$5 a Day (2008)

Director:

Nigel Cole

Writers:

Neal H. Dobrofsky (writer)
Tippi Dobrofsky (writer)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

The best things in life are free!

Plot:

The conservative son of a thrifty conman begrudgingly joins his father on the road -- after being released from jail for one of his dad's earlier crimes.

Plot Keywords:

Hustler | Health Inspector | Sleeping In A Car | Sabotage | Product Placement

Cast

Christopher Walken	...	Nat Parker
Alessandro Nivola	...	Ritchie Flynn Parker
Sharon Stone	...	Dolores Jones
Dean Cain	...	Rick Carlson
Peter Coyote	...	Burt Kruger
Amanda Peet	...	Maggie
Luis Avalos	...	Martinez
Beth Bailey	...	Real Estate Lady
Marya Beauvais	...	Realtor
Frank Bond	...	Bar Manager
Vic Browder	...	Salesman
Gregory Chase	...	Reporter (as Greg Chase)
Christopher Dempsey	...	Tim Webber
Judith Greentree	...	IHOP Waitress
Christopher Hagen	...	Marty
Jim Hatch	...	Health Dept. Supervisor
Anne Johns	...	Kruger's wife
Diana Maimin	...	Desk Clerk
Mike Miller	...	Pharmaceutical CEO
Tish Rayburn-Miller	...	Secretary (as Tish Miller)
Mandy Olsen	...	Hospital Nurse
Nectar Rose	...	Sherry
Tom Schuch	...	VIP
Babak Tafti	...	Room Service Waiter
Bridget White	...	Mrs. Carlson (as Bridget Ann White)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jim Burleson	...	Orderly
Sequoyah Adams-Rice	...	Crying Child (uncredited)
Michael-David Aragon	...	Ticket Agent (uncredited)
Josh Berry	...	Manager (uncredited)
Bryan Chapman	...	Front Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Gorneth D'Oyley	...	Bell Hop (uncredited)
Lynda Fazio	...	Singing IHOP waitress (uncredited)
Esodie Geiger	...	Airline Attendant (uncredited)
Antony Hall	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Aynn Kirby	...	Pharmaceutical Rep (uncredited)
David Kneeream	...	IHOP Patron (uncredited)
Daniel Knight	...	Wealthy Gentleman (uncredited)
Kevin Makely	...	Jammez (uncredited)
Jon Kristian Moore	...	Ticket Agent (uncredited)
Tricia Munford	...	Ticket Agent (uncredited)
Arty Nichols	...	Pharmaceutical Rep (uncredited)
Lorri Oliver	...	Singing IHOP Waitress (uncredited)
Charles Pendelton	...	Game / fender (uncredited)
Chris Ranney	...	Pharmaceutical Rep (uncredited)
Robyn Reede	...	Neighbor (uncredited)
Fred Resler	...	VIP at Political Rally (uncredited)
Shawnee Robertson	...	IHOP Patron (uncredited)
David C. Roehm Sr.	...	Boardwalker (uncredited)
Bailey Ann Scheller	...	Minature Golfer (uncredited)
Dylan Scheller	...	Minature Golfer (uncredited)
Tavia Schwartz	...	Pharmacist's Wife (uncredited)
David Sheftell	...	Gas Station Attendant (uncredited)
Justin Stern	...	IHOP Patron (uncredited)
Omar Paz Trujillo	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)
Stacy Marie Warden	...	Airport Traveler (uncredited)
Taylor Warden	...	Airport Traveler (uncredited)
Foued Zayani	...	Political Rally Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Nigel Cole

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Neal H. Dobrofsky		writer
Tippi Dobrofsky		writer

Produced by
Carol Baum	....	producer
David Bergstein	....	executive producer
Jane Goldenring	....	producer
Warren T. Goz	....	executive producer
Kia Jam	....	producer
Stewart McMichael	....	executive producer
Jeff G. Waxman	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Alex Wurman

