Gardens of the Night (2008)

Director:

Damian Harris

Writer (WGA):

Damian Harris (written by)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

After being abducted as children, and suffering years of abuse, a teenage boy and girl find themselves living on the street.

Plot Keywords:

Girl | Abuse | Shelter | Teenage Boy | Pimp

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Gillian Jacobs	...	Leslie
John Malkovich	...	Michael
Ryan Simpkins	...	Young Leslie
Tom Arnold	...	Alex
Kevin Zegers	...	Frank
Jermaine Scooter Smith	...	Young Donnie (as Jermaine 'Scooter' Smith)
Harold Perrineau	...	Orlando
Jeremy Sisto	...	Jimmy
Raynold Gideon	...	Judge Feeney
Cornelia Guest	...	Mrs. Feeney
Natalie May	...	Judge's Daughter
Ben Lin	...	Pa
Alice Lo	...	Ma
Evan Ross	...	Donnie
Landall Goolsby	...	Blackberry John
Shontae Saldana	...	Baby Loco
Max Van Ville	...	Surf
Kyle Gallner	...	Ratboy
Troy Ruptash	...	Motel John
Shiloh Fernandez	...	Cooper
Angel Lacy	...	Waitress
Peta Wilson	...	Sarah
Evan Peters	...	Rachel / Brian
Carlie Westerman	...	Monica
Jeff Swarthout	...	Gay John
Jeff Feringa	...	Booster Lady
Jim Cody Williams	...	Leslie's John
Alexis Jackson	...	Mia
Raphael Sbarge	...	Mr. Whitehead
Lisa Akey	...	Mrs. Whitehead
Gracie Sbarge	...	Gracie Whitehead
Ty Simpkins	...	Dylan Whitehead
Michelle Rodriguez	...	Lucy (Woman in Car)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mike Ball	...	Lifeguard (uncredited)
Rik Baron	...	Pimp (uncredited)
Mike Cochrane	...	Truck Driver at Truck Stop (uncredited)
Jahkeim Cromedy	...	Young Male in the Park (uncredited)
Reedy Gibbs	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Alex Solowitz	...	Mohawk (uncredited)
Haleigh Ward	...	Girl at the Swimming Pool (uncredited)

Directed by
Damian Harris

Writing credits (WGA)
Damian Harris		(written by)

Produced by
Mark Amin	....	executive producer
Thomas L. Carter	....	co-producer
Joe Dain	....	producer
Pascal Franchot	....	producer
Damian Harris	....	producer
Stephen Hens	....	co-producer
Jason Koren	....	co-producer
Todd Olsson	....	executive producer
R.D. Robb	....	producer
Nicholas D. Wrathall	....	line producer

Original Music by
Craig Richey

Cinematography by
Paula Huidobro

Film Editing by
Michal Shemesh

Casting by
Shannon Makhanian
Jeni Thornell

Production Design by
Bradd Fillmann

Set Decoration by
Natasha Giraldo

Costume Design by
Rhona Meyers

Makeup Department
Garnett Burk	....	key hair stylist
Garnett Burk	....	key makeup artist
Jessica Elbaum	....	hair stylist
Amy Willingham	....	hair/makeup assistant

Production Management
James Allen Bradley	....	unit production manager (as Jim Bradley)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nick Ameln	....	second assistant director
Aaron Steele	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Mario N. Bonassin	....	art assistant
Willie L. Brown III	....	art department assistant
Natasha Giraldo	....	art coordinator
Thyra Heder	....	storyboard artist
Johanna Jenkins	....	illustrator
Matthew Karam	....	lead man
Javier Montufar	....	art assistant
Jesse Poupis	....	art assistant
Jesse Poupis	....	lead construction
Joe Price	....	property master (as J.R. Price)
Ashley Ramirez	....	art assistant
Kendra Rasmussen	....	art assistant
Alejandro Romero	....	property master

Sound Department
Shaun Cunningham	....	dialog & adr editor
Robert Dehn	....	assistant sound editor
Jason Gaya	....	assistant sound editor
Brennan Gerle	....	sound effects editor
Judah Getz	....	foley mixer
Angela Hemingway	....	adr editor
Angela Hemingway	....	dialogue editor
Scott Hinkley	....	sound re-recording mixer
Chad J. Hughes	....	supervising sound editor
Ryan Kaiser	....	sound mixer
Brad Kalpakov	....	boom operator
Brian Kalpakov	....	boom operator
Zach Michaelis	....	foley artist
Andrew Morgado	....	adr mixer
Evaristo Scarsanela Junior	....	assistant sound editor
Jonathan Wales	....	sound re-recording mixer

Visual Effects by
Nathan Adams	....	post coordinator
Stephen Hens	....	post production supervisor
Michael Shelton	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Cole S. McKay	....	stunt coordinator (as Cole McKay)

