Wonderful World (2009)

Director:

Joshua Goldin

Writer (WGA):

Joshua Goldin (written by)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Senegalese | Roommate | Diabetic | Guitar

Cast

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
Drew Waters	...	City Lawyer #1
Odessa Sykes	...	Laugh Zone MC
Carrey Bowers	...	Stand-up Comic
Linda Leonard	...	Doctor
David L.J. George	...	Male Nurse (as David George)
William Ragsdale	...	Buford Parks
David Jensen	...	Tow Truck Driver
Michael Showers	...	Marty Rowe - Lawyer on TV
Thomas Ike Awagu	...	African Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patrick Michael Carney	...	Evan Poole (uncredited)
Tammy Eaton	...	U.S. Traveler (uncredited)
Ted Ferguson	...	Business Man at Courthouse (uncredited)
Rebecca Holloway	...	Comedy Club Patron (uncredited)
Rick LaCour	...	Ramp Agent (uncredited)
Jimmy Lee Jr.	...	Comedy Club Patron (uncredited)
Cindy McBride	...	Female Doctor (uncredited)
Eric Kelly McFarland	...	Business Executive (uncredited)
Amy McGee	...	Café Patron (uncredited)
Jeannie Perrin	...	Bank Employee (uncredited)
Donnie Pierre	...	U.S. Traveler (uncredited)
Johnny Rock	...	U.S. Traveler (uncredited)
Charity Schubert	...	Proofreader (uncredited)
Charles Edward Smith	...	Colleague (uncredited)
Bill Stinchcomb	...	Businessman (uncredited)

Directed by
Joshua Goldin		(as Josh Goldin)

Writing credits (WGA)
Joshua Goldin		(written by) (as Josh Goldin)

Produced by
Miranda Bailey	....	producer
Joanna Colbert	....	associate producer
Iddo Lampton Enochs Jr.	....	executive producer (as Lampton Enochs)
Matthew Leutwyler	....	producer
Amanda Marshall	....	associate producer
Julie Sandor	....	co-producer
Glenn Williamson	....	producer

Original Music by
Craig Richey

Cinematography by
Daniel Shulman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jeff Canavan		(as Jeff W. Canavan)

Casting by
Richard Mento

Production Design by
Kristin Bicksler

Set Decoration by
Katherine Miller

Costume Design by
Liz Staub

Makeup Department
Troy Breeding	....	makeup department head
Theresa A. Fleming	....	key hair stylist
Melissa Forney	....	hair department head
Joe Rivera	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Cyndi Brenner	....	unit production manager
Maureen Norton	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Benjamin T. Brammeier	....	first assistant director
Tony Niknejadi	....	second assistant director
Cali Pomes	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Trinity Bamburg	....	set painter
William Bridges	....	propmaker
Fran Cox	....	art department production assistant
David Dickey	....	graphic designer
Michael Hendrick	....	lead man (as Michael E. Hendrick)
Buddy Jackson	....	general foreman
Jeremy Keifer	....	propmaker
Lexy Lebovich	....	graphic designer
Cory Parker	....	on-set dresser
Jared Pendergrass	....	art department coordinator
Marvin Salsberg	....	construction coordinator
Joe Walsh	....	set dresser
Andrew Wert	....	property master (as Andy 'Big Toe' Wert)
Denise D. Zeringue	....	assistant props
Eddie Burcham	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Kevin Gaspard	....	graphic designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Alex Altman	....	boom operator
Tara Blume	....	foley artist
Gary Coppola	....	adr mixer (as Gary J. Coppola)
Gary Coppola	....	foley editor (as Gary J. Coppola)
Gary Coppola	....	foley mixer (as Gary J. Coppola)
Gary Coppola	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Gary J. Coppola)
Gary Coppola	....	supervising sound editor (as Gary J. Coppola)
Chris Elam	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Fairlamb	....	foley editor (as John Fairlamb II)
John Fairlamb	....	foley mixer (as John Fairlamb II)
Destin E. Gautier	....	sound utility (as Desin Gautuer)
Frederick Howard	....	sound effects editor (as Fred Howard)
Bobby Johanson	....	adr mixer
Maciek Malish	....	adr editor
Maciek Malish	....	dialogue editor
Nancy Parker	....	foley artist
Bryan Pennington	....	sound consultant: Dolby
Glen Trew	....	sound mixer
Jimmy Lifton	....	sound facility (uncredited)
Steve Neal	....	stage recordist (uncredited)
Benjamin Rauscher	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jack Lynch	....	special effects
Bob Trevino	....	special effects foreman (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Eduardo Cisneros	....	visual effects and opticals: Cisnema
Hugo Cisneros	....	visual effects and opticals: Cisnema