Cinematography by
Peter Donahue

Film Editing by
Susan Littenberg

Casting by
Joseph Middleton

Production Design by
Bryce Perrin

Costume Design by
Melissa Bruning

Makeup Department
Jane Galli	....	makeup department head
Karen McDonald	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Elaine Dysinger	....	unit production manager
Anne Johns	....	production supervisor
Laura J. Medina	....	unit production manager
Demian Resnick	....	assistant unit production manager: East Coast

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sarah Lemon	....	second second assistant director
James Sbardellati	....	first assistant director
Dawn Stewart	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Bob Becker	....	set dresser
Greg Davidson	....	painter
Rocky De la Vega	....	key scenic
Phyllis Detrich	....	property master
James Klotsas	....	leadman
Leigh Maney	....	assistant props
Markus Maurette	....	set designer

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Maurice Cre'que	....	cable utility sound
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer: New York
Josh Eckberg	....	sound recordist
Mark Ettel	....	sound re-recording mixer
Arthur Farkas	....	sound effects editor
Darryl L. Frank	....	production sound mixer
Jeff Knudsen	....	boom operator
Anthony Krajchir	....	sound engineer
Samuel Lehmer	....	sound re-recording mixer
Patrick O'Sullivan	....	sound

Special Effects by
Daniel Holt	....	special effects coordinator
Randy E. Moore	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Alastor Arnold	....	digital intermediate colorist

Stunts
Adam C. Edwards	....	stunt driver (as Adam Ciesielski)
Al Goto	....	stunt coordinator
John Koyama	....	stunts
Z. Ray Wakeman	....	stunt double: Christopher Walken

Camera and Electrical Department
Theodore Y. Bott	....	best boy electric
Elizabeth Cash	....	film loader
Beau Chaput	....	Steadicam operator
Daniel C. Cook	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Frank Eyers	....	24 frame playback operator
Richard Foreman Jr.	....	still photographer
Tammy Fouts	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Tammy Fouts	....	director of photography: second unit
April Lanci-Leseur	....	assistant camera (as April Lanci)
Len Levine	....	gaffer
Charles Libin	....	director of photography: second unit
Niran Martin	....	key first assistant camera
Brian Minzlaff	....	set lighting
Richard A. Mitchell	....	local best boy
Jerad Molkenthin	....	electrician: Philadelphia/Atlantic City
Michael Parmelee	....	still photographer: Atlantic City
Gabriel Pfeiffer	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Jeremy Schroeder	....	key grip: East Coast unit
Corey Weintraub	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Steve Wolfe	....	first assistant camera

Casting Department
Lauren Dickey	....	casting assistant
Jonathan Clay Harris	....	casting associate
Christian Rodriguez	....	casting intern
Gwyn Savage	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bren Cook	....	costume supervisor
John Deering	....	key set costumer
Jennifer Gingery	....	costumer
Juliet Hyde-White	....	set costumer
Jesse Trevino	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Jason Barnes	....	first assistant editor
Bartholomew Burcham	....	editorial consultant
Regan Copeland	....	digital intermediate editor
Paul Lavoie	....	digital intermediate producer

