Just Peck (2009)

Director:

Michael A. Nickles

Writer:

Marc Arneson (screenplay)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Tagline:

In suburbia no one can hear you scream.

Plot:

When Michael Peck's overbearing parents force him to compete in the Science Fair, he thinks he can shock everyone. Instead, Peck finds teen angst might be cliché, but it still sucks.

Plot Keywords:

Science Fair | Senior | Wrestling | Sophomore | Skipping School

Cast

Keir Gilchrist	...	Peck
Brie Larson	...	Emily
Adam Arkin	...	Michael Peck
Camryn Manheim	...	Ms. Wood
Kyle Kaplan	...	Geiger
Drew Taylor Bell	...	Cooper
John Prosky	...	Dr. Lipschitz
Andrew McFarlane	...	Frank (as Andrew MacFarlane)
Don McManus	...	Mr. Trustman
Martin Spanjers	...	Marty Binkman
Tom McGowan	...	Mr. Kuhner
Justin Lee	...	Jun
Marcia Cross	...	Cheryl Peck
Tiya Sircar	...	Becca
Molly Hagan	...	Ms. Sears
Hayley Holmes	...	Annie
Serena Berman	...	Sage
Kenny Stevenson	...	Security Guard
Haley Ramm	...	Michelle
Dan Martin	...	Coach
Ellen David	...	Secretary
Octavia Spencer	...	Detention Teacher
Peter Canaan	...	Big Kid
Michael DeLorenzo	...	Referee (as Michael DeLorenzo Sr)
Chris De Lorenzo	...	Christopher (as Christopher DeLorenzo)
Michael Hogan Jr.	...	Football Player
Elizabeth Cohen	...	Girl's Basketball Coach
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Courtney Fleming	...	Senior (uncredited)
Austin Honaker	...	Senior Guy on Campus / Guy Wrestling (uncredited)
Michael Justice	...	Senior (uncredited)
Adam Knapp	...	Mr. Becker (uncredited)
Javier Montoya	...	Science Fair Student (uncredited)
Angela Nikas	...	Senior (uncredited)
Pete Stamatelatos	...	Hardware Store Guy (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael A. Nickles

Writing credits
Marc Arneson		(screenplay)

Produced by
Romeo Antonio	....	executive producer
Juliet Berman	....	associate producer
Julie Chrystyn	....	executive producer
Michael A. DeLorenzo	....	co-producer
Tom Fortuna	....	executive producer
Jerry Leider	....	producer
Dwight Opperman	....	executive producer
Cliff Rogers	....	line producer
Michael Viner	....	executive producer
Daniel Wood	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Benjamin Wynn
Jeremy Zuckerman

Cinematography by
Mark Petersen		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ellen Goldwasser

Casting by
Donna Morong
Kathleen Tomasik		(as Kathleen Tomasik-Black)

Production Design by
Terrence Foster

Art Direction by
Melanie Jones

Costume Design by
Marcelle McKay		(as Marcelle Chamlee)

Makeup Department
Melissa Buell	....	makeup artist
Sean Conklin	....	makeup artist
Elizabeth Mbousia	....	key makeup artist
Ami Murray	....	makeup department head
Stephanie Kae Panek	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christopher S. Bryson	....	first assistant director
Irina Bryson	....	key second assistant director
Todd Havern	....	additional second assistant director
Matt Miller	....	second second assistant director
Nick Graham Rogers	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Tanner Bean	....	swing gang
Andy Bonura	....	swing gang
Laura Diamond	....	property master
Tim Dodge	....	set dresser
Eric Hull	....	assistant property master
Scott Macdonald	....	leadman
Landon L. Poff	....	set dresser
Kate Womack	....	set dresser

Sound Department
John Bauman	....	boom operator
Lorita de la Cerna	....	foley mixer & editor
Johnny Gallo	....	sound editor (as John Gallo)
Diane Greco	....	foley artist
David Ho	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sean Rush	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Jacob Moore	....	special effects technician
J.D. Streett	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
John Bowers	....	compositor
Erick Schiele	....	title design

