The Nines (2007)

A troubled actor, a television show runner, and an acclaimed videogame designer find their lives intertwining in mysterious and unsettling ways.

Director:

John August

Writer:

John August

Stars:

Ryan Reynolds, Melissa McCarthy, Hope Davis

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan Reynolds	...	Gary / Gavin / Gabriel
Melissa McCarthy	...	Margaret / Melissa / Mary
Hope Davis	...	Sarah / Susan / Sierra
Elle Fanning	...	Noelle
David Denman	...	Parole Officer / Agitated Man
Octavia Spencer	...	Streetwalker (credited) / Pedestrian (uncredited)
Ben Falcone	...	Himself
Dahlia Salem	...	Herself
John Gatins	...	Himself
Andy Fielder	...	Moderator
Jodi Sellards	...	Piano Player
Greg Baine	...	Delivery Guy
Martin Yu	...	Focus Group Participant #1
Gregg Naaman	...	Focus Group Participant #2
Lorene Scafaria	...	Game Night Guest

Storyline

Gary, an actor who plays a cop on television, uses too much lighter fluid when he burns his ex-girlfriend's things, then he drinks and drives, uses crack, and crashes his car. He sobers up in jail and is placed under house arrest and the watchful eye of a publicist, the cheery and tough-minded Margaret. She moves him into the empty house of a writer who's away in Canada on a shoot. Gary meets Sarah, an attractive and seemingly-willing neighbor. His friendship with Margaret blooms and strange things happen: he finds notes he doesn't remember writing, he hears noises, and he seems to bump into himself in the kitchen. Two remaining chapters reveal what's going on.

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Plot Keywords:

actor | house | television | neighbor | arrest | 

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Taglines:

Y9u never kn9w when y9ur number is up

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some drug content and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 November 2007 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Untitled John August Project

Filming Locations:

Cafe Susina - 7122 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$29,172 (USA) (31 August 2007)

Gross:

$62,745 (USA) (5 October 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Destination Films, Jinks/Cohen Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the third segment "Knowing", Gabriel's car has the license plate which reads "54P-X63". The numbers 5+4 and 6+3 both equal nine. P and X are nine letters apart in the alphabet.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Gary: Hey, do you sell crack?
[drug dealer looks confused]
Gary: No, it's cool. I only play a cop on TV.

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Connections

References Star Trek (1966)

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Soundtracks

"Bang Bang to the Rock 'N' Roll"
Written by Filippo Clary and Massimo Bottini
Performed by Gabin
Courtesy of Astralwerks
Under license from EMI film & Television Music

User Reviews

Brilliant in all aspects.

As I sat in the packed Sundance theater watching the final scene of John August's, The Nines, I shuttered. The film had sent chills down my spine, and it lasted into the night. The script was brilliant beyond anything I have ever experienced, the character development between the three parts dissecting the film was astonishing. The metaphorical tie- ins left your mind racing and your imagination spinning. It was not ironic in a sense that it allowed you to contemplate the scenarios that had just unveiled. John August is a brilliant writer and holds himself magnificently in front of the film industry. Ryan Reynolds blew me away and Melissa McCarthy was amazing. The character interaction between them and Hope Davis reflected on the complexity of the dialogue and scene structure. The film is broken into three intertwining sections, serving as "acts" that play into a plot scheme that defies the contemporary and conformist thought of todays screenplay writers.

The best to come from sundance this year... by far. John August matches Charlie Kaufman as a writer, and parallels Michel Gondry as a director He is outstanding in himself The film is one to reckon with and hopefully will hit the big screens but last its authentic, rare, independent flavor.