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Bates	....	gaffer
Justin Cooley	....	loader
Brandon Dauzat	....	second assistant camera
Jeffrey Earnhardt	....	company grip
Rowland Egerton	....	company grip
Chris Ekstrom	....	key grip
Eli Everhard	....	company electric
Jon Baronn Farmer	....	still photographer
Brouke Franklin	....	first assistant camera
Frankie Jones	....	company grip
Vic Keatley	....	company electric (as Vic Keatley IV)
Adam Mitchell	....	company electric
Brent Swampy Mullins	....	dolly grip (as Brent Mullins)
Randy Tharpe	....	best boy grip
Tedd Underwood	....	best boy electric
Robert Owen	....	lighting technician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Andrei Constantinescu	....	extras casting assistant
Jay DeFelice	....	extras casting
Ryan Glorioso	....	casting director: Shreveport
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Christian Juneau	....	extras casting assistant
Joanna Colbert	....	casting (uncredited)
John McAlary	....	casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Doré Cermak	....	costume production assistant (as Dore Cermak)
Andree Fortier	....	costume supervisor
Frances LeCompte	....	seamstress
Wendy Talley	....	costume production assistant
Susan Thomas	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Maureen Doyle	....	post-production coordinator: Iluminate - HTV
Kelly Kroells	....	post-production coordinator: Iluminate - HTV
Scott Lawson	....	colorist: dailies, Ilumivate - HTV
Mark Nowicki	....	final colorist: Iluminate - HTV
Nicholas 'Nikko' Tsiotsias	....	assistant editor (as Nikko Tsiotsias)
Joseph Barto	....	additional video editor (uncredited)
Gilbert Carreras	....	color timer (uncredited)

Music Department
Kyle Kenneth Batter	....	orchestrator
Michael Becker	....	music supervisor
James T. Hill	....	music recording engineer (as Jim T. Hill)
Craig Richey	....	score producer
Evan Richey	....	additional music recordist
Kayla Schmah	....	additional orchestrator
Tom Villano	....	music editor
Minjee Chung	....	music preparation (uncredited)
Dana McCommon	....	song recordist (uncredited)
Thanh Tran	....	music librarian (uncredited)
Thanh Tran	....	music preparation (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Bret Carroll	....	driver (as Bret Carol)
Joe Comeaux	....	driver (as Joseph Comeaux)
Scott Duncan	....	driver: catering
Dwight Lindsey	....	driver
Buddy Loflin	....	driver
Aaron D. Moore	....	driver
Richard Munoz	....	driver (as Ric Munoz)
Henry Payne	....	driver
Ken Smith	....	transportation coordinator
Dan Sumner	....	transportation captain (as Daniel W. Sumner)
Charles Whitaker	....	driver (as Charles D. Whitaker)
Daniel Woodcock	....	driver
James Yeates	....	driver

