Blue State (2007)

Director:

Marshall Lewy

Writer:

Marshall Lewy

Release Date:

19 February 2008 (Canada)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

It's a state of mind.

Plot:

BLUE STATE is a romantic comedy about a disgruntled Democrat who actually follows through on a drunken campaign promise to move to Canada if George "Dubya" Bush gets re-elected.

Plot Keywords:

Promise | Canada | Interview | Ohio | Vietnam War

Cast

Breckin Meyer	...	John Logue
Anna Paquin	...	Chloe Hamon
Joyce Krenz	...	Mrs. Logue
Richard Blackburn	...	Mr. Logue
Adriana O'Neil	...	Gloria O'Neill
Seun Olagunju	...	Randall
Bryan Clark	...	The Horny American
Nick Ouellette	...	Hal (as Nicolas Ouellette)
Tim Henry	...	Charlie
James Juce	...	Larry
Elicia Cronin	...	Sandy
Judy Cook	...	Bride
Scott Pangman	...	Canadian Guy #1
Kristjan Harris	...	Artist Type Guy
Leigh Enns	...	Rebecca
Sean O'Brian	...	Pizza Man
Grace Lynn Kung	...	Esther Yang
David Stuart Evans	...	Preppy Tech Guy (as David Evans)
Erik Fjeldsted	...	Paul
Darcy Fehr	...	US Border Guard
Francis Fontaine	...	Canadian Customs Officer
Brent Neale	...	Receptionist
Ed Sutton	...	Suburban Man
Daina Leitold	...	Suburban Woman
Lois Brothers	...	Waiter
Susanna Portnoy	...	Secretary
Mike Bell	...	Clarkson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bryan Clark	...	The Horny American
George W. Bush	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Cory Cassidy	...	Party Jock (uncredited)
John Kerry	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ash Sroka	...	TV Reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
Marshall Lewy

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Marshall Lewy

Produced by
Larisa Andrews	....	line producer
Richard Bennett	....	co-producer
Sriram Das	....	co-producer
Kyle Irving	....	producer
Jamin Kerner	....	co-producer
Kyle Mann	....	co-producer
Andrew Paquin	....	producer
Anna Paquin	....	executive producer
Celine Rattray	....	co-producer
Kevin Richardson	....	executive producer
Nathaniel Salter	....	executive producer
Vince Vannelli	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Nathan Johnson

Cinematography by
Phil Parmet		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Adam B. Stein		(as Adam Stein)

Casting by
Jim Heber

Production Design by
Ricardo Alms
Deanne Rohde

Art Direction by
Bill MacInnis

Costume Design by
Patricia J. Henderson		(as Patti Henderson)

Makeup Department
Karen Bradley	....	hair stylist: San Francisco
Karen Bradley	....	makeup artist: San Francisco
Ediena Hawkes	....	key hair stylist
Catherina Saites	....	assistant hair stylist (as Cat Saites)
Cindy E. Smith	....	assistant makeup artist (as Cindy Smith)
Joyce Wold	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Larisa Andrews	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael J. Bowman	....	second assistant director (as Michael Bowman)
Derby Crewe	....	first assistant director
Blair Scott	....	third assistant director
Michelle Leonie Ward	....	trainee assistant director (as Michelle Ward)

Art Department
Chad Giesbrecht	....	on-set props
Monica F. Lowe	....	property master (as Monica Lowe)
Allan McGowan	....	set dresser (as Alan McGowan)
Robbie Rurak	....	graphic design intern

Sound Department
Roberto Domínguez	....	foley editor
Roberto Domínguez	....	foley mixer
Jake Eberle	....	supervising sound editor
Eric Hoeschen	....	foley artist
Greg Jefferson	....	adr mixer (as Gregory Jefferson)
Anthony Krajchir	....	sound engineer
Matt Lewkowicz	....	additional adr supervisor
Paul Morrow	....	boom operator
Dallas Pomedli	....	sound intern: FTM
Paul Ratajczak	....	sound re-recording mixer
Graham Timmer	....	sound mixer
Michael Wetherwax	....	dialogue editor
Lance Wiseman	....	adr supervisor
Lance Wiseman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rob Nokes	....	sound effects recordist (uncredited)

Stunts
Chuck Robinson	....	stunts
Dan Skene	....	stunt rigger
Dan Skene	....	stunts (as Jon Skene)
Rick Skene	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Phil Bowen	....	first assistant camera: San Francisco
Jim Campbell	....	generator operator
John Clarke	....	gaffer
Marlin Greyeyes	....	grip
Courtney Harrell	....	second assistant camera: San Francisco
Stephan McLellan	....	key grip
W. James Meagher	....	lamp operator (as James Meagher)
Steven Morrisson	....	camera operator: "b" camera (as Steve Morrisson)
Steven Morrisson	....	dolly grip (as Steve Morrisson)
Mark Motoch	....	lamp operator
Shannon Ottarson	....	grip
Phil Parmet	....	camera operator
Phil Parmet	....	camera operator: San Francisco
Phil Parmet	....	still photographer
Nicolas Phillips	....	best boy
Tai Pu	....	lamp operator (as T'ai Pu)
Darcy Rodriguez	....	best boy
Bryan Sanders	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Bryan Sanders	....	first assistant camera
Rebecca Sandulak	....	still photographer
Charles Shilliday	....	still photographer
Shauna Townley	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Charles Venzon	....	second assistant camera
Dave Wowchuk	....	camera trainee

Casting Department
Patricia Kress	....	extras casting assistant
Nina Notaro-Latour	....	extras casting assistant
Lori Stefaniuk	....	extras casting
Joey Ritche	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nadine Falk	....	assistant costume designer
Abigail Myers	....	costume intern

