Familiar Strangers (2008)

Director:

Zackary Adler

Writer:

John Bell (written by)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Dogs. Donkeys. Denial. There's no place like home.

Plot:

Asks the question, Is it really possible to relate to ones parents and siblings after being replaced by the family dog? . . . Perhaps as friends - weird friends?

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Shawn Hatosy	...	Brian Worthington
DJ Qualls	...	Kenny Worthington
Tom Bower	...	Frank Worthington
Nikki Reed	...	Allison
Ann Dowd	...	Dottie Worthington
Cameron Richardson	...	Erin Worthington
Georgia Mae Lively	...	Maddy
Kevin Murray	...	Clyde
Angus Sutherland	...	Walker
Keith Woodard	...	Grocery Store Customer
William Rough	...	Butcher
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dennis Cupp	...	Announcer
Jacqueline Harvey	...	Cashier
Chris Jenkins	...	Busboy
Chris Jenkins	...	Busboy
Mark Joy	...	Waiter
Paul Lieberman	...	The Referee
Craig Talbot	...	Gus
Rebecca Taylor	...	Local Beauty Queen
Tom Townsend	...	Walt

Directed by
Zackary Adler

Writing credits
John Bell		(written by)

Produced by
Ray Brown	....	line producer
Tim Estep	....	producer
Gary Giudice	....	associate producer
Joseph Harmon	....	associate producer
Bruce Heller	....	producer
Scott LeGrand	....	producer
Marc Lieberman	....	producer
Matthew Parker	....	associate producer
Barry R. Sisson	....	producer
Rebecca Taylor	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Dawn Landes
Steve Salett

Cinematography by
Hernan Otaño		(as Hernan Michael Otaño)

Film Editing by
Rachel Goodlett Katz

Casting by
Venus Kanani

Production Design by
Ruth De Jong

Set Decoration by
Taylor Savas Reese

Costume Design by
Derek Sullivan

Makeup Department
Shirley Baker	....	key hair stylist
Christle Chumney	....	assistant makeup artist
Joseph P. Hurt	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Marc Lieberman	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ben Hoskins	....	second assistant director
Diane Naughton	....	second second assistant director
Joanna Shattuck	....	second assistant director
Yann Sobezynski	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Clint Bonner	....	property master
Peter De Jong	....	art intern
Christopher Nelson	....	set dresser (as Chris Nelson)
Stephen G. Shifflette	....	lead man
Nathan J. Smith	....	art intern

Sound Department
Shaun Brennan	....	foley artist
William Britt	....	sound
Rusty Dunn	....	sound designer
Rusty Dunn	....	sound effects editor
Tom Efinger	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Efinger	....	sound supervisor
Eric Gitelson	....	adr engineer
Eric Gitelson	....	assistant sound editor
Michael Moore	....	boom operator
John Moros	....	dialogue editor
Ian Stynes	....	dialogue mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Wes Bailey	....	best boy grip
Cheyenne Ball	....	additional electrician
Frank Boone	....	key grip
John Brown	....	third grip
Chris Carpenter	....	additional electrician
Katie Dainson	....	second assistant camera
James Dombey	....	third electrician
Josh Ferguson	....	vtr operator
John P. Fleenor	....	still photographer
Todd Free	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Michael Hurt	....	camera intern
Scott Inge	....	first assistant camera
Bruce Johnson	....	additional photographer: second unit
Matt Kelly	....	additional camera loader
Julian Porter	....	fourth grip
Nate Slevin	....	camera loader
S. Benny Smyth	....	gaffer
Hektor Stockton	....	best boy electric
James Stockton	....	additional electrician
Vince Sweeney	....	camera production assistant

Casting Department
Joseph Harmon	....	extras casting
Julie Swistak	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tre Knight	....	set costumer
Anna Prisekin	....	key costumer

Editorial Department
Mike Ford	....	assistant editor
Scot Olive	....	digital intermediate colorist

Music Department
Henry Hoke	....	music coordinator
Geoff Sherr	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Leia Atwell	....	set intern
Anthony Baker	....	craft service
Melissa Bostian	....	location assistant
Jessica Brown	....	set intern
Chris Clack	....	production office intern
Leslie Connell	....	dog wrangler
Caitlin Crowe	....	production office intern
Hugh Edwards	....	world sales agent
Jessica Erwin	....	craft service
Kyle Estep	....	production intern
Miriam Fields	....	animal wrangler
Brent Finnegan	....	electronic press kit
Ashley Fish	....	production office intern
Jonathan Gray	....	production attorney
Pete Hagen	....	key production assistant
Rena Hanover	....	production assistant
Henry Hoke	....	assistant to producers
Karen Hurt	....	tutor
Kim Ludlow	....	script supervisor
Brinton Lukens	....	production office intern
Kirby Martin	....	set intern
Hunter Moye	....	assistant to director
Chris Nelson	....	production assistant
Tina Nelson	....	production accountant
Rob Reinders	....	set intern (as Robert Reinders)
Wade Reishman	....	production office intern
Matthew V. Sedeen II	....	production assistant
Aaron L. Sedeen	....	production assistant
Terre Sisson	....	food consultant
Kathy Sizemore	....	production accountant
Eric Stamer	....	caterer
Karle Stewart	....	craft services coordinator
Ty Strickler	....	electronic press kit
Blake Williams	....	publicist

Production Companies

• Cavalier Films

Distributors

• Phase 4 Films (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Aspect Film (2009) (non-USA) (all media)
• Cavalier Films
• Cinemax (2010) (Hungary) (TV)
• Front Row Distributors (2008) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2009) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• HBO Hungary (2010) (Hungary) (TV)
• HBO (2010) (Czech Republic) (TV)
• HBO (2010) (Romania) (TV)

Other Companies

• Gray Krauss Des Rochers  legal services
• InkTip  screenplay facilitation
• PostWorks, The Lab  processing (NY Unit)
• Postworks New York  digital intermediate

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Broadway, Virginia, USA

Company:

Cavalier Films

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Moviemaking in Virginia: Take 3 (2008) (V)

Some potential but didn't deliver.

Familiar Strangers tells the story of the Worthington's family. Brian ( Shawn Hatosy) is the older brother who left a long time ago to pursue his dreams and ambitions. He ended up writing a technical book but feels like he hasn't archived much.When he returns home, he tries to re-connect with his family but his father Frank (Tom Bower ) is still angry at him for leaving and not helping with the family business, his brother Kenny (DJ Qualls) refuses to grow up,his sister Erin (Cameron Richardson) is falling to pieces after a failed marriage and his mother Dottie (Ann Dowd) is trying to keep the family together. On top of this,Frank seems to have replaced his estranged son with a dog. The Worthington's manage to re-connect over a game of donkey ball and Brian tries to help his family as much as he can before he leaves again.Familiar Strangers seemed to have all the right ingredients but didn't really worked. This small indie tries to capture the everyday life and the family dynamics but due to some awkward dialog and bad direction it falls flat.The script is not very solid and the narrative seems to disperse every now and then. Also Shawn Hatosy character lacks charisma and personality which makes hard to relate to him. Good performance by Tom Bower as Frank,the patriarch though. In conclusion, a weak and poorly directed film that had some potential but didn't deliver.

6/10