gray III	....	property master
Victor Halters	....	carpenter
Ronny Kent	....	painter
Jake Meeks	....	prop assistant
Eric Brice Swartz	....	set dresser (as Eric Swartz)

Sound Department
Gioia Birkett-Foa	....	boom operator
Shaun Brennan	....	foley artist
Benjamin Cheah	....	sound designer
Benjamin Cheah	....	supervising sound editor
Gerald Donlan	....	dialogue editor
Dan Flosdorf	....	additional audio recordist
Anton Gold	....	sound mixer
Jim Helton	....	sound designer
Joshua L. Pearson	....	additional sound effects
Matt Snedecor	....	foley recordist
Gregg Swiatlowski	....	assistant sound editor
Peter Waggoner	....	sound re-recording mixer

Visual Effects by
Peter Heady	....	digital effects artist
Markus Janner	....	digital opticals
Alex Shum	....	digital opticals

Stunts
Mitch Herron	....	stuntman
Max Maxwell	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Budd	....	grip
Trey Clark	....	still photographer
Christopher Crowther	....	electrician
Robert Duke	....	key grip
Christian Hawkins	....	best boy
Gray Hemphill	....	additional loader
Josh Malloy	....	electrician
Ryan McCoy	....	gaffer
Trevor Doyle Nelson	....	film loader (as Trevor Nelson)
Nicholas Ross	....	grip
Geoffrey Brent Shrewsbury	....	second assistant camera
Ernie Wann	....	best boy grip
Wade Whitley	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Forrest Pruett	....	extras casting
Sarah Tackett	....	local casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Meriwether Nichols	....	wardrobe supervisor
Marissa Pincus	....	wardrobe intern (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Cy Christiansen	....	assistant editor
Nick Dibeneditto	....	negative cutter
John Dowdell	....	digital intermediate colorist
Peter Heady	....	digital intermediate finishing artist
Jean Lane	....	digital intermediate producer
Joshua L. Pearson	....	additional editor
David Pultz	....	color timer
Tim Spitzer	....	digital intermediate supervisor

Transportation Department
Monte Emery	....	driver
Wende Martin	....	transportation captain
Steve Moffit	....	transportation coordinator
Hall Prewitt	....	picture car coordinator

Other crew
Sharon Bicks	....	production coordinator
Nalla Black	....	intern
Alex Borys	....	location manager
Andrew Cesana	....	script supervisor
Jayson Dancy	....	stand-in
James Denham	....	production assistant
Noah Derks	....	production assistant
Hugh Edwards	....	world sales agent
Ben Feldman	....	production legal services
Sarah Fleming	....	key production assistant
E.J. Friedman	....	production assistant
Shellie Gillespie	....	accountant
Shelly Gillette	....	location assistant
Cesar Mylo Hernandez	....	technician: Arriscan
Erik Morrison	....	production assistant
Cort Percer	....	assistant production coordinator
Benjamin Rednour	....	production assistant
John R. Whitehead	....	assistant location manager
Learyn Wilde	....	stand-in

Production Companies

• House Goat
• HouseGoat Productions

Distributors

• Eureka Entertainment (2011) (UK) (all media)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes
• Goldcrest Post Production New York  post-production facilities

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Arkansas, USA

Company:

House Goat

Trivia:

Austin Pendleton was offered the role of Bob but asked to audition for Jackson after Frank Langella turned it down.

My favorite film at the Seattle International Film Festival

This film drew me in with its quirky, interesting characters and kept me engaged wondering what was going to happen to them and how the stories would fit together. The ending is a bit tricky for some but I promise it makes sense if you think about it. It feels like a true indie to me - and I've made several. After the showing I talked to the editor and again felt the "indieness" of the film and that their hearts are in the right place. No shameless attempt at commercial exploitation by trying to fake an indie feel. I do hope they refine the ending a bit to make it more accessible to people as its sad that many people won't "get it" and will go away not understanding what happened in the end. But definitely worth seeing and thinking about.