Stunts
Ernie F. Orsatti	....	stunt coordinator
Bryan Thompson	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Traci Chappell	....	film loader
Charles Cooper	....	lighting technician
Michael De Lorenzo Jr.	....	still photographer
Krist Hager	....	gaffer
Joey Maloney	....	second assistant camera
Kevin Blair Rogers	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Ian Sherrington	....	additional loader

Casting Department
Kristan Berona	....	extras casting
Jackie Sollitto	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cristina Chereneta	....	wardrobe assistant
Aryeta Gashi	....	key costumer
Jeannette Hita	....	set costumer
Kimberly Leila Perry	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Richard Nastasi	....	on-line editor
Joe Parisella	....	digital color timer

Music Department
Alexandra Hill	....	music supervision executive
Michael Viner	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Myleen Chapin	....	transportation dispatcher
Christopher DiMarco	....	transportation
Scott Doleto	....	driver
Timothy 'Toes' Erwin	....	transportation coordinator
Brett Miller	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Melissa Beanes	....	assistant production accountant
Jennifer Burdick-Baklarov	....	production assistant
Joe Chamlee	....	production accountant
Cristina Chereneta	....	product placement liaison
Leonid Choub	....	location manager
Elizabeth Cohen	....	production assistant
Dan Cooley	....	assistant location manager
Shane Denil	....	utility stand-in
Dawn C. Dreiling	....	script supervisor
Daniel Geyer	....	production assistant
Jenny Gienger	....	assistant production coordinator
Alexandra Hill	....	music supervision executive
Devon Marie King	....	stand-in
Tracy E. Maurer	....	production coordinator
Kenji Miwa	....	production assistant
John Paliferro	....	production assistant
Peck	....	post-producion supervisor
Nick Graham Rogers	....	set production assistant
Jason Ybarra	....	key craft service

Production Companies

• Jerry Leider Productions
• Pheonix Entertainment

Distributors

• HBO Hungary (2010) (Hungary) (TV)
• Murena International (2009) (Russia) (all media)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Cutting Edge Group  music services
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Movie Movers  hair and make-up trailers
• Sessions Payroll Management  extras payroll services

Also Known As:

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Londonderry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, UK

Company:

Jerry Leider Productions

Trivia:

The leads were played by Keir Gilchrist and Brie Larson, who played siblings on United States of Tara for three seasons.

Quotes:

Peck:Sorry about Halloween.
Geiger:Sorry about, um, kickin' your ass.
Peck:Well, I'm sorry about your yeast infection.

Worth your time.

I watched this title knowing almost nothing about it other than I liked the two leads from the Showtime series, the United States of Tara. The setup is a well worn path, Keir Gilchrist plays Michael Peck, a 104lb Freshman invisible to his parents and those at school save for a small circle of friends.

Through a chance encounter he befriends Emily (Brie Larson), an attractive and popular senior at his school. They bond through their subsurface similarities, both are intelligent and posses a sharp tongue matched with a darkly funny evaluation of suburban life. But each are neglected by their parents, Peck's parents are overbearing and deaf to their sons concerns whilst Emily's just aren't there.

The two areas where this film just doesn't work are in the production values, this is obviously an independent film but unfortunately it sometimes looks like they stole set pieces from a direct to cable Disney film. The other let down is the direction, it is beyond flat. No style, no consistency in tone or the effort to create one, in retrospect it looks like they got their director from a Disney set as well.

The real saving grace is in a surprisingly good script, still let down with some strange turns and the performances. Gilchrist and Larson do seem to be following a reasonably close path to their turns in United States of Tara but in this film they're allowed the time to develop a successful character arc that not only works, but works well. Both turn in tender and genuine performances, and by the end Brie Larson particularly, really proves she has the acting chops to be taken seriously as a professional.

Whilst it has its flaws, Just Peck survives it's technical limitations through the talent of the cast and some originality and great laughs buried in an otherwise clichéd story.

7/10