Camera and Electrical Department
Crystal Abeel	....	film loader
Adam Beffa	....	grip
Christian Brunelle	....	gaffer
Darren Cenet	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Adam Cwiok	....	electrician
Jeff Dolen	....	first assistant camera
Jesse Feldman	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Lisa Franchot	....	still photographer
Scott Garrison	....	additional camera loader
Katie Goldschmidt	....	second assistant camera
Andrew Hin	....	grip
Gembala James	....	best boy electric
Jeremy Kerr	....	electrician
Carisa Koh	....	film loader
Rebecca Lipman	....	camera production assistant
Issac Martin	....	electrician
Scott McCleary	....	key grip
Mark Meyers	....	Steadicam operator
Brandon Musselman	....	grip
Kevin Naylor	....	camera intern
J.C. Spike Osorio	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Bill Otto	....	gaffer
Jeff Porter	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Forrest Sandefer	....	dolly grip
Joseph Segura	....	electrician
Nick Sogard	....	key grip
Bryan Sprow	....	best boy grip
Bryan Sprow	....	key grip: San Diego
Sam Stewart	....	best boy electric
Jessica Walker	....	grip
Ben Watkins	....	additional gaffer
Ben Watkins	....	grip and electrical equipment supplier
Nicole Wilder	....	additional still photographer
John Zivelonghi	....	electrician
Jason Blount	....	additional Steadicam operator (uncredited)

Animation Department
Nick Lenard	....	animator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Zandra Harding	....	costumer
Zandra Harding	....	tailor
Traci La Due	....	set costumer
Ednita Trivino	....	key costume supervisor (as Ednita Trivino-Madden)

Editorial Department
Justin Barham	....	conform assistant editor
George Chavez	....	color timer
David Dennick	....	assistant editor
T.J. Ryan	....	colorist

Music Department
Peymon Maskan	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Louis Dargenzio	....	transportation captain
Kyle Sonia	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Brian Ankrum	....	location manager
Nathan Bishop	....	set production assistant
Aline Larrison Campbell	....	production assistant
Tara Carbajal	....	production assistant
Douglas Cook	....	key production assistant
Chris Coulter	....	location coordinator
Chris Coulter	....	office production assistant
Jilliane Grodecki	....	production assistant
Noah Henry	....	production assistant
Hannah Hogan	....	production assistant
Johanna Jenkins	....	assistant: Mr. Harris
Reed Johns	....	production assistant
Jon Katz	....	epk intern
Kelly Lee Lamb	....	assistant: director, post-production
Kelly Lee Lamb	....	production assistant (as Kelly Lamb)
Ronald J. Levin	....	production counsel
Tania Nunez Amador	....	production assistant
Otto Porrazzo	....	insurance broker
Kimberley Roper	....	script supervisor
Kim Rocco Shields	....	additional script supervisor
Edwin Ventura	....	condor operator
Clenet Verdi-Rose	....	set coordinator
Nicole M. White	....	production coordinator
Constantine Williams	....	production assistant

Thanks
Kasra Ajir	....	special thanks
Mark 'Free' Friedlander	....	special thanks
George Polychronopoulos	....	special thanks
Jethro Rothe-Kushel	....	special thanks
Anne Woodward	....	special thanks
Nicholas Zafiris	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Station3
• Fastback Pictures
• Shoot Productions
• La Nuit Americaine
• Sobini Films

Distributors

• City Lights Pictures (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sobini Films (2007) (non-USA) (all media)
• VVS Films (2009) (Canada) (all media)

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting
• Chop House Edit  titles
• Film Emporium  insurance by
• Hollywood Camera  camera equipment provided by
• NovaStar Digital  post-production sound services
• Precision Film Tools  grip and lighting equipment
• Sonic Magic  sound post-production

MPAA:

Rated R for disturbing content involving sexual exploitation of a child, language, sexual content and some drug use

Runtime:

Germany:110 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Belmont Park, San Diego, California, USA

Company:

Station3

Trivia:

The homeless shelter that the adult Leslie visits is located in the Little Italy section of downtown San Diego. In real life it is not a homeless shelter, but as of March of 2010 the building is home to a local car rental business.

Quotes:

Young Leslie:[first lines - reading] The marsh ended in a broad plain where the light twinkled. It was a long time since Mowgli had concerned himself with the doings of men. "I will look", he said, "and I will see how far the Man-Pack has changed." The door of the hut opened, and a woman stood peering into the darkness. "Who calls?", said the woman, a quiver in her voice. "Have you forgotten?", said Mowgli. His throat was dry as he spoke.

Soundtrack:

Good things

hard to watch

I've seen a lot of movies, and this one is one of the few that is hard to watch. Not because it's necessarily bad on a cinematic level; the acting is great, and the directing and camera work are just fine. It's hard to watch because of the brutal reality (read: evil) that exists in our world. I feel the first hour of the film could have told in at least half the time – as there are certain things you just don't want to see, and/or turn a blind eye to and pretend they don't exist or happen. However, by leaving it that long, it forces the viewer to enter their world – it's as if they are holding your eyes open for you and you have no other choice (clockwork orange style).

I think it's a powerful story, and told well, as it explores most avenues and consequences associated with that lifestyle. The story is sad, heartbreaking, and repulsive, yet almost beautiful with undertones of love, forgiveness, and what it means to be 'family'.