Other crew
David Ackerman	....	assistant chef
Mary Bean	....	set production assistant
Greg Bernstein	....	legal counsel: Los Angeles
Garrett Bjorkman	....	second assistant chef
Roy Bogy	....	production coordinator (as Roy E. Bogy)
Alex Borys	....	location manager
Jacob Bynum	....	set production assistant
J.P. Byrd	....	assistant craft service
Mark Campbell	....	craft service
Favid Charlton	....	legal counsel: Louisiana, Breazeale Sache & Wilson
Luther Cox	....	choreographer
Gina M. Crane	....	product placement coordinator (as Gina Crane)
Julia Cranston	....	post production accountant: R.C. Baral & Company
Brian David Culp	....	executive assistant: Ambush
Christina DeCharles	....	assistant location manager
Scott Duncan	....	chef
Jonathan Frey	....	assistant: Josh Goldin
Chris Goyne	....	production assistant
Letitia Hoaas	....	studio teacher (as Letitia D. Hoaas)
Hayley Karl	....	office manager: Ambush
Susie Keatley	....	set medic
Matthew Keim	....	assistant location manager
Dan Kersting	....	production intern
Michael J. Kinney	....	assistant production coordinator (as Michael Kinney)
Dennis Loring	....	first assistant accountant
James Nimmers	....	set production assistant
Greg Peck	....	production intern
Robert Pfeffer	....	key production accountant (as Lloyd Robert Pfeffer)
Nancy Piraquive	....	office production assistant
Alexis Price	....	accounting clerk
Virginia Saenz McCarthy	....	script supervisor
Brian Schornak	....	production executive: Nack Lot
Charity Schubert	....	travel coordinator
Margie Smoake	....	studio teacher
Susana Torres	....	production secretary
Harris Vealer	....	production assistant
Tucker Wells	....	key set production assistant (as Justin 'Tucker' Wells)
Paul White	....	electronic press kit
Daryl Wilsford	....	accounting clerk
Paul Belcher	....	assistant office coordinator (uncredited)
Laurent Boye-Guérin	....	publicity team (uncredited)
Phillip Messinger	....	location scout (uncredited)
Kate Warren	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Adam Kulakow	....	special thanks
Matt Leipzig	....	special thanks
Matt Malloy	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Cold Iron Pictures (presents)
• K5 International (presents)
• Ambush Entertainment (co-production)
• Back Lot Pictures (co-production)

Distributors

• Magnolia Pictures (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Magnolia Pictures (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Magnolia Pictures (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Mongrel Media (2010) (Canada) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Cisnema (visual effects and opticals)

Other Companies

• Breazeale Sache & Wilson  legal counsel: Louisiana
• Departure Studios  sound re-recording facilities
• Fairfield Studios  sound post-production (music recorded at)
• Film Production Capital  tax credit brokering
• HTV / Illuminate  post-production facilities (as Iluminate - HTV)
• LA House of Props  product placement
• Lakeshore Records  soundtrack
• Louisiana Production Consultants  production services
• Magic Film and Video Works  negative conforming
• Murphy PR  publicity
• Oracle Post  sound re-recording facilities
• R.C. Baral & Company  production accounting
• Sonicpool  avid and editing suite
• Sound One  adr facilities
• Sound Satisfaction  adr facilities
• Sound Satisfaction  foley facilities
• Sound Satisfaction  sound post-production

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some drug use and sexual content

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English | Wolof

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #44395) | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Cold Iron Pictures

Trivia:

Joshua Goldin's directorial debut.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: 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.

Quotes:

Ibu:Has anyone ever told you that maybe you are a bit too negative Ben?

Movie Connections:

Featured in "The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Daybreakers/Leap Year/Youth in Revolt (#2.2)" (2010)

Soundtrack:

Summer Wind

An Unexpected Gem

I wasn't sure what to expect but I loved this thoughtful drama. The cast is terrific, especially Matthew Broderick and Sanaa Lathan. Who knew Michael K. Williams (THE WIRE) could play a guy with such heart.

I cared about every relationship in this film. It's not just a love story between Ben (Matthew Broderick) and Khadi (Sanaa Lathan). It's a story about how all the imperfect but human relationships in Ben's life (his daughter, his roommate) force him out of his protective, cynical shell. I won't spoil anything but I got definitely got teary eyed in parts. It's a subtle and moving film but thankfully there's some humor in it as well. It's a little gem.