Music Department
Carlos José Alvarez	....	musician: percussion
John Jennings Boyd	....	assistant to composer
John Jennings Boyd	....	composer: additional music
Tom Brissette	....	score mixer
Tarquin Gotch	....	music supervisor
Teddy Kumpel	....	guitar
Ellen Segal	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Gary Armstrong	....	driver
Morris Aroesti	....	driver
Lyle Christensen	....	shotmaker driver
L. Chip Crosby Jr.	....	transportation captain
James Lowder	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Vanessa Abbott	....	director assistant
Lisa Alsop	....	office production assistant
Lynn Ambrosino	....	additional production assistant
Jon Baran	....	production assistant
Michael Barnes	....	financial legal services
Newton Bass	....	location manager
Wendy Benge	....	finance attorney
Jason Bonnell	....	location scout
Jennifer Bushnell	....	legal assistant
Rob Corlew	....	production coordinator
Stephanie Marie Delgado	....	production assistant (as Stephanie Delgado)
Adam C. Edwards	....	photo double for Alessandro Nivola (as Adam Ciesielski)
Francisco A. Fernandez	....	production assistant
John Galloway	....	assistant location manager: East Coast
Carol Green	....	unit publicist
Granville Greene	....	location scout
Kyndall Holstead	....	assistant production coordinator
Andrew C. Keeter	....	production executive
Nikki Kelly	....	assistant to actor
Michael Kiely	....	production accountant
Jennifer Mancuso	....	production secretary
Traci Martin	....	first assistant accountant
Amy Martinson	....	assistant: Kia Jam
Jason A. McCauley	....	location manager: East Coast
Jason A. McCauley	....	location scout: Philadelphia
Anna Metcalf	....	assistant accountant: wrap
Ryan J. Pezdirc	....	assistant: Mr. Nivola
Loretta Polizzi	....	script supervisor
Lauren Popp	....	production assistant
Paul B. Roberts	....	key assistant location manager
Peter W. Root	....	unit production secretary
Rufus Rosendo	....	production assistant
Aaron Z. Schor	....	key office production assistant
Ian Simon	....	set production assistant
Erik Solis	....	production assistant
Adam M. Stone	....	product placement coordinator
Cat Stone	....	product placement coordinator
Rick S. Sulier	....	production accountant
Jacob Uher	....	second assistant accountant
Robert Vertrees	....	runner
Caspar von Winterfeldt	....	production financing
Z. Ray Wakeman	....	stand-in: Christopher Walken
Déborah Wakshull	....	location scout
Dana Warning	....	assistant to producer

Thanks
Caspar von Winterfeldt	....	very special thanks

Production Companies

• Capitol Films
• Carol Baum Productions
• Goldenring Productions
• Grand Army Entertainment
• Image Entertainment

Distributors

• Image Entertainment (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Koch Media (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Aventi (2010) (France) (DVD)
• E1 Entertainement (2010) (France) (DVD)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2010) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• Image Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)

Special Effects

• Great FX

Other Companies

• Aramid Capital Partners  funding
• Aramid Entertainment Fund  funding
• Reel Chefs Catering  catering
• Soundtrack  ADR Facility
• Stone Management  product placement

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, brief nudity and language

Runtime:

Canada:90 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Capitol Films

Trivia:

Nigel Cole mentioned one scene with Nivola inspecting a taco stand and the owner (played by one of the production guys) shouting obscenities at him that was filmed as an opening, but it set the wrong tone for the opening of the film, so it got cut.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When they stop at an IHOP in Altoona Pa. There has never been an IHOP in Altoona Pa.

Movie Connections:

Features Old Yeller (1957)

Soundtrack:

Make It Easy

A tip-top lowball roadmovie with grifts galore - excellent indie flick

If the late 2000s are the new 1930s then this is the perfect movie. In a time of recession we need Christopher Walken's optimistic, unrealistic, opportunistic grifter...

This was a real surprise - and a very pleasant one. I was expecting deep and sorrowful, but got hilarious, thoughtful, and even belly laughs - and enough grifts to make me wonder how or why we pay for anything anymore.

By turns honest, hilarious, outrageous, and moving this is all wrapped up in a lowball low-fi package that smacks of good indie roots.

Definitely one of my favorite movies of the year. Walken's gives a masterclass in comic timing, and Alessandro Nivola is a great straight man as the son who never could. And some great cameos. This is at times snort your milk through your nose funny, at others tragic: but it is not buffoonish in your face slapstick and even better for it.

All in all a really great little road movie that constantly sparkles with fresh ideas and little touches of originality that puts most movies to shame - I hope the Dobrofkys have got another 20 scripts like this - they deserve awards for the writing - a wonderful mix and they deserve lots of work on the basis of this.

And if I'm raving it's because it deserves it - it stands out from the crowd by a mile: fresh, witty, sincere, slightly surreal and oddball, and by the end, exemplary.

Get to see, you'll be glad you did.