King of California (2007)

An unstable dad who after getting out of a mental institution tries to convince his daughter that there's Spanish gold buried somewhere under suburbia.

Director:

Mike Cahill

Writer:

Mike Cahill

Stars:

Michael Douglas, Evan Rachel Wood, Willis Burks II

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Douglas	...	Charlie
Evan Rachel Wood	...	Miranda
Willis Burks II	...	Pepper
Laura Kachergus	...	Rita
Paul Lieber	...	Doug
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Kelly
Anne L. Nathan	...	Applebee's Manager (as Anne Nathan)
Arthur Santiago	...	McDonald's Manager
Ashley Greene	...	McDonald's Customer
Ian Hopps	...	Boy
Anna Khaja	...	Officer Contreras
Will Rothhaar	...	Security Guard
Annie O'Donnell	...	Greeter
Greg Davis Jr.	...	Joseph
Jeanie Hackett	...	Teacher

Storyline

A fresh-out-of-the-mental institution father and his emancipated teenage daughter venture together on a quest for an ancient Spanish treasure buried beneath their local Costco in this take on the modern family and the American dream.

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Plot Keywords:

spanish | treasure | dream | american dream | mental institution | 

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Taglines:

You've got to believe in treasure to find it.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some strong language, mature thematic elements and brief drug references

Details

Official Sites:

3L Filmverleih [Germany] Millennium Films [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

12 September 2007 (France)

Also Known As:

El rey de California

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$35,814, 16 September 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$263,674, 26 October 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Millennium Films, Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films (EFO Films), King of California Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

They actually did film in a Costco, on a working schedule between the hours of 9:00 pm and 9:00 am. Since they were there for such long hours, members of the crew were trying clothes on and looking through the other products so Costco kept a cash register open all night long so that anyone could purchase things.

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Goofs

Hmm...this, however, could be a DEBIT card with a MasterCard logo, which Costco does accept.

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Quotes

Miranda: Parents have this advantage over us. We want to believe in them. And when we don't believe in them, we still just want to be with them.

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Crazy Credits

Carroll Kales Cahill 1925-2006

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Connections

References Pulp Fiction (1994)

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Soundtracks

Let's Pretend There's A Moon
Written by Russ Columbo, Jack Stern and Grace Hamilton
Performed by Fats Waller and His Rhythm
Used by permission of Colgems-EMI Music Inc.(ASCAP), WB Music Corp (ASCAP), Winton House Music (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Bluebird / Novus / RCA Victor
By Arrangement with Sony BMG Music Entertainment

User Reviews

Sweet and Funny

I absolutely loved "King of California." It is sweet and really funny. The characters are flawed, but lovable.

There are basically two characters in the film. Michael Douglas plays Charlie who has just spent 2 years in a mental institution. Apparently the entire time he was there he was in the library researching lost buried treasure from the Spanish missionaries that was left in Ventura, California.

Evan Rachel Wood plays his 16-year-old daughter, Miranda, who had to drop out of school so she could work double shifts at McDonalds to support herself and pay the mortgage to avoid losing the house. She is world weary and bitter at never having a proper childhood and having to be the adult in the relationship.

Eventually Charlie convinces her of the validity of the buried treasure and there is a bonding as they search for the lost treasure that leads them to the depths of a local Costco warehouse.

The performances are great. Michael Douglas is all bug-eyed and crazy. Evan Rachel Wood adds to her "indie cred." Along with "Pretty Persuasion" and "Down in the Valley," she could be the next Parker Posey.

This is one of the best films of 2007. Make sure not to miss it.