Wonderful World (2009)

Ben Singer has his cynical worldview darkened by his roommate Ibu's sudden medical situation, though the arrival of Ibu's sister, Khadi, might remedy both men's ills.

Director:

Joshua Goldin

Writer:

Joshua Goldin

Stars:

Matthew Broderick, Sanaa Lathan, Michael Kenneth Williams

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew Broderick	...	Ben Singer
Sanaa Lathan	...	Khadi
Michael Kenneth Williams	...	Ibu
Philip Baker Hall	...	The Man
Jesse Tyler Ferguson	...	Cyril
Jodelle Ferland	...	Sandra
Ally Walker	...	Eliza
Christy Reese	...	Cassie
Zacharias Foppe	...	Leon (as Zacharias E. Foppe)
Cristen Barnes	...	Suzie
Mia Ford	...	Maxine - Cyril's Daughter
Paul T. Taylor	...	Doug
James Burton	...	McRory
Dan Zanes	...	Sweeny
John Hambrick	...	Judge Bissel

Storyline

Ben is a failed children's folk singer and less-than-extraordinary weekend dad. Deeply cynical, Ben's sole pleasure in life is derived from chess games with his Senegalese roommate Ibou. When Ibou is suddenly struck ill and an insensitive municipal employee exacerbates the emergency situation, Ben's pessimistic world view seems unequivocally confirmed. But when Ibou's sister Khadi takes his place in their apartment, what starts as an awkward living arrangement becomes something more, and Ben finds that cynicism may be all a matter of perspective.

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Plot Keywords:

singer | senegalese | roommate | diabetic | guitar | 

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Taglines:

If the glass is half empty, at least you can't drown.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some drug use and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English Wolof

Release Date:

2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Csodálatos világ

Filming Locations:

Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$4,582 (USA) (8 January 2010)

Gross:

$8,622 (USA) (15 January 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cold Iron Pictures, K5 International, Ambush Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joshua Goldin's directorial debut.

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Goofs

The chess board Ben and Ibou are playing on is placed wrongly. The rightmost square on the row nearest each player is not a white square but a black one.

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Quotes

Ibu: Maybe you should look at the world as your friend.
Ben Singer: Yeah, as soon as I see fish falling from the sky.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Daybreakers/Leap Year/Youth in Revolt (2010)

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Soundtracks

"5AM Headset"
Written by Marc Jordan
Performed by Footsie

User Reviews

Makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you think

A quietly profound and touching story with plenty of humor along the way, "Wonderful World" is a rare gem in today's movie marketplace. First time director Josh Goldin delivers a strong message about what's wrong with our world -- and about what's right with it as well. I found the struggles of Broderick's (initially) cynical character very raw and challenging but also believable and sympathetic. Broderick himself brings a sensitivity, depth and intensity to this role that, for me, goes beyond anything he's done before except maybe just maybe "Election." His journey through this wonderful world leaves us with a lot to think about and is a credit to all involved in bringing this memorable film to life.