Editorial Department
Siggy Ferstl	....	digital intermediate colorist
Jackie Lee	....	digital intermediate executive
Randy Lowder	....	on-line editor
Ben Seymour	....	digital intermediate producer
Jim Shimomaye	....	on-line assistant

Music Department
Onnalee Blank	....	music editor
Sam Friedlander	....	music supervisor
Stephen Hartwell	....	musician: piano
Nathan Johnson	....	musician: guitars, bass, percussion, piano
Nathan Johnson	....	soundtrack engineer and editor
Zachary Johnson	....	musician: drums
China Kent	....	musician: pianos
Chris Mears	....	musician: drums
Warren Pettit	....	soundtrack mixer
Craig Richey	....	additional music engineer and mixer
Craig Richey	....	composer: additional music
Chrissie Wilson	....	music supervisor: IODA

Transportation Department
John Bekavac	....	transportation coordinator
Isaac Friesen	....	transportation captain
Dean Harrison	....	driver
Karver Kaminsky	....	transportation captain
Scott Quantrell	....	driver: cast
Wayne Statkewich	....	driver
Jimi Campbell	....	driver: special equipment (uncredited)

Other crew
Julie Anderson	....	production accountant
Emily Bodenberg	....	production assistant (as Emily Bodenberg)
Caitlin Brown	....	office production assistant
Daniel Carey	....	stand-in: San Francisco
Tyson Caron	....	team: Eagle Vision
Hilary Carroll	....	stand-in
James Cronk	....	security captain
Sarah Jane Cundell	....	location manager
Marjolyn Deurloo	....	production assistant: San Francisco
Karen Emberly	....	script supervisor
Danishka Esterhazy	....	director observer: FTM
Caroline Evans	....	assistant location manager
Caley Gibson	....	office production assistant
Wes Grycki	....	production assistant
Andrew Herwitz	....	film sales: The Film Sales Company
Andrea Hutchison	....	accounting clerk
Kyle Mann	....	legal counsel
Johanna Mattox	....	stand-in: San Francisco
Tanya Mazur	....	script supervisor
James McGuire	....	production assistant
Lisa Meeches	....	team: Eagle Vision
Jocelyn Mitchell	....	production coordinator (as Jocelyn Shindle)
Paul Popeski	....	legal counsel
Tina Prodon	....	craft service
Tina Prodon	....	first aid
Matthew Rankin	....	script supervisor
Alex Rattray	....	key production assistant
Russell Roth	....	craft service
Russell Roth	....	first aid
Wayne Sheldon	....	team: eagle Vision
Desiree Single	....	team: Eagle Vision
Adam Smoluk	....	stand-in
Leslie Stafford	....	unit publicist
Harry Stein	....	parking coordinator: San Francisco
Kristin Tresoor	....	clearance research
Kelly Ukrainec	....	accountant and auditor: Booke & Partners
Connie Wachsman	....	script supervisor (as Connie Wacshmann)
Mark Wetzstein	....	legal counsel
Claude Forest	....	insurance broker (uncredited)
Wendy Gaboury	....	auditor (uncredited)
Zach McGowan	....	adr voice group (uncredited)
Rebecca Traub	....	extras wrangler (uncredited)
Dave Wowchuk	....	assistant: Phil Parmet (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Chicken Pictures
• Eagle Vision
• Paquin Films

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (Brazil) (DVD)
• FS Film Oy (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2009) (France) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Alpha Cine Motion Pictures Laboratory  post-production services (as Alpha Cine Labs)
• Beau Bonneau Casting  casting: San Francisco
• Booke and Partners  chartered accountant and auditor (as Booke & Partners)
• Chef Market 520  catering
• Entertainment Partners Canada  payroll services (as EP Canada)
• Kodak Canada  film provided by (as Kodak)
• Mercury Sound Studios  post-production sound services
• Multimedia Risk Consultants and Insurance Brokers  insurance (as Multi Media Risk Consultant and Insurance Brokers)
• P.O.P.  post-production services (as POP)
• PS Production Services  cameras provided by
• Pacific Title  titles
• Riot  digital intermediate
• Technicolor  post-production services
• VSI Synchron  German dubbing
• William F. White  grip/electric gear provided by

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language

Runtime:

France:88 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:R | Finland:K-11 | Australia:M | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Chicken Pictures

Trivia:

Anna Paquin is from Winnipeg, their destination in Canada.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When John calls his mother to tell her he is in Oregon and on his way to see her, he is filling up his own gas tank. However, Oregon gas stations are all full-serve.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Suburban Man:Can I help you?
John Logue:Hi, I'm John Logue with the Kerry campaign, and we just want to make sure we get all the voters out there. We have you listed as a strong-leaning Kerry household.
Suburban Man:I'm voting for Bush.
John Logue:You are? Sorry, no matter how many times people say that to me, I just can't get over it. It's like I don't have the enzymes to metabolize someone actually saying that to me.

Movie Connections:

References Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)

Knee-jerk much?

The people who ripped into the movie for portraying a one-dimensional Canada or taking potshots at Bush are missing the point.

Canada as a locale in the movie is merely a convenient shorthand-- it could have been Mexico or the UK or Australia, the point is that it's a foreign country. Calling 'Blue State' "anti-Canadian propaganda" is a bit like calling South Park's portrayal of egghead Canadians "anti-Canadian propaganda".

And, it may be just me, but I felt that 'Blue State' pokes more fun at the Democrat zealot than of Dubya-- for a considerable portion of the movie, and when he's on tirade-mode, it seems to me that John is portrayed as a sad, almost ridiculous figure.

That aside, the leads are believable and exhibit romantic chemistry, and make their characters likable. Especially Breckin Meyer-- as written, John is a self-important, uptight person for most of the film, but Meyer imbues his character with humanity.

Overall a mild political satire and competent, heartfelt romantic road trip.