The Box (2009)

A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple, who know that opening it will grant them a million dollars and kill someone they don't know.

Director:

Richard Kelly

Writers:

Richard Kelly (screenplay), Richard Matheson (short story "Button, Button")

Stars:

Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella

6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cameron Diaz	...	Norma Lewis
James Marsden	...	Arthur Lewis
Frank Langella	...	Arlington Steward
James Rebhorn	...	Norm Cahill
Holmes Osborne	...	Dick Burns
Sam Oz Stone	...	Walter Lewis
Gillian Jacobs	...	Dana
Celia Weston	...	Lana Burns
Deborah Rush	...	Clymene Steward
Lisa K. Wyatt	...	Rhonda Martin
Mark S. Cartier	...	Martin Teague (as Mark Cartier)
Kevin Robertson	...	Wendell Matheson
Michele Durrett	...	Rebecca Matheson
Ian Kahn	...	Vick Brenner
John Magaro	...	Charles

Storyline

Norma and Arthur Lewis, a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. A mysterious stranger delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. However, pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world, someone they don't know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the cross-hairs of a startling moral dilemma and must face the true nature of their humanity.

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Plot Keywords:

moral dilemma | nosebleed | alien | library | supernatural power | 

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Taglines:

You Are The Experiment

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some violence and disturbing images

Did You Know?

Trivia

Veteran character actor Basil Hoffman was also in the original version of this story, when "Button, Button" aired on The Twilight Zone: Profile in Silver/Button, Button (1986).

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Goofs

The Lewis family receives a suspicious package on the doorstep. Arthur opens the box but doesn't call the police about it. He shouldn't have opened it because there could have been a bomb in there.

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Quotes

Openning Title Card: LANGLEY AFB, VA-CLASSIFIED
Openning Title Card: INTERNAL MEMORANDUM TO: MARTIN TEAGUE - NSA DEPUTY DIRECTOR
Openning Title Card: Resuscitation of patient ARLINGTON JAMES STEWARD confirmed by hospital personnel. Patient was released from burn unit on the morning of July 24th to undisclosed location.
Openning Title Card: Patient has constructed a device of unknown purpose. Design specification confirmed by Mars project. Patient is delivering the device to private residences.
Openning Title Card: More information forthcoming.

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Connections

Referenced in Unikal'noe pozdravlenie (2014)

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Soundtracks

Mustang Sally
Written by Mack Rice
Performed by Wilson Pickett
Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Worth A Watch

It seems that most either hate or love this film with nothing in between. I have seen people say it was "hateful" or "they didn't understand the ending" I will simply say, a number of people just did not understand the film at all.

I personally thought it was better than Donnie Darko, as Kelly went out of his way to be weird for the sake of it in that film. This seemingly had a bit more meaning behind it.

To those who found the script hateful, it simply isn't do not allow that opinion to keep you from watching this movie. If anything the script shows you that greed and the error of our ways do have consequences and could harm those we love. That isn't hateful, but more of a message alerting us that our every decision is indeed important.

Do not be scared away by those who ranked the film at four and below, this is a movie for those who want to be challenged to think outside the normal boundaries of everyday thought. If you're up to that challenge it's worth seeing, although certain areas could be done better.

It was nice to see Cameron do a serious role, but she did seem at times rusty at portraying some of the emotions needed for such a role. At others she nailed what she needed to deliver. James Mardsen (Arthur Lewis) and Frank Langella (Arlington Steward) both delivered consistent performances.

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. Wild Bunch Distribution [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 November 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Box

Filming Locations:

Boston Public Library - 700 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,571,417, 8 November 2009

Gross USA:

$15,051,977

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$33,334,176

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Radar Pictures, Media Rights Capital